I was alarmed to discover, just in the past few days, that 5 Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party precinct caucuses are scheduled to convene on Super Tuesday, March 1st in just one small Minneapolis Parks building gymnasium. These are large precincts with a high democratic index, that had hundreds of participants in each of them in 2008, which was record year, but this year is also shaping up to be a record-breaking year.
On Monday morning, while waiting to find an official source for my local caucus locations, I reached out to my local Senate District chair on facebook. I asked if there were any upcoming central committee meetings (I had searched the DFL.org events calendar for months and saw nothing posted) and if the caucus locations had been posted. He let me know that the caucus locations had been submitted to the state party, and that a SD62 DFL central committee meeting was scheduled the next day. I agreed to speak with him by phone that evening. When we spoke that evening, he was just posting the caucus locations here: SD 62 DFL: 2016 Caucus Locations and Information
The Minnesota Secretary of State’s caucus finder finally went live with 2016 precinct locations sometime on Tuesday. I looked up my precinct and found it was due to convene in the Whittier Park building, as was a GOP caucus. (It now looks like the GOP caucus listing has since been removed, as it turns out they had not secured the venue). I called the MN Secretary of State’s election line to express my concern that the facility could not reasonably accommodate 5 DFL precinct caucuses and a GOP precinct caucus at the same time. They referred to MN statutes in 202A which they refused to interpret and put responsibility for the SNAFU and any remedies on the parties, but admitted it was technically possible for them to update the caucus finder with new locations if the parties were able to agree or were compelled to change them. The MN revisor’s website was down. so I was unable read the statutes, and had to go to the central committee with just the understanding that the sites could be changed and that among the significant issues in the statutes an accessible site was important.
Obviously a building or a room that cannot accommodate the expected crowd will not be accessible, regardless of disability or the likely need for interpreters. The failure to secure caucus locations and provide location listings to the state party on time is attributed to the illness of the former SD62 chair Rick Stafford, A DNC member who supports Hillary Clinton, yet Rick was recovered in time to campaign for Hillary in Clear Lake, IA on Iowa’s precinct caucus night on February 1st. These precincts had very turnout and participation in 2008’s presidential preference balloting, voting overwhelmingly for Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton. By all apparent signs these precincts, if allowed to participate in properly run precinct caucuses will vote overwhelmingly for Bernie Sanders instead of Rick Stafford’s chosen candidate.
I’ll post more details and supporting documentation, with possible actions to remedy this soon, but I would love the suggestions of any who care to leave comments while I organize my thoughts and notes for a follow up diary. Who should intervene to guarantee a fair process and right to cast a binding presidential preference ballot for the thousands of Democrats impacted by this exceptional failure?
UPDATE: I have heard MN DFL Party Chair Ken Martin make a pledge to help the district create a remedy, if we can supply him with a list and a budget. I am working with him and the SD62 party to come up with enough volunteers, who can under take scheduled training to become caucus conveners or part of the caucus teams we will need.
I believe we could still use a venue ASAP that would work to reduce the congestion at the Whittier Park/School site, if Plymouth Church on Nicollet Ave , the Children’s Theatre or MCAD could make themselves available (for either the Steven’s Square or the MCAD precincts) … inquiries have been made.
UPDATE #2: I am told a new precinct caucus location is tentatively reserved for Steven’s Square Precinct (W6-P9). The new location will also be a tight fight, but the location is near the precinct, is the polling place most people are used to, and will reduce the sorting and confusion at the Whittier Park building significantly. More soon when I get confirmation — or just check your polling place if this concerns you over the coming days and weeks in the caucusfinders of the MN DFL Party and the MN Secretary of State. If this actually accomplished, than Ken Martin, Vicki Wright, and the new SD62 Chair Ryan Earp all deserve real praise for helping make caucusing a little more possible for residents of these very large precincts.