The Kansas Presidential Preference Caucuses for both the Democratic and the Republican parties will be held this Saturday, March 5. For many Kansas voters, this will be as close as we come to actually selecting who will succeed President Barack Obama as the next President of the United States.
Your time and your vote counts in these exercises. Please take the effort to be heard. Here’s how :
If you are a registered Democrat and will be 18 years of age by Nov. 8, 2016, you can caucus for frontrunners Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders or two (2) other contenders or “Undecided” by going during specific times to a specific location on Saturday based on the Senate District in which you live and vote.
All caucus participants must register (or be in line to register) before 3 p.m. Doors open at each location at 1 p.m.
Senate District Four : Senator David Haley (D-4th Dist.), KCKCC Technical Education Center (The “old Walmart”) 65th and State, Kansas City, Kan.
Senate District Five : Senator Steve Fitzgerald (R-5th Dist., Leavenworth), Oak Ridge Missionary Baptist Church 9301 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan., or Warren Middle School, 3501 New Lawrence, Leavenworth, Kan. (Those who live in Wyandotte County may caucus at Oak Ridge)
Senate District Six : Senator Pat Pettey (D-6th Dist.), Turner High School 2211 S.55th St., Kansas City, Kan., or several locations in Johnson County. (Those in the 6th District from Wyandotte County may caucus at Turner High School.)
For more detailed information: Log on to kansasdems.org or call 785-234-0425
If you are a registered Republican as of Feb. 4, 2016, you can caucus for frontrunners Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio or any of the other contenders that have not suspended their campaigns yet (or even if they have!) by going to Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N.103rd Terrace, Kansas City, Kan. (Wyandotte County residents); one of nine (9) sites (Johnson County residents) or one of three (3) sites (Leavenworth County residents) between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CST.
For more detailed information: Log on to ksgop.org or call 785-234-3456.
Seriously, as a “winner take all” state for the Electoral College, often the general election vote in November leaves completely unreflected the proportional support each candidate receives from voting Kansans. The caucuses Saturday best assist your vocal choice for your party’s nominee to represent the U.S. as the next President beginning in January 2016. I, alone in the Kansas Senate, voted to retain the Presidential Primary which would enable each voter to privately vote for the candidate for his or her choice without having to publicly declare in a caucus. But the “cost of democracy” (in my words) to the tune of $1.7 million for a statewide election caused the Legislature to reject the standard election process..again. So now, due to an amendment to the election funding bill which I offered and which was adopted by the Senate to abolish the primary election and, succinctly, cease the playing of this “postpone for another four years” game…potentially forever.
Please. Be heard and represented at caucuses on Saturday. Stand up! Be counted!
Sen. David Haley represents the 4th District of Wyandotte County in the Kansas Senate.