In contrast to the recent primaries in Mississippi and Alabama, the results from this Saturday’s caucuses in Missouri will take weeks or even months to be decided.
The issue that arises with the Missouri caucuses is delegates chosen during the caucus process are not bound to any particular candidate, according to the Missouri Republican Party. In other caucuses, the delegates that are chosen are bound to a specific candidate.
Due to this structure, the actual delegate awards will not be given until the Republican National Convention in late August, and the actual winner might not be known until June 2 at the completion of the state caucuses, according to the Missouri Republican Party.
This is in stark contrast to a primary system. A primary election and a caucus system usually offer different results.
“A primary is like any election you have participated in where you go to a designated polling place within a certain timeframe and cast a secret ballot,” according to the Missouri GOP website. “The atmosphere is very quiet and respectful.”
In a primary election, a winner is typically declared immediately after the votes are counted, and is based on total number of ballots cast.
In a caucus event, citizens come together and the process is more dynamic and open. During a caucus, voters all discuss and vote for delegates that will represent the state at the Republican National Convention, according to the National GOP.
“A caucus is an event where registered voters gather together at the same time and vote for delegates who will represent them at the national convention,” according to the Missouri GOP website. “The atmosphere is very loud and energetic.”
Saturday starts part of the process that will last into June. The delegates selected Saturday will then elect national delegates at the Congressional District Conventions on April 21 and again at the State Convention on June 2.
In most state caucuses, as with the Iowa caucuses, delegates are chosen immediately and the results are announced a short time after votes are tallied. Election officials take a straw poll and determine the winner of each individual caucus, which allows the public to know the overall state winner.
In Missouri, there will be no caucus straw polls, so there will be no actual way to determine who wins or the order of the candidates.
Another difference between other caucuses and Missouri’s is the timeline of the caucus. Missouri’s caucuses run from March 17 to June 2, meaning no winner could be decided before June 2.
Missouri voters did take to the polls in a non-binding primary back on February 7, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum defeated his opponents with more 55 percent of the Republican votes cast, according to the Missouri elections website.
Behind Santorum was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who captured 25 percent of the vote, leaving Ron Paul with 12 percent of the popular statewide vote.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was not on the ballot, as he did not meet the state requirements to be included in the election, according to the Missouri state website.
The votes in February did not count toward any progress in the presidential race, as delegates are not awarded until the conclusion of the actual caucuses, which is the process that begins Saturday, according to the secretary of state website.
Anyone wishing to participate in Saturday’s caucus may do so as long as they are a registered voter in Boone County. The caucus is at the Kemper Arena on Hwy 763 at 10 a.m., according to the elections website.