Should we have caucuses or only primaries?

[Eric J in MN]

I live in Minnesota, which has presidential caucuses. There was a big traffic jam when I participated in the 2008 presidential caucus, because everyone left the precinct at the same time. When I vote in primaries for US Senator, there is no traffic jam.

Caucus results aren't based on statewide majorities. People's votes count less-or-more based on geographical caucus math.

In the Iowa caucuses last night, at least five delegates were awarded by coin toss.

I want the DNC to require states to use primaries starting in four years.

[CBGLuthier]

1. Caucuses make about as much sense as thinking a rodent can predict the weather.

Some kind of weird holdover from the days before electricity.

[bigwillq]

2. Primaries

I would probably never vote if my state had a caucus. I work second shift and just don't have the time to caucus.

[DanTex]

3. Primaries.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. Well, if you're going to get rid of caucuses on that sort of argument

then for national offices, you should get rid of the electoral college too, and go straight to total national popular vote count. That's the only way to make every voter's vote count equally.

[Eric J in MN]

5. I agree. We should also use the popular vote for the general election for president. NT

NT

[rurallib]

6. Must have had half a dozen calls from folks who couldn't make it

out to caucus last night. Mostly older folks who had an illness etc. Therefore they don't get to count. If they don't show, they can't participate.
If they could have voted, they would have been counted.

The only reason Iowa caucuses is that NH had the status as 1st in the nation primary. The caucus is only a cosmetic variation so Iowa could wangle that 1st in the nation and all the money and attention that comes with it from NH. I say primary and I am from Iowa.

[Zorra]

7. Only primaries, with no electronic voting or electronic counting devices

involved.

[Odin2005]

8. My very first real vote was in the Minnesota Caucus in 2004. I was a senior in high school.

I thought the whole thing was fucking stupid. I was the only person under the age of 30 there and was thinking about how anyone working a night shift was shit out of luck because you could only vote at that particular time.

Caucuses are biased towards middle class people with 9-5 jobs.

[mythology]

9. I would support primaries and more over

with instant run offs by using ranked choices. It would give a much better representation of the voters.