Caucuses and Primaries, part two

12 February 2008

On 9 February 2008, I attended the Republican caucuses in Quincy. I was disappointed at the number of attendees. However, the meeting was a fair and free forum for discussion of issues and candidates. There was no oath administered, no were the doors locked, as I had been led to expect. I would encourage everyone who has a vote to attend a caucus at least once in their life and become a part of the delgate process. The precinct level is the grassroots level, and is the place where most people can find expression and acceptance in the political process.
On a less than favorable note, the oaths mentioned in the previous Caucuses and Primaries article are printed on the envelope in which Grant Countians must return their Primary mail-in ballots. There are only two choices--Democrat and Republican, and one or the other box must be checked in order for the presidential vote to count. The Grant County Auditor's office says that these oaths are for housekeeping purposes only, to confirm that the person determined to vote Democrat or Republican. It leaves the impression that your vote will not be counted unless one or the other box is checked, even though there is a third ballot enclosed, that of levies, etc. only, and that only MEMBERS of the Republican Party can vote. It is impossible to verify one's stance in a given party, or at least it should be, as I believe the ballot is considered sacroscant in this nation, that is, private and personal in law and practice.
I believe that the election system in the state of Washington is potentially flawed. There seems to be little standardization of vote tallies, as evident in the Huckabee controversy currently before the State, and in the last gubernatorial contest. There is little accountability in the mail-in system and in the traditonal ballot box that is still available at City Halls in Grant County on Election Day. In order for a Constitutional Republic to accurately represent the will of the people it serves, it must accurately account for the vote of the those people, with a secure and secret ballot.