It’s Time to Vote in the DMV
To all of you DC/MD/VA residents, it’s now OUR turn to exercise our rights as American citizens. The Republican nomination is pretty much in the bag, but the Democratic nomination has been an interesting campaign. We have a BLACK man and a white WOMAN, neither of which has ever been the description of an American President. Both are strong candidates with strong views and both are worthy of the nomination in their own right. Many people assume BLACK WOMEN are torn between the two, but let me correct that myth right now – I am 110% confident about who I intend to vote for and why. It’s not about race, it’s not about gender. It’s about the issues that affect ME and the causes I strongly support. So whichever candidate floats your boat or whatever political party you are registered with, just get out today and be a part of history in the making!
If you’re not familiar with the nomination process, you’ve probably wondered about the following:
What is the difference between a caucus and a primary?
Some states hold primary elections on predetermined dates, while others, most notably Iowa, hold special election meetings known as caucuses. While both methods produce delegates pledged to popular candidates, there are a number of differences between a caucus and a primary.
One difference between a caucus and a primary is the amount of time participants must contribute to the process. A primary election is often modeled after a general election, with public polling places set up to receive eligible voters. The primary election voting process may only take a few minutes as individual voters make their selection behind a closed voting booth.
A caucus, on the other hand, is often patterned after a town hall meeting. Eligible voters are encouraged to appear at designated caucus sites, each designated by party affiliation. Local Democrats may meet at a school library, for instance, while Republicans may meet at a fire hall. During a caucus, voters may initially sit at tables bearing the names of all the party’s candidates.
During the actual caucus, certain party members are allowed to speak in favor of their preferred candidates. Voters are free to discuss their views amongst themselves, and can shift their support by moving to a different table. This process can go on for a few hours until a final vote is tallied. Read more…
What is a delegate and why are they important?
A delegate is a person who is empowered to represent a larger group.
Pledged delegates are awarded based on the popular vote. UNpledged delegates (also called SUPERdelegates in the Democratic party) can be given to candidates irrespective of the popular vote. These UNpledged delegates are meant to give party leaders a voice in the nominating process.
…it is possible for a candidate to win the popular vote but not win delegates. This is primarily because SUPERdelegates (or UNpledged delegates) are party leaders who can award their delegate vote to a candidate who did not win the popular vote. Read more…
How many delegates does a candidate need to win the nomination?
There are a total of 4,049 Democratic and 2,380 Republican delegates. In the 2008 presidential primary, 2,025 delegates are needed for the Democratic nomination and 1,191 delegates are needed for the Republican nomination. Read more…
How many delegates do we have in the DMV?
In total, 239 Democratic and 119 Republican.
How many delegates does each candidate have so far?
See this NY Times Election Guide 2008 for up to date stats.
As you can see, your vote DOES matter. I hope everyone over the age of 18 will participate today. If you’re not registered to vote yet, do it NOW so you’ll be ready for the presidential election in November.
Go Vote!!
[image credit: acc-tv.com]
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SM, i didn’t vote this morning because i thought i had to be registered with a party. i’m not registered with either party, do you know if i can still go vote in the dem primary? thank you!
Depends on if your state has an OPEN primary, meaning a registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of party affiliation. VA is open, MD is not. Don’t know about DC.
MD you have to have chosen a party in order to vote.. that’s why my bestie can’t vote in the primary only in the general.. she doesn’t choose a party..
Me and Momma voted this am!!!
I voted this morning!! Love the new blog format Single Ma.
This is a great breakdown of the primary process – and it is refreshing to hear you are actually voting on the issues, rather than race, sex, religion, hair color, or celebrity endorsements!
DC is not an open primary. When you register to vote (generally when you get your drivers license) you pick a party– Democrat, Republican, or DC Statehood/Green Party. You may be able to register to vote at the primary location– there was a table with mail in voter-registration cards on it; but I’m not sure about this.
thanks for the info, i’m in VA so I’m good to vote! yay!