Minnesota Caucus: What to expect and how to participate

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - Minnesota is part of Super Tuesday, when 11 states will hold caucuses or primaries. Here’s what you need to know.

Live results: fox9.com/caucus

HOW IT WORKS

There are 4,109 precincts across the state. Caucuses for each one of them will be held in neighborhood buildings and schools. When people arrive on Tuesday night, they’ll first register for their caucus and then be handed a ballot.

“It’s a secret ballot, so you are given a ballot form, you mark your ballot, you turn it in,” said Republican Party of Minnesota chairman Keith Downey. “It is tellered. The ballots are actually counted and there are observers of that process to ensure the integrity of the vote counting. So it’s very much like an open election. You see the process played out right there in that precinct caucus room.”

Democrats say their caucus will run the same way.

“Unlike Iowa and some of the other caucus states where you have to segregate into certain parts of the room and be counted, this is essentially a de facto primary,” said Minnesota DFL chairman Ken Martin. “You get to show up and vote, and if you want to stay and participate you can, if you want to leave you can also do that.”

WHERE TO CAUCUS

Find your caucus location at caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us

WHEN TO CAUCUS

The caucuses start at 7 p.m., but given the interest in this year’s presidential race from both parties, you should really show up to register by 6:30 p.m.

WHO WILL WIN?

Minnesota, with 10 other states on March 1, could very well decide the direction of the election.

“It’s still a pretty open battle. Donald Trump could be argued to have the momentum,” Downey said. “At the same time, it’s entirely possible that Minnesota would be reflective of the rest of the country. You know, early indicators within the base of the Republican Party would say some of the other candidates might do a little bit better here. But, again we don’t know. Until people show up and vote, you can’t say for sure.”

“I think that Hillary Clinton has built a better organization here, but I think that Bernie Sanders has more organic support,” Martin said.

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