Okay, I’ve written a superbly buzzfeed-esque headline here for a reason. Bear with me!
I’m not going to get all wonky on the topic, and I’m not even going to say very much about it. This is a video by CGP Grey, a Youtube content creator. It’s from 2012, but it’s still more-or-less accurate. It’s humorous, but it’s also very clear on the overall basics of how exactly the primary/caucus system works. He has many other videos on elections, both on how our elections already work (such as the Electoral College), and about how they perhaps should work (such as Single Transferable Vote).
If you’ve got about eight minutes, he’ll explain exactly what’s going to go down, tomorrow. This isn’t an endorsement-style post, but I’ll say this — based on the latest polling, Martin O’Malley’s supporters are extremely important. Whoever you want to support if you’re in Iowa, be prepared for a long and perhaps tedious day, and make sure you are checked off early if you need to use the rest-rooms.
I will add one thing, however! I love the idea of the caucus, but there has to be a better way to do it. I mentioned Single Transferrable Vote? Perhaps some states (or even, y’know, the DNC) could adopt it? That’s essentially what the Caucus is, except that you need to physically stand there and there is no law against trying to promote your favored candidate on-the-spot. Maybe, since it’s — you know — 2016 we can find a digital way of doing things.
My suggestion: Adopt a hospital-esque system where caucus-goers get a wrist-band when they check in. Design software that allows caucus managers to scan those wristbands during a voting cycle (I.E. “#214 has been scanned and voted O’Malley). If a particular candidate comes back as “non-viable,” the next round of voting means another round of scanning (#214 has been scanned and voted Sanders), meaning that you just need to get scanned and you can go take care of what you have to take care of.
Let me know what you think!
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