The Wyoming Democratic Caucuses will be held on Saturday, March 8. But only registered Dems can participate and you must be registered as a Democrat by this Friday, February 22. Unlike our general election laws which allow you to show up at the election site, register, and cast your vote, you must have been registered as a Democrat for 15 days prior to the county caucuses to participate. You cannot show up and register at the caucus site and and then participate.
If any of the following apply to you, you must get down to your local county clerk's office this week and register:
- You are not registered to vote;
- You are registered to vote as other than a Democrat;
- You did not participate in the 2006 elections.
If any of those three apply to you, you will not be allowed to participate in the county caucuses unless you have registered by Friday.
According to the Secretary of State's website, these are the requirements for registering to vote in Wyoming:
* 18 years of age on Election Day;
* US Citizen;
* Resident of Wyoming and the precinct in which you register;
* Withdraw voter registration from any other jurisdiction, if
applicable;
* Not be a convicted felon or adjudicated mentally incompetent;
* Present a valid Wyoming Driver License if you have one and if not, provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
In the past, when I worked as an election judge, other forms of identification were also acceptable, including utility and rent bills. The Secretary of State's website also offers these as other forms of identification:
* Preferred option. Wyoming Driver License.
* Second option. One form of the following: Different state's driver license; ID card issued by a local, state or federal agency; US passport; school ID; or military ID.
* Third option. Two of the following in any combination: Certification of US Citizenship; Certificate of Naturalization; Draft Record; voter registration card from another state or county; original or certified copy of a birth certificate bearing an official seal; certification of birth abroad issued by the Department of State; or any other form of identification issued by an official agency.
(And if your name is Dick Cheney, you don't have to prove anything. /snark)
Once you are registered, get ready to caucus! Don't know where to go? Or when to get there? The Wyoming Democratic Party has the answers for you:
Albany County (25 delegates), 9 a.m. (registration begins at 8 a.m.), Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 Garfield, Laramie
Big Horn County (6 delegates), 2 p.m., Basin Chamber of Commerce, 407 W. C St., Basin
Campbell County (17 delegates), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch break at 12:30 p.m.), Campbell County Public Library, meeting room, 2101 S. 4J Road, Gillette
Carbon County (10 delegates), 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Union-Pacific train depot, Corner of 4th and Front streets, Rawlins
Converse County (7 delegates), 10 a.m., Converse County Courthouse meeting room, 107 N. 5th St., Douglas
Crook County (4 delegates), 10 a.m., Crook County Courthouse, Jury Room, Sundance
Fremont County (23 delegates), 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fremont County Courthouse, Courtroom #2, 450 N. 2nd St., Lander (Chair Linda Barton arranging rides from Dubois.)
Goshen County (7 delegates), 9 a.m. to noon, Pinnacle Bank, Wyoming Room (downstairs), 2000 Main St., Torrington
Hot Springs County (4 delegates), 9:30 a.m. to noon, Hot Springs County Museum, 700 Broadway, Thermopolis
Johnson County (4 delegates), 2 p.m., Bank of Buffalo, Hospitality Room, 106 Fort St., Buffalo
Laramie County (55 delegates), 9 a.m. (registration begins at 8 a.m.), Cheyenne Civic Center, 510 W. 20th St., Cheyenne
Lincoln County (8 delegates), 11 a.m., Lincoln County Courthouse, 925 Sage Ave., Kemmerer
Natrona County (43 delegates), 9 a.m. (registration begins at 7:30 a.m.), Casper College, Durham Hall, 125 College Drive, Casper
Niobrara County (1 delegate), 9:30 a.m., Home of Everett and Fredda Lou Kilmer, 207 W. 4th St., Lusk
Park County (16 delegates), 10 a.m., Park County Complex (old Marathon building), 1501 Stampede Ave., Cody
Platte County (6 delegates), 10 a.m., First State Bank conference center (by Safeway), 1405 16th St., Wheatland
Sheridan County (18 delegates), 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sheridan Senior Center, 211 Smith St., Sheridan
Sublette County (4 delegates), 9 a.m., Sublette County Library, 155 S. Tyler Ave., Pinedale
Sweetwater County (24 delegates), 10 a.m., Western Wyo. Community College, Green River campus, #1 College Way, Green River, Keynote speaker: Cheyenne attorney Paul Hickey
Teton County (17 delegates), 4 p.m., Snow King Resort, Grand Teton Room, 400 E. Snow King Ave., Jackson
Uinta County (11 delegates), 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Uinta County Library, 701 Main St., Evanston
Washakie County (5 delegates), 10 a.m., American Legion Hall, 119 S. 7th St., Worland
Weston County (4 delegates), 2 p.m., Newcastle Senior Center, 627 Pine St., Newcastle
Wondering how delegates to the national convention get selected?
Wyoming will use a proportional representation system based on the results of a two-tier caucus system for apportioning delegates to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
District Level Delegates and Alternates
Wyoming is allocated 7 district-level delegates and 3 district-level alternates. District-level delegate positions will be allocated to presidential preference through a proportional representation system based on the presidential preference vote at a county caucus/convention with the first-determining step on Saturday, March 8, 2008. Preferences which have not attained a 15% threshold on a state- wide basis shall not be entitled to any at-large delegates. Delegates from the county caucuses then go to the Democratic State Convention which will be held in Jackson, WY on Saturday, May 24, 2008. State delegates will meet in presidential preference caucuses and cast ballots to elect district-level national delegates to represent them in Denver.
Party Leader Elected Official (PLEO), Unpledged Add-on, and At-Large Delegates and Alternates
Wyoming is allocated 2 PLEO, 1 unpledged add-on and 3 at-large delegates. Wyoming is also allocated 1 at-large alternate. PLEO and at-large delegate and alternate positions shall be allocated among presidential preferences according to the division of preferences among state convention participants on Saturday, May 24, 2008. Preferences which have not attained a 15% threshold on a state-wide basis shall not be entitled to any at-large delegates.
The selection of these delegates and alternates will occur at the state convention on Saturday, May 24, 2008 in Jackson, WY after district-level delegates have been elected.
And, finally, if you are interested in being a national delegate:
People who wish to become candidates for delegate or alternate to the Democratic National Convention must complete a "statement of candidacy" form and submit it to the Wyoming Democratic Party office no later than 5 p.m. on April 30, 2008.
People can download the form (pdf) or request one by contacting the state party office at: 800-729-3367.
Happy caucusing, Wyomingites!