Boulder County Democrats are holding their 2022 party caucuses on Saturday, March 5, a key first step in selecting a slate of candidates for the November general election.
The caucuses will be held virtually for the first time, according to a Democratic Party news release. “...So anyone with access to a phone or an internet-enabled computer can participate in the comfort of their own homes,” the news release states.
“While we would love to see everyone in person, we made this decision to ensure your health and safety would not be jeopardized during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the news release states.
All caucuses will be held throughout the day, but start times for each caucus will be staggered throughout the day, the news release states. Once a participant is registered, the details for each specific caucus meeting will be displayed.
A party caucus helps decide which Democrats will represent the party in November, said Boulder County Democratic Party Chair Raffii Mercuri.
Candidates running for a major party nomination can get their names on that party’s primary ballot by collecting a sufficient number of signatures on an approved ballot placement petition. Or they can get at least 30% support of all delegates at their respective party assembly, Mercuri said via email.
Caucusing is the first step in the process of getting onto the ballot via the party assembly, and it is also when local Democrats elect the people on their precinct committees, who by law, comprise the bulk of the official Central Committee of the Boulder County Democratic Party, he said.
Caucuses are held at the precinct-level, and every precinct is allotted a certain number of delegates they can send to the county assembly, which is the next step in selecting candidates for the ballot, Mercuri said.
