How a Caucus System Works

Step 1: Each state, whether it holds a primary or a caucus, is awarded a specific number of delegates to the party’s national nominating convention. The number of delegates from each state is determined by a formula based principally on state population. Generally speaking, the more populated a state is, the more delegates it is awarded. The numbers below indicate the total number of delegates allocated to the states to the Democratic National Convention to be held in July 2004. 95 35 21 22 86 58 23 21 87 287 19 154 VT-18 NH-27 MA-121 CT-62 RI-32 NJ-128 DE-23 MD-99 56 178 31 32 159 29 186 81 63 39 440 98 41 87 57 107 85 64 47 37 47 55 62 102 41 232 72 201 29 18

Step 2: Voters turn out to a local precinct convention and publicly announce their support for their preferred candidate. Kerry Kerry Edwards ? Kerry Dean Clark Kerry ? Edwards Braun Edwards ? Edwards Dean Clark Dean ? Kerry Kerry

Step 3: Voters physically relocate to “caucus” with others who have turned out in support of the same candidates. Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Kerry Dean Kerry Edwards Kerry Clark Kerry Edwards ? Braun ? Edwards Clark Dean Dean Edwards ? Uncommitted Voters Kerry Kerry ? Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 3: Voters physically relocate to “caucus” with others who have turned out in support of the same candidates. Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Dean Dean Edwards Clark Clark Kerry Braun Kerry ? Dean Kerry ? Kerry Edwards Edwards ? Uncommitted Voters Edwards ? Kerry Kerry Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 3: Voters physically relocate to “caucus” with others who have turned out in support of the same candidates. Dean Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Dean Clark Clark Dean Braun ? Kerry ? Edwards Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Uncommitted Voters ? ? Kerry Kerry Edwards Kerry Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 3: Voters physically relocate to “caucus” with others who have turned out in support of the same candidates. Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Dean Dean Clark Dean Braun Clark Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Kerry Uncommitted Voters ? Edwards ? ? Kerry ? Kerry Edwards Kerry Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 3: Voters physically relocate to “caucus” with others who have turned out in support of the same candidates. Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Clark Dean Dean Dean Braun Clark Kerry Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Uncommitted Voters Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Kerry ? ? ? ? Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 3: Voters physically relocate to “caucus” with others who have turned out in support of the same candidates. Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Clark Dean Dean Dean Braun Clark Voters who support candidates that receive less than some predetermined threshold – say 15% - may have to caucus with another group. Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Uncommitted Voters Kerry Edwards Kerry Edwards ? Kerry Kerry ? ? ? Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 4: Voters “caucus” to select delegates to support their candidate at a second round of caucusing, usually at a county or congressional district convention. Clark’s Supporters Dean’s Supporters Braun Dean Dean Dean Dean County Convention Clark Kerry Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Uncommitted Voters Kerry Edwards Kerry Edwards ? Kerry Kerry ? ? ? Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

Step 5: At the county convention, the delegates who were chosen at the local precinct conventions “caucus” to select delegates to support their candidate at a third round of caucusing at the state convention. Dean’s Supporters Dean Dean Dean Dean Dean State Convention Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Uncommitted Voters Kerry Edwards Kerry Edwards ? Kerry Kerry ? ? ? Edwards’ Supporters Kerry’s Supporters

2004 Democratic National Convention Step 6: The national convention delegates pledged to the various candidates from each state are named at each of the party’s state conventions in proportion to a candidate’s primary vote total. In 2004, the Democrats will hold their national convention in Boston, MA in late July and the Republicans will hold their convention in New York, NY in early September. Dean Kerry 2004 Democratic National Convention Kerry Boston, MA Wyoming Delegation Kerry Kerry Kerry ? Edwards Nevada Delegation Kerry Edwards Dean Kerry Edwards Kerry ? Kerry Edwards Delaware Delegation Ohio Delegation

Step 7: Using a roll call vote of the state delegations, the national convention delegates officially nominate their party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Oregon Illinois Missouri Georgia Delaware Dean Dean Kerry Dean Kerry Kerry Edwards Edwards Texas Kerry Ohio Dean Kansas Hawaii N. Carolina Kerry Edwards Edwards Kerry California Kerry Idaho Madam Chairperson… The great state of Idaho, which is famous for its rustic mountain vistas and potatoes worldwide, proudly casts its 23 votes for the next president of the United States – Senator John Kerry! Edwards Kerry Edwards Edwards Kerry Dean Edwards Kerry Kerry Dean Dean Edwards