Wondering what to do about this year’s Utah caucus?

Wondering what a caucus even is?

This week, the public will have a chance to learn a bit about the process, what to expect and how to caucus properly.

Women’s Work Utah, in conjunction with the Ogden Community Collaborative and Ogden Public Square will be holding a nonpartisan caucus training session at the Pleasant Valley Branch of the Weber County Library System at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Gina Timmerman, who is a member of all three groups presenting the caucus training, told the Standard-Examiner:

“Caucus comes up awfully fast on people and there’s not a lot of notice on where it is and what you have to do to be involved,” she said. “We were trying to get ahead of that this year. … I can safely say, statewide, less than 10% of the registered voters participate in caucus, and those people are going to determine who eventually winds up on your primary ballot, because that’s where they choose the delegates who go to convention to vote for the nominees. A lot of people are really uninformed about that.”

She said even asking around, she sees knowledge of the caucuses coming up lacking.

“I never hear anybody tell me, ‘Oh yeah, I go to caucus’ or ‘Yeah, I know what goes on there,'” she said. “Clearly, there’s a need for some outreach here so that more people in the community can participate.”

Timmerman said this is the groups’ first year presenting a nonpartisan caucus training event and that an event like this is especially important this year.

“This year has thrown us a real curveball because we have presidential preference on March 5 and, as I understand it, registered Democratic voters will get a ballot on that whereas (presidential preference) will be decided in the Republican caucus. So you really have to be paying attention to understand what’s happening,” she said. “All of the times and locations, those are starting to trickle out.”

“The other thing people need to understand,” she added, “is you need to know what voting precinct you’re in. A lot of people don’t know that or how to find it, especially since boundaries changed last year. Some of the caucus meetings will be consolidated.”

Timmerman said everybody ought to participate in the process.

“Everybody get ready to caucus on March 5,” she said. “Participate in your democracy and be civically engaged.”

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