Both the Maine Democratic and Republican parties will hold presidential preference caucuses in various locations and times throughout the state this weekend.
Both parties are expecting large turnouts, although the results of voting on Super Tuesday, March 1, in 10 states from Massachusetts to Texas, may change the field, particularly on the Republican side, if more candidates drop out of the race.
The Republican caucuses, which will be held on Saturday, March 5, have changed in format, allowing voters to choose their preferred candidate by secret ballot.
The Democratic caucuses will be held on Sunday, March 6, and will be a more traditional event, with speeches and voters physically moving into separate corners to support their candidate of choice.
While the process may be different, spokesmen for both parties say the caucuses are designed to allow people to participate in the process at the most grassroots level.
Rick Bennett, chairman of the Maine Republican Party, said the goal of the caucus is to give voters “a strong voice in nominating our next president,” and vowed that, “our team will work tirelessly to ensure every Republican who wants to be involved in the political process will know how.”
And Rachel Hendrickson, chairwoman of the Cumberland County Democrats, as well as head of the Scarborough Democrats, said the goal of the caucuses is to “promote democracy at the grassroots, and this is just a fantastic example of how to make our voices heard.”
Republicans are holding county-level caucuses, while the Democrats are holding caucuses in almost every town from Kittery to Fort Kent.
Local Republicans will gather at Westbrook High School to cast their ballots, starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and local Democrats will gather at Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and South Portland high schools, at various times on Sunday.
Democratic party leaders are encouraging voters to show up early and to carpool or walk or bike if possible. Hendrickson said that if voters are still in line waiting to be signed in when the caucus starts they may not have a chance to participate.
The statewide caucus results for both parties will determine the number of delegates each candidate receives at both the state and national conventions later this year.
In Scarborough, Hendrickson said organizers are expecting more than 500 voters to turn out and said that this week’s Super Tuesday voting likely wouldn’t impact on the number of people attending the local caucus, particularly since both the Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigns have indicated they plan to continue fighting for delegates through the national convention, which will be held in Philadelphia in late July.
No matter what happens Tuesday, Hendrickson said the number of delegates each Democratic candidate gets “still matters,” adding, “there are plenty of votes still out there.”
While Democrats have only two candidates to choose from, as of Tuesday, there were still five active candidates on the Republican side. Those with the most name recognition are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio; the other candidates are Ben Carson and John Kasich.
Eric Lusk, who is convening the local Republican caucus, did not return a call seeking comment before the Current’s print deadline Tuesday.
Hendrickson said this week she’s not sure which of the Democratic candidates will win Maine.
“Right now, I know there’s a lot of activity for both candidates,” she said.
Neither she nor Nolan Reichl, president of the Cape Elizabeth Democratic town committee, would say who they plan to vote for, but Matthew Beck, who is convening the South Portland Democratic caucus, is a proud Sanders supporter.
Even so, he said the organizers of all the caucuses “have a shared interest in making sure the next president is a Democrat” adding, “both candidates have enthusiastic supporters.”
This is Reichl‘s first presidential caucus and while he is excited for Sunday, he said there’s also a lot of paperwork involved.
“I’m excited. I heard that in 2008 it was very intense and that it was a close, hard-fought campaign (between Clinton and President Barack Obama) and I’m enthusiastic to see who comes out. Bringing people into the process is very important.”
In Cape, Reichl said he’s expecting about 300 voters to attend the caucus and said the whole goal is to “encourage as much support for Democratic candidates (both on the state and national level), as possible.”
Beck, who is a former longtime chairman of the South Portland Democratic town committee, said organizers of the caucus there are expecting about 1,000 voters and maybe more to turn out on Sunday.
And, unlike in Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough, South Portland Democrats are required to caucus by district, under state law. While the South Portland caucus may be the largest and most complicated of the local events, Beck said he’s “confident that things will go smoothly.”
A closer look
The Cumberland County Republican Committee will hold its presidential caucus for residents of South Portland, Scarborough, Cape Elizabeth, Westbrook, Gorham and Portland at 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 5, at Westbrook High School. Voters must be a registered Republican to take part in the caucus. Contact your local town clerk’s office for more information about registering to vote.
The Democratic caucuses for president will be held on Sunday, March 6, at the following times and locations:
• Cape Elizabeth High School – doors open at 1 p.m., caucus starts at 2 p.m.
• Scarborough High School – doors open at 11:30 a.m., caucus starts at 1 p.m.
• South Portland High School – doors open at 11 a.m., caucus starts at 1 p.m.
You must be a registered Democrat to take part in the caucus. Contact your local town clerk’s office for more information about registering to vote.
The Maine Democratic and Republican parties will each hold presidential preference caucuses this weekend, March 5 and 6.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
