Caucus, poll bring
national vote closer

By Jessica Edwards

For the first time, Haines Democrats and Republicans can vote in a caucus and preference poll that stand a chance of impacting each party’s nomination for president – but first they have to make up their minds.

“It’s going to be a raucous caucus,” said Kathleen Menke, a newly registered Democrat and Barack Obama supporter, of the Feb. 5 events. “It’s really important this year that people turn out for either party. I think Alaska’s voice will really make a difference.”

That’s because Alaska leadership for both parties last year moved the caucus dates to Feb. 5, before a rush of primaries in other states determines presidential front-runners.

The local Republican preference poll begins at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 at the Captain’s Choice Motel. The caucus for Democrats begins 5 p.m. the same day at the Haines Senior Center.

“Primary elections (in Alaska)…used to be much later in the year,” said Doug Olerud, organizer of the Republican preference poll. In past years, Alaskan primaries fell so late in the cycle that candidates were “usually already decided,” Olerud said.

To participate in the preference poll or caucus, residents must be registered Republicans or Democrats, respectively. Party registration may be completed at the door for either event. Voters who generally prefer to be registered “independent” or undeclared can change their party membership back after the primary elections.

Republican Ed Lapeyri said he had been registered independent for years, but finally felt he had to “get off the fence.”

“I just feel it’s not only a privilege, it’s a duty to vote,” he said. “If you don’t do it, you shouldn’t complain about who’s in there.”

But Lapeyri said he still wasn’t sure which candidate he would support Tuesday. “I haven’t got the slightest idea who I really like,” Lapeyri said. “I like a little bit of all of them.”

Deborah Vogt, a long-time Democrat, concurred that party membership shouldn’t dissuade participation. “I would encourage people to bite the bullet and become a party member (even just temporarily) because it is up for grabs on both sides,” she said. “People can actually make a difference.”

Vogt said she too had heard indecisiveness about candidates. “What’s funny is that…a lot of people are interested but undecided about who to vote for.”

Caucus contact person Barbara Lewis, although involved in caucus preparations, said she hadn’t made up her mind which candidate would get her support Tuesday. “This is a very close and fluid year for a presidential election – the most open I have seen since I started following them in 1960,” said political science professor Clive S. Thomas of University of Alaska Southeast. He said in such an undecided race, Alaskan participation might have a more decisive impact on results than in years past.

Residents attending the Haines Democratic caucus and the Republican preference poll will have vastly different voting experiences due to divergent party traditions.

At the preference poll, Republicans will engage in the familiar voting behavior of marking a ballot, and can drop in to vote after 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 5. At the end of the evening, votes in districts statewide are tallied to determine the number of delegates each candidate will receive at the Republican national convention.

Democrats at the caucus will “vote with their feet” by gathering under a sign bearing the name of their preferred candidate.

Voting in the Democratic caucus starts promptly at 6 p.m., but doors will open at 5 p.m. People needing to establish party membership should arrive early to register.

After the first round of voting, any candidate receiving less than 15 percent of the vote will be eliminated from the polling.

Supporters of an eliminated candidate can transfer their support to one of the remaining viable candidates in the next round and voting continues until each candidate receives at least 15 percent of votes.

Officially, parties nominate their presidential candidates at national conventions, but since 1976, nominations have been determined by state primary election results.

Last year, Alaska and 17 other states – including California and New York – moved primaries to Feb. 5, meaning that by Tuesday, half the Democratic delegates and about 40 percent of Republican ones will have been chosen.

According to Alaska Republican party chair Randy Reudrich, the date change may be more significant for Democrats. He said Republicans have always caucused early in the voting cycle. Regardless, both parties expect turnout to surpass that of 2004.

Kay Brown, communications director for the Alaska Democratic Party, said 23 Democratic caucus locations – including Haines – had been established this year, compared to only eight in 2004.

“It’s exciting for Alaska to be part of the national decision on who will be the Democratic nominee for president,” said Kay Brown. “We all see how important it is who is president.”

Reudrich said at a state level, Republicans have always had an impact on presidential nominations. That’s because Alaska has 29 delegates to the Republican national convention, making it the 27th-largest delegation. Proportionally, Alaska has five times the representation at the convention than it does in Congress, he said. At the local level, Reudrich said new polling locations, including Haines, had been established to give more people a chance to vote.

He said he anticipated at least 5,000 voters statewide to weigh in on the candidates, fewer than turned out in 1996, but more than in the past two elections.

For more comprehensive election information, including analysis of primary election results, view the New York Times’ Election Guide 2008 at http://politics.nytimes.com/electionguide/2008/index.html.

Anyone with questions about the Democratic caucus on Feb. 5 should call Barbara Lewis at 766-3413. For information about the Republican preference poll, contact Doug Olerud at 766-2441.