Caucuses, Primaries, Open and Closed

Are you confused about how caucuses and primaries work? So was I, so here, thanks to MSNBC and Wikipedia, is some information on the differences between caucuses, open primaries, and closed primaries.

Both caucuses and primaries result in people voting for their preferred candidates, and that vote determines how delegates are assigned to each candidate for the nominating convention. While delegates are assigned to a candidate, superdelegates are not. (If you want to learn about the difference between delegates and superdelegates, check out our blog post from last week.) It's interesting to note how important the 796 Democratic superdelegates--who are not assigned to a candidate and can vote as they wish at the convention--are becoming in a tight race. Apparently, the superdelegates are being inundated with requests from friends and strangers alike, and the candidates themselves are setting aside time to harass--I mean persuade--these folks.

A primary is much like a general election; voters simply cast their ballot and then go on with the rest of their day. Some primaries are "open," meaning everyone can vote how they wish, and others are "closed," meaning only registered party members can vote for the candidates from that party. Some states have some unusual rules modifying the open/closed question; in New Hampshire, for example, independent voters can go the polling pace on primary day, ask for the ballot of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, cast their ballot, and then fill out a form to switch back to being independent.

There is an interesting debate as to whether a closed or open primary is better. An Open Primary seems more inclusive, since independent voters can participate, but in fact history shows that voter participation is higher when primaries are closed. Also, parties worry that open primaries can be subject to manipulation from the other party; for example, if Democrats believe a Republican candidate will be tougher to defeat in the general election, they may cast open primary votes for another Republican candidate, simply to try to effect (for the benefit of the Democratic party) the outcome of the Republican party's nomination process. There also is some debate as to whether either open or closed primaries are constitutional.

A caucus is more participative, with supporters showing up in person at designated sites throughout the state. There’s debate and jockeying among those who show up, as supporters of one candidate try to woo the undecided caucus participants. It all ends with a counting of the caucus participants, but unlike in primaries where delegates are assigned directly based on the votes, caucuses differ in how delegates are assigned. In the Iowa caucus, for example, caucus-goers elect delegates to county conventions, who in turn elect delegates to district and state conventions where Iowa's national convention delegates are selected.

Because caucuses are more participative than primaries, those who attend often do more than just cast a vote for a candidate. In Iowa, caucus-goers begin the process of writing their parties’ platforms by introducing and debating resolutions. Iowans caucus every two years and not just very four, which permits regular folk to (theoretically) have a voice in setting national policy.

Since caucuses require a greater time commitment than do primaries, fewer people determine the outcome. In Iowa, which has a population of just under 3 million, only 227,000 Democratic caucus-goers determined the state's 2008 delegates. By comparison, New Hampshire has less than half as many people, but more voters participated in their 2008 Democratic Primary. New Hampshire, with a population of 1.2 million, saw 286,000 people cast votes in the Democratic primary.

The decision on whether a state runs a primary or a caucus is up to the state parties and state legislatures. The decision about when a primary or caucus is held is also up to the parties and the legislatures, although when there's disagreement, the party wins. For more on this, check our next blog post on Michigan, Florida, and whether Hillary Clinton is trying to cheat.