Jeremiah Christopher Whitten: Caucuses - engaging or confusing the voters?

I grew up in a primary state -- Massachusetts -- and even though exercising my right to vote required merely checking a box near a candidate's name, I still felt engaged in the political process. I volunteered for candidates, canvassed door-to-door and chaired the campaign for our district's U.S. congressman in my hometown. Massachusetts is a dependably Democratic and liberal state and I am a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat.

Tuesday night was my first attempt to exercise my political franchise in Minnesota via the caucus system. I showed up at Chaska Middle School East, strode easily through the front doors and realized I was -- yikes! -- about to caucus with Republicans.

I took some time to look around. There was a large common area where earnest-looking people talked with their neighbors. About 50 people waited in line to determine their ward and precinct. It was calm and efficient but not my party, so I left to caucus with my fellow DFLers a half-mile away.

I showed up at 6:50 and found a line stretching deep down the sidewalk, through the door, down a stairwell and up a hallway, full of people trying to figure out their ward and precinct. I'm pretty good at crowd estimates and this line was at least 200 deep, topped off by a couple of volunteers at the front looking anxious and frazzled.

I made a phone call to a friend who told me that I live in Ward 2, Precinct 1. Great. I skipped the line and headed straight to the designated room.

At the door to the school library, I stood in line for 15 minutes and never moved -- literally -- before I figured out that this was not my precinct. Walking down the hallway, trying to decide where to go, I overheard six or eight people on their cell phones, calling other people for help. I tried to use my Blackberry to access the Internet and figure out my ward and precinct, but I couldn't track it down. (My bad.)

By now it was 7:30 -- just half an hour left to cast my presidential preference ballot. I went to the front entrance again and estimated the line to be at least 150 people deep, still out to the sidewalk and moving slowly.

I don't buy the notion that people are more politically committed in caucus states and demonstrate their participation in the political process with more conviction. Personally, I think caucuses are confusing and impractical. I also think they're elitist and favor the affluent and educated (such as myself -- a lot of good it did me), and erect barriers to people less involved in politics or unable to attend for good and legitimate reasons.

On my way home, I again drove past the Republican caucus. The sidewalk was clear, with everyone warm and comfortable inside. I'm a lifelong Democrat and would never vote Republican, but I have to give credit where credit is due. At least they know how to run things smoothly.