Caucus vs. Primary

Has America Outgrown the Caucus?

This article takes on the institution of the caucus and breaks down exactly why it either needs to be ousted or reformed. Frankly, I wonder if the average American even realizes what the caucus process really is. I know that I myself was ignorant to how this method was different. The fact that participating in a caucus can require up to 2 hours of one’s day and there is no ability to really participate from afar by absentee ballot is very concerning. The article mentions that these requirements and others lend the elections low turnout (New Hampshire Primary had 29% voter turnout vs. the 6% in the Iowa Caucus) and those who do participate are often the elderly who have very strong opinions in one direction or another.

I understand the idea of tradition and I understand the fact that the parties will pay for the caucus and the state has to pay for the primary, but I also believe that voter turnout is important at every level and the importance of allowing absentee outweighs any pros found in the caucus process. Tova Andrea Wang, Democracy Fellow at The Century Foundation gives options for reform (if the process cannot be done away with altogether) in this article that should be given serious thought. All in all, it is just one more level of confusion in this whole voting thing. I appreciate states rights, but come on, we need to move in a direction of consistency if we want Americans to come close to understanding the process of governance.