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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Evilhalfling" data-source="post: 4233399" data-attributes="member: 16991">Before: After the last caucus I filled out the paperwork to get my name listed as a candidate to the National Convention, then I got distracted.  We started getting calls, 1-3 a day for the week before the event, reminding me to go.   My wife, who always listens to the answering machine first, got very tired of it.  Also, two weeks before the event I decided to change my candidate preference, by then it was to late to change the paperwork. I was on the ballot for a candidate I no longer supported.   My campaign to go to the DNC was dead before it started. The Event   After driving 90 miles Saturday morning, I arrived at the convention at 7am. 5000 delegates and 5000 alternates were  invited to the state Caucus. I would guess 7k of us showed up.   In contrast National Convention will have a little over 4200 delegates.  (but more press etc.)  I found out that I could vote for a different candidate than I was sent for, but that my name would still be on the ballot as a delegate for my original choice. The convention was lots of speeches, cheering and waving signs.  Who ever gave me a 2’ flexible glow-stick was roundly cursed by the people seated around me.  (I hit at least 3 of  them, the woman in front of me more than once.) We voted on the party platform, and acclaimed the candidate for Senator.  Meanwhile, members of each campaign counted delegates and argued over which alternates were chosen.  This took until 3pm.Finally the voting started.  Each delegate could pick up a ballot based on presidential preference, then vote for which people that would represent that candidate. There were  70 people running for the electoral collage, and 1500 ! to go as delegates. Running for 14 spots, 7 men, 7 women.  The ballots were nearly 100 pages, 16 delegates listed on a page,  40 pages of women, 20(ish) pages of men. I read through and voted for the ONE name I recognized.  Then I got out the dice. Alternating I counted 1-20 pages from the front then 1-20 pages from the back, rolling each time.  Because I had changed candidates, the ballot I was using did not have me listed.Evilhalfling & Election Fraud?   It was pointed out that it did not matter which candidate I supported, if the democrats reached decision before the convention.  Perhaps I could still go! I looked around at all the blank and confused people sifting through the names, or trying to find fliers they had been given 8 hours earlier. I started walking around and introducing myself with the qualifications;“I can yell loudly for hours and wave a sign enthusiastically.“ It always got a laugh and perhaps gained me 20-30 votes.  Was this false representation?  Should I have been campaigning while people were holding their actual ballots?  Did it make any difference? based only on the law of averages, each compeating male delegate will receive 600 votes, So chances are I made no difference. My understanding was that for the national convention delegates are only pledged for 1 round of voting, IF more rounds are needed then delegates can change their votes.  Anyway this is how I will act.  Otherwise if I was chosen, everytime you saw a delegate count for the US democratic canidates, you would have to adjust the number by 1.  I’m guessing results may be published by Friday, but who knows? Tabulating 5000 ballots with 100 pages each will not go quickly, I will post when I find out if I have been chosen. Overall the caucus process was long, and somewhat silly.  I still believe a primary may be a better way to handle elections, but I had a lot of fun attending events and talking to my representatives.  I would not have missed it and will participate again next cycle, its kind of addictive.Edit - results posted on thursday. I was not selected, to the relief of my wife. Only 2 men were selected as delegates for my canidate, one a state house senator.One delegate seat did switch based on caucus voting, so you will have to mentally change colorado to a 36/19 delegate split.  </blockquote>

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