This article was first published in the February 22 issue of The Mountain-Ear.

Whitney Doss, Gilpin County.

The Precinct Caucuses that officially kick off Colorado’s 2018 midterm elections are only a few weeks away! Here is everything Gilpin County Democrats need to know in advance.

WHAT: Precinct caucuses are meetings of registered voters within a precinct who affiliate with the Democratic or Republican Party. (Each county is subdivided into precincts, which are the lowest-level government election unit.)

“SERIOUSLY, WHAT?!”: Never caucused before? A precinct caucus is the most deeply rooted level of a grassroots electoral system designed to amplify our voices all the way up to State and National “volume.” YOU will help determine which candidates for Governor appear on the primary ballot in June. In addition, the process for creating the Democratic Party platform is started here - so come prepared with talking points to debate on issues important to you.

Think of it this way: “Caucus” is both a noun (something you go to) and an action verb (this is our chance to change the tides, Dems!)

WHEN/WHERE: The Democratic Precinct Caucus for Gilpin County will be held at the Gilpin School on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Please arrive at 5 p.m. to sign in and enjoy some snacks to fuel your brain. Candidates will speak to everyone at 6 p.m. before participants are seated in their precinct’s room to officially begin caucus at 7 p.m. (the event will last until around 9 p.m.).

WHO: MAKE SURE YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE! Check your voter registration here: https://www.sos.state.co.us to make sure your party affiliation is Democratic and your address is your residence in Gilpin Co. If you don’t already know the specific precinct your address is assigned to, you can find that number here as well (this is good to know in advance).

If you made any changes to your affiliation or address in 2018, take careful note of the following eligibility criteria because voter and Party registration deadlines have already passed. 1.) You MUST have registered to vote as a Democrat by January 8, 2018. 2.) You MUST have registered to vote at your address in Gilpin by Monday, February 5, 2018.

WHY: It’s more of a commitment than simply casting a ballot. You’ll need to dedicate the entire evening instead of checking a box, but it’s a great way to meet people in your precinct and engage in energetic debate that shapes the future of the Democratic Party.

Our State’s caucus-and-assembly system can be difficult to understand even for seasoned veterans of the election cycle; for political newbies, its complexity may pose an intimidating barrier to entry at the precinct caucus level. So, all of us on the Gilpin County Democrats Central Committee want to offer extra encouragement to our neighbors who might become first time caucus-goers this year. COMMIT TO CAUCUS and we’re here to help you navigate the process.

If you’d like more details, including a current list of candidates, visit the Gilpin Dems website: http://www.gilpincountydems.org/caucus. If you have any other questions or need help with online voter resources, email us at gilpindemschair@gmail.com or feel free to call the Gilpin Dems Chairman at 303-562-6948 (he’s friendly, I promise!).