http://nebraskacaucus2016.org/NebraskaDemocraticCaucusesFrequentlyAskedQuestions.pdf

Nebraska Democratic Caucuses: Frequently Asked Questions March 5, 2016

What are the Nebraska Caucuses?

The Nebraska Caucuses are gatherings of neighbors, administered by the Nebraska Democratic Party (NDP), in conjunction with County Democratic Parties where Democrats meet to conduct party business and declare their Presidential preference. By electing to participate in a caucus as opposed to a primary, we are able to move up the date that Nebraskans participate in the Presidential nominee selection and therefore bring the candidates’ attention to our state. The Precinct Caucuses are also the organizational foundation of the NDP. Democrats gather to elect delegates to the county convention, address key issues important to their communities, and elect local party leadership.

When was the first Democratic Presidential Caucus in Nebraska?

In 2008, the Nebraska Democratic Party held its first statewide presidential caucus, and for the
first time in decades, Nebraska captured the national spotlight as we determined our choice for
the Democratic Presidential Nomination. The 2008 caucuses led to Obama’s historic win in our 2nd​ Congressional District in the general election, resulting in an electoral vote.

How many caucuses will take place across Nebraska? Where and when will they take place?

There are approximately 150 caucus locations across the state; at least one in each of the 93 counties, and seven counties with multiple locations. Most caucuses take place in public buildings such as schools and community centers.

The Nebraska Democratic caucuses will take place between 10 a.m. CT / 9 .m. MT and 8 p.m. CT/ 7 p.m. MT. Each county sets the time of their caucuses. Nebraskans can find their time and location here:​h​ttp://nebraskacaucus2016.org/where­to­caucus/

How does the caucus by absentee process work?

Registered Democrats unable to attend the caucus could make a request for an absentee ballot beginning January 24th. All requests were required to be received at the NDP office for
validation by February 24​, 2016. Those eligible were then mailed an absentee preference card.

Absentee preference cards must have been sent back to the NDP and postmarked by March 1, 2016. The NDP will then send all of the Presidential Preference Cards to the appropriate caucus chair to be counted at the caucus March 5th.

Who can participate in the caucuses?

Any Nebraskan who is eligible to vote, or turns 18 years old by the general election, November 8th, 2016, and is registered as a Democrat, may participate in Nebraska’s 2016 Presidential Caucus. V​oter registration will be available on caucus day at each location.

How do the Democratic Caucuses work?

Eligible caucus goers divide to form Presidential preference groups—simply by standing in a section of the room devoted to their candidate. If a preference group for a candidate does not meet the 15% viability threshold, caucus­goers will have an opportunity to join another preference group or acquire people into their group to become viable. Delegates are then awarded to the final preference groups based on their size.

What do caucuses look like?

Caucuses resemble town meetings where Democrats meet up to discuss the issues, debate,
persuade, change their minds and in the end decide who should be our next Democratic
presidential nominee. It is democracy in action. The caucuses are volunteer­run, and we expect th​
a lot of lively dialogue between caucus­goers on March 5​!

How long will they take?

It will vary in each location—depending on how many people attend, and how many times caucus­goers align and realign. A general rule is one hour to form presidential preference groups, but it can be a shorter or longer amount of time.

How many national (district-­level) delegates are up for grabs on Saturday?

Nebraska sends a total of 30 delegates and two alternates to the Democratic National Convention. There are 25 delegates that will ultimately be awarded to the national convention based proportionally on Saturday’s precinct­level caucus results. These include 17 district level delegates: The First and Second Congressional Districts will award six delegates each, and the Third Congressional District will award five delegates to each candidate based on the percentage of the precinct caucus vote. There are also three pledged party leaders and elected official delegates and five at­large delegates that are elected proportionally based on Saturday’s statewide results.

National Delegate Category
Delegates
Alternates
District­-Level Delegates
17
2
Unpledged Party Leader and Elected Official Delegates
5
0
Pledged Party Leaders and Elected Official Delegates
3
0
At­-Large Delegates
5
0
Total
30
2

What about the unpledged delegates, or “superdelegates”?

None of Nebraska’s five unpledged “superdelegates” are up for grabs on March 5th. Unpledged delegates aren't bound to any particular candidate and can shift their support, as many did in the 2008 primary. The March 5​caucus will determine the allocation of Nebraska’s 25 pledged delegates.

Can press attend?

Yes—all caucus locations are open to the public and press. In order to facilitate press access on caucus day, we are asking members of the media to let us know which caucus locations they plan to attend by filling out this form.

If you are looking for a specific type of location, please reach out to Sarah Abel (sarah@nebraskademocrats.org​) and she will be happy to help “match” you with a location. As a guest observer, any broadcast equipment must be set up and used in a way that will not hinder or obstruct the participation of any caucus attendee.

Additionally, all members of the press are invited to convene at the Cornhusker Hotel (333 S 13th St, Lincoln, NE 68508) in room Arbor 1. Chair Vince Powers will be available for interviews, and a press conference will be held where Powers will release the first round of official results at estimated time: 8 p.m. CT.

How are results reported?

Results will first be reported to the Nebraska Democratic Party by each caucus leader immediately after their caucus concludes and then verified by the NDP. All press will be invited to the Cornhusker Hotel for a press conference at approximately 8 p.m. CST where NDP Chair Vince Powers will release the first round of official statewide raw vote totals. At this time the NDP will also begin posting official caucus results to www.nebraskademocrats.org. Each candidate’s delegate allocation will be reported after all raw counts have been tallied and officially reported by the NDP.