Tuesday, January 22, 2008

HORSERACE, RON PAUL

For What It's Worth, Louisiana Caucuses This Evening

Louisiana has its Republican caucus this evening, but as usual, the rules are complicated. Voters today will be voting for delegates to the state convention, who will select the delegates to the national GOP convention.

Details:

Louisiana's Republican voters will head to the polls today at 11 different caucus sites to cast their ballots for delegates and alternate delegates to the Louisiana Republican Convention.
Voters can cast ballots from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm this evening.
The state convention will choose the bulk of Louisiana's delegates to the Republican National Convention. Louisiana will have a total of 47 delegates and 44 alternates to the national convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
Fifteen delegates and fifteen alternates to the state convention will be elected from each congressional district. Republican voters are eligible to vote in the congressional district where they were registered on November 30, 2007. In order to participate, voters must present a drivers license or valid photo I.D.
The state convention will be held Feb. 16 at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. All of Louisiana's 2008 national convention delegates will be uncommitted. But if a presidential candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the Feb. 9 presidential primary, state party rules require 20 of Louisiana's at-large delegates to support that candidate on the first ballot of the national convention. If no presidential candidate receives a majority on Feb. 9, the at-large delegates will be uncommitted.

So there's this caucus to determine who goes to the state convention, but the actual delegates are uncommitted, unless someone gets 50 percent in a crowded field.

I guess the importance of today depends on how uncommitted those "uncommitted" delegates actually are. If one candidate sweeps tonight, their supporters could stock the Louisiana delegation with supporters when the state convention meets Feb. 16.

The only Republican candidate in Louisiana last night? Ron Paul.

01/22 10:55 AM Share