A precinct is a voting district, and a precinct caucus essentially brings together people in the same region who belong to the same political party.
In this meeting, participants will elect delegates and alternates to attend conventions held during spring and summer, as well as have the opportunity to propose resolutions that very easily could be adapted into the party’s platform. It’s a time for parties to decide the candidates and issues they will support. It is especially important for students who live in the suburbs, where student presence is not strong, to bring up some of the issues that concern students. While student presence alone is important, it’s equally important to make your identity as a student known.
Students often feel left out of the political process, perhaps because candidates are out of touch with students. However, instead of mulling over this thought, students should be proactive and make issues that matter to students the subject of discourse this Tuesday. Ridiculous tuition costs and lack of fair housing are among the issues that plague students.
It is naïve to assume the problems that students face simply will disappear, or hope that someone else will take up our cause. As students, we need to face social and political reality and organize ourselves as a political force that will exercise and exhaust all opportunities possible.
A long time ago, some genius proposed what is now a Minnesota statute that says that the first Tuesday of every March there should be a precinct caucus for every state general election. This night basically is the initial steps of the democratic political process of electing officials.
The stereotype is that students merely express apathy and can’t even take up student-specific issues. The easiest place to begin activism is perhaps at precinct caucuses. Individuals are in their own neighborhoods with like-minded people, you won’t be thrown into an atmosphere with a person from contesting political affiliations. It’s the perfect place to begin a life of public engagement.
