CAUCUS: Here's what's wrong with it

I took my 84-year-old Mom to the Kootenai County (Post Falls) Caucus last week at the Greyhound Center. We arrived at 4:30 p.m. She cannot stand for very long, but she wanted to vote. We stayed until about 8:30 p.m. and by then she was exhausted and tired of standing in lines all night. We cast our first vote, and then left the caucus.

Here’s what’s wrong with the caucus, and why I do not like it:

1. It takes TOO LONG.

2. The process is not friendly to our seniors -- too many lines, too much standing around.

3. Young parents could not both participate unless they brought the kids with them.

4. Military deployed away from home could not participate (no absentee ballot).

5. Those away on business or vacation could not participate (no absentee ballot).

6. Many folks were not adequately informed of the change from the primary to a caucus.

One of the neighbors on our street went to the Armory, didn’t find their polling place, asked a soldier where the primary was, and was told it was at the Greyhound Center. She left dinner setting out to thaw thinking she would be right back. They got to the Greyhound Center — asked their party, was told that Constitutionalists couldn’t participate. Had to change their party to GOP. Got herded around like cattle all night. She and her husband were very frustrated and annoyed. Mailing a postcard to all registered voters informing them of the changes would have been nice. These neighbors obviously live in a cloud of ignorance, as they do not take a newspaper or have access to the Internet.

I hope THE PEOPLE will be asked what they thought of the caucus. No one I have talked to liked the process at all. Who cares that Idaho appeared in the Super Tuesday results? If we would be voting on May 15, we might actually have more say than we did on March 6. I am so frustrated to think that you all have already made up your minds that the Idaho Caucus is here to stay.

C.J. KIRKLEY

Post Falls