Kayley Schoonmaker & Sarah Clarke
Join Vice President Kayley Schoonmaker and Director of Government Relations Sarah Clarke to learn about the caucus process in Minnesota and how you can make a difference in your community by going to your caucus on February 4!
4. What is the Caucus?
Grassroots democracy in action!
You don’t shell out any $ to make your voice
heard!
Meet with your neighbors to discuss issues that
are important to you
Because birds of a feather flock together!
Your opportunity to express your preference for
candidates for political office
Not the Convention
Caucus Process vs. Primary
5. How to Caucus
February 4th at 7 p.m.
Pick your political party
Major parties are REQUIRED to hold
caucuses
Find your precinct caucus online at the
Minnesota Secretary of State’s website or your
party’s website
Work or class on the 4th? Don’t scramble!
6. Resolutions
Written statements on issues that you
want to be included in your political
party’s platform that will be discussed
and voted on
Bring copies of your resolutions to the
caucus
7. Sample Resolution
WHEREAS, Minnesota’s college students are
burdened with crushing student loan debt that
prohibits them from more fully participating in
Minnesota’s economy, and;
WHEREAS, a statewide student debt forgiveness
program would help all students invest in
Minnesota’s economy and thus, help all
Minnesotans;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Hire Ed Party
supports a statewide student loan forgiveness
program for all students.
8. Sample Resolution
WHEREAS: A $110 million investment in Higher
Education Asset Preservation and Replacement
(HEAPR) would fund critical repairs at every campus
in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
(MnSCU) system; and
WHEREAS: The Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities system has proposed a $286.5 million
capital budget (bonding) request; now therefore be
it
RESOLVED: That our party support full funding of
the MnSCU capital budget request with HEAPR as the
number 1 priority of that request.
9. Create your own Resolution
On a resolution form (it doesn’t
matter for which party), take five
minutes to draft your own resolution
Then share your resolution with a
partner
It does not need to be perfect, just
take a crack at it!
10. Delegates
Great way to network and get more involved with
your party
Attend convention to support candidates
Pass resolutions to your party’s platform
Run to be a delegate to your congressional district
and state convention
State Party determines the number of delegates
per precinct
11. Candidate Straw Polls
Your caucus may also conduct an
informal poll for caucus goers to show
their support for candidates
This helps candidates demonstrate
momentum in contested endorsement
battles
Kayley… Because we don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket…and the caucus is eggsellent! Ok, no more yolksGoing to your caucus will make you a better advocate because you will get to know your local elected officials, meet people with lots of experince in the political process. Et.
Kayley- raise your hands if you have caucused before
Sarah--- line up caucus vs. primary….
BOTH- reference the how to caucus sheetYou may take time off work to attend your precinct caucus after giving your employer 10 days written notice and shall suffer no penalty or deduction from salary or wages on account of absence other than a deduction for the actual time absent from work.
Sarah: Note about party platforms that are being passed out..
Should we add a joke egg/bird resolution?
ta
Kayley
Sarah
Sarah: Add party name…set up the rules…im skipping some smaller steps to save times, like adopting the rules,