Bye-Bye Nominating Caucuses: An Opportunity for Western DNC Members to Lead

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Chris Stampolis
Democratic National Committee Member
Super Delegate to Democratic National Convention

Nine of our DNC Western jurisdictions use nominating caucuses to choose delegates to the national convention, far more than any other geographical DNC quadrant.

I propose we link arms to eliminate nominating caucuses, beginning in 2012. If we in the West declare our firm support for presidential primary elections that allow every voter to cast a secret ballot in the same manner as a November election, we will show leadership.

We DNC members have to declare our formal Party votes publicly and that's proper. But, it is indefensible to require "regular" voters to declare their presidential preference publicly as a condition of voting at any level of the Democratic nomination process.

Too many states forbid secret ballots through their caucus structures. And, as a young parent, I am certain thousands of parents are disenfranchised by having to decide which parent stays home with the kids while the other gets to play politics at the local caucus. Having to find childcare as a prerequisite to voting is a form of poll tax and we DNC members should protest it. Additionally, the infirm, many hourly-assigned workers and English-limited voters are highly unlikely to participate in caucuses compared to primaries.

Let's end presidential nominating caucuses as a top DNC Western States priority. If we need to raise money to help our colleagues to convert to primary elections, then we should figure out what needs to be raised in the future and help to pull together the cash. The stakes are too high to disenfranchise anyone.

Chris Stampolis is a member of the Democratic National Committee from California and is a Super Delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He has served as President of the California Democratic Council and is an elected member of the West Valley-Mission Community College District.