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Thursday, February 7, 2008

Re: Busy Signals, Full Voice Mail, and the Unregistered Catch-22

posted by on February 7 at 14:30 PM

As I wrote earlier, this situation left me with only the power of the Slog at my disposal. But it looks like that’s enough to get the attention of the State Democratic Party. Just 40 minutes after I posted this, State Democratic Party spokesman Kelly Steele called to tell me he’s aware of both the “unregistered Catch-22” and the busy phone lines, but that the Dems are doing everything they can.

“There’s an overwhelming interest,” Steele told me. “But we don’t have any more infrastructure than we have. We’re overwhelmed. But we’re going to do everything we can to make sure people have the information they need to go to their caucuses.”

He called the situation “unfortunate,” but also said it was a sign of tremendous interest in the caucus process. He also sent pictures of the 20 state party workers who are holed up in a downtown office building answering hotline calls as I type. Before I get to one of the pictures, I want to add a link that Steele sent:

People who want to check their registration or find out which precinct they live in should call their county auditors office.

So there’s another route to go.

Here are the Democratic hotline-answerers, working phones that Steele said are “ringing off the hook.”

scaled.DemHotline.jpeg

RSS icon Comments

1

Has it occurred to them that a process that requires 20 staffers to bust their asses and still not get to all of the calls is a broken process?

You shouldn't have to make a call to find out where and how to vote. Paper ballots, and fuck the caucuses next time, and forever.

Even though they favor my candidate.

Posted by Fnarf | February 7, 2008 2:41 PM
2

I can help out if they need it!! Pick me!!! ((holding hand up))

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger | February 7, 2008 2:55 PM
3

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it a "tremendous interest in the caucus process" so much as "democratic voters are pissed because we just found out a couple of days before the primaries that our votes wouldn't matter and now we're scrambling."

Posted by Democra-what-ic party? | February 7, 2008 3:02 PM
4

If you aren't registered, then try a neighbor's name; everyone should be going to the same place, right?

Posted by SpookyCat | February 7, 2008 3:03 PM
5

@1 - that's why this year you can look it up on the web - which they've been trying to add as fast as they can - it's way worse outside of our state apparently.

Good point, SpookyCat.

Want to help out? Show up at the caucus location at Noon (or 12:30) and volunteer to help - people for the info table, locating precincts, and helping with voter reg in person are going to be in short supply.

Posted by Will in Seattle | February 7, 2008 3:12 PM
6

@3, we've known for many years that the primary would be meaningless.

Posted by josh | February 7, 2008 3:13 PM
7

@6 amen to that--there was plenty of chatter about it back when there was a push to eliminate the primary altogether, am i right? oh, that's right, that means you would have had to be paying attention to your government BEFORE Horserace 2008 got into high gear...

Posted by Andy Niable | February 7, 2008 3:21 PM
8

A few of my coworkers who have recently moved to Seattle are using this site instead to figure out their caucus site.

http://41dems.org/gmap/caucus.html

Posted by kate | February 7, 2008 3:31 PM
9

I was about to post the site that Kate did too. I tried it out. It works. Read the warnings if you type in your address. Basically the say that it is important to make sure Google Maps places your address just right, esp. if you are near a precinct border.

But it's real easy and works well.

Posted by Charlie | February 7, 2008 3:48 PM
10

thanks for the phone numbers...i just found out that my new voter card was issued to me feb 1st after i changed my address back in november

Posted by Jiberish | February 7, 2008 3:50 PM
11

Have you considered that the parties don't want you choosing the candidates if you weren't aware that the primary is meaningless and don't know where your precinct caucus is being held?

If you only participate in democracy once or twice every four years, what makes you think you're entitled to influence who the candidates are?

Posted by Mickymse | February 7, 2008 4:27 PM
12

The 43rd Dems website has a link on its caucus-info page to what looks like a really cool tool that can be used by people who aren't registered. Clicking on By Address under the "Find your precinct" header takes you to a tool that must have been produced by the Democratic Chairs group. It's a Google map on which you can zoom in to the location of your house (use "hybrid", and maybe you'll even see your own roof). Once you're looking at the right place, click the location and it'll tell you which precinct you're in and where it caucuses.

Did you know that the crater of Mt. Rainier is in precinct 02-058, and that like all of the 2nd LD it caucuses at Graham-Kapowsin High School? I found that using the above-mentioned tool.

Posted by N in Seattle | February 7, 2008 4:45 PM
13

There is no more catch 22!

* http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/walookup (you can enter in garbage for your phone number and email, there's no error checking)
* http://41dems.org/gmap/caucus.html (enter your address in at the bottom of the page, the address of the caucus site is shown in the upper right hand corner)

Both of these sites help unregistered voters

Posted by bellevue & belmont | February 7, 2008 4:52 PM
14

I have heard that the http://41dems.org/gmap/caucus.html does NOT have the most recent precinct info. (It changed very recently.) Can anyone confirm that?

Posted by George | February 7, 2008 4:56 PM
15

Mickeymse @11 -- the, uh, constitution?

Posted by Fnarf | February 7, 2008 5:06 PM

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