Potential caucus problems in Texas

From a source in Texas, a cautionary note, and hopefully something that spurs caucus planners into action:

We're in XXXX [big Texas city], and the public libraries in town are among the polling places. My wife works at a branch that serves as the polling place for three precincts.

That right there alerts you to one issue: space. There are three precincts polling in one branch library. Branch libraries in XXXX are decent-sized, but they ain't exactly roomy. My wife's branch is open until 9 p.m. Tuesday nights, so not only will three precincts be polling all day while the library is open serving patrons, the branch then hosts three precinct caucuses in the evening - again, while the library is still open serving customers.

Where will they put all the people expected to show up? (Early voting lines have stretched out the door and snaked around the building for days now.) That's a real problem.

It's a problem made worse by the fact that city officials only began realizing within the past week that they even had a problem. Example: Earlier this week my wife tried to ask the branch manager what plans she had to deal with the crush of people on Tuesday, and what staffing changes might be made to deal with it. The branch manager's reaction was:

1. What's a caucus? (I kid you not.)

2. Well, what's the big deal?

The central library staff didn't seem to start getting concerned until Wednesday, sending an email that day alerting branch staff to the potential problems of overflow crowds crammed into too-small spaces.

Library branches are short-staffed to begin with, so there will be no extra library staff on hand throughout Tuesday to help direct people. No extra library staff have been required to stay late Tuesday to help once the caucus-goers begin showing up. A security guard has been added for Tuesday evening, but Tuesday night - after the branch closes - my wife will be alone, required to stay until caucusing is over so she can turn out the lights and lock up.

She's freaking out over the space issues. Where will they put everyone? The library honchos thought they'd only have to split them into two groups, Dems on one side of the library, Reps on the other. Nobody realized until yesterday that each precinct has to caucus separately. Three precincts, two parties, now you've got six groups. (Although Rep groups should be comparatively tiny.) Each of those will split into groups for each candidate. Now you've got 12 groups.

In a small library, with almost no open space, only a few tables and chairs, people will be standing around stacks of books and crammed into corners. It will be loud and hot and uncomfortable.

I imagine that will be the case in most of the polling places in XXXX County and probably most polling places around the state. Nobody is prepared for the turnout, and until several weeks ago there was almost certainly a majority of voters who didn't know about the caucus, and probably a lot of precinct volunteers who didn't realize there'd be caucusing. Ninety-eight percent of those showing up will be first-time caucusers.

In short, it's going to be a nightmare.

So again, it's imperative that those planning to caucus read up on caucus procedures before they go  and try to conduct things in as efficient a manner as possible under the circumstances.

And be prepared for a long, uncomfortable night ...