The election year is starting to heat up, and following the New Hampshire primaries that just took place next door, now is as good a time as any to take a look at our own state’s upcoming caucuses. The Maine Democratic and Republican contests will occur in a few weeks, and if Iowa and New Hampshire are any indication, younger voters will be out in greater numbers than ever before.
Richard Maiman, a political science professor at USM, isn’t so sure: he cautions that youth turnout may not be as high as in Iowa and New Hampshire. “It’s difficult to get people past the initial unwillingness to do something they’ve never done before,” said Maiman, referring to the lack of knowledge of what a caucus is.
While a majority of states hold primaries, a few states, including Maine, choose to hold caucuses. The term ‘caucus’ actually has its roots in the Algonquin tribe of Native Americans, meaning a “gathering of tribal chiefs.”
A presidential caucus is essentially a closed meeting of members of a political party to vote on the candidates. It differs from a primary because there are no voting booths, but rather a gathering of voters in a large room. Each caucus is different by state and by party, so there aren’t universal rules.
“Younger voters are even less likely to take part in a caucus, because a primary is so similar to normal election voting, but a caucus is foreign to them.” When you combine this lack of awareness, along with the lack of attention from media and candidates, it could make for less than ideal conditions for attendance.
Still, many young voters in Maine are determined to affect who their party nominates for the 2008 election. “I’ve been following it all pretty closely,” said USM senior Johanna Gwynn, “I’m not sure exactly how it works but I know I want to go and vote at the caucus.”
Mamain explains that this resolute attitude stems from the caucus and primary season’s origins. The process was set up to put the power of selection back in the voter’s hands and out of the party leaders. “The caucuses and primaries offer ordinary people an opportunity to play an important role in their party,” he said.
This election cycle is unique for both parties because Feb. 5, referred to as ‘Super Tuesday,’ will see a record 24 states holding caucuses or primary elections. This cluster will mean that over 40 percent of delegates will have been chosen after the 5th, which should give a clear idea of who the candidate will be for each party. So far, the race has been tight on both sides, with no obvious front-runners yet.
Maine Republicans may find themselves in a more influential position than their Democratic counterparts this year. The GOP caucus will take place here Feb. 1-3, and will be the last contest before Super Tuesday. Maine voters could give the Republican winner a boost that would prove helpful a few days later.
Democrats will hold their Maine caucus on Feb. 10, giving them a slightly weaker chance of affecting their party’s nominee.
Maine Democrats could still end up playing an important national role if the race is still tight enough to be decided by a few delegates. Maine would be a good state to carry in that situation, and media attention would quickly shift to the state, as it’s the only contest being held on Feb. 10.
Because of Maine’s caucus scheduling and comparatively small number of delegates, it hasn’t seen much attention from either the media or the candidates. Of all the candidates from both parties, only Barack Obama, Dennis Kucinich, and Rudy Guliani have made campaign stops. Most of the attention in New England had been focused on New Hampshire, but that could change as Maine’s caucuses approach.
Despite the lack of attention from candidates and the potential lack of voter understanding, party leaders are still optimistic about turnout numbers. “I fully expect youth turnout to be very high,” says Maine Republican party chairman Mark Ellis. He says that the GOP race in particular has seen a lot of interest because it will be the first contested Republican caucus in Maine in 20 years.
Maine caucuses are held by their respective parties rather than town offices. To find out more about the Maine caucuses, you can visit MaineDems.org or MaineGOP.com.