What a clusterfuck. I became one of three alternates chosen to represent my precinct at the legislative district caucus. The delegates elected back in early February were granted the responsibility of showing up two months later at another caucus and signing their name at the check in table. If the delegate doesn’t show up to sign their name, the votes cast at the precinct level don’t count, which is why it’s so important that the alternates show up.
So the procedure at the legislative district caucus consists of several hundred people checking in and signing their names. The lists are then tallied and checked for people who don’t show up. This process takes about three hours, at which point alternates are called individually for every delegate who didn’t show up. There were about 150 alternates called at my caucus.
Following all the alternates signing in, the lists are again retallied, and if any alternates didn’t show, second alternates are called. This process is repeated until all either all the delegate spots are filled or there are no alternates left.
I signed in about three hours into the process, at which point my civic duty was fulfilled and I skipped out.
This ass-backwards process will be repeated again at the county conventions, the congressional district caucuses, and finally at the state convention. So, to recap: assuming you knew that your vote in the Washington state primaries didn’t count, you went to your precinct caucus, where you voted for someone to sign their name on a form two months later, at which point someone else is chosen to sign their name on a different form another month later, at which point your vote actually counts. Assuming none of the delegates decided to change their mind along the way.
Democracy, gotta love it.
