Absurd!

Okay...I never talk politics, because most of my friends are Republican...and I AM NOT! But, I just got this email from someone in my neighborhood and it disturbs me! I am so confused...and it appears that when I go to vote in the next few days, my vote will only count for 75% since I cannot go to the caucus, or I guess I can, but I will have to talk my husband into watching the kids! UG!
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First, if you are new to Texas or if you never noticed before that the Texas Democratic party has a hybrid election for primaries.
Each "early" or "day of" vote in the democratic primary only counts for 75% of a vote. To complete your full ability to support your candidate you must return to the polling location at 7:15 PM to vote in the caucus.

Republicans, on the other hand, follow the traditional primary system, in which the delegate allocations directly reflect the choice made by voters. After the primary closes, again at about 7:15, the republicans will have a precinct convention. This meeting is to elect local officers and reps to the district convention. This is also the meeting in which you can submit items to be voted on locally for submission to the district level. These items if approved at the state level, go in to the state platform.

Precinct conventions

Democrats: 7:15 p.m. March 4 at the voting precincts

Republicans: 7:30 p.m. March 4 at the voting precincts

Republicans will choose the people they send to the next step, which is the March 29 Senatorial district conventions.

Precinct Convention
The precinct convention is the first step in the Party process.

A precinct convention is held on the night of the primary election at each polling place after the polls close. If it is not held at the polling place, notice of where the convention will be held must be posted at the polling place.

Anyone voting in the Primary in that precinct may attend and will be considered a delegate to the precinct convention. If you want to attend your precinct convention, make sure the election clerk stamps your voter registration card with the Party name when you vote. If you do not have your voter registration card at the time, ask for a Certificate of Party Affiliation showing that you voted in the Party's primary. This will make it easier to get into the precinct convention.

The convention generally begins at 7:15 or 7:30 p.m., and is usually called to order by the precinct chairman. If the precinct chairman is absent, any delegate may open the meeting. There is no minimum number of people who must be present to hold the precinct convention. If you are the only person present, ask the election judge for the precinct convention packet, and hold the convention by yourself. The packet will have instructions, and the required paperwork that must be turned in to the local Republican Party headquarters by the date set forth in the packet to be valid.

Delegates to the precinct convention first elect permanent convention officers, usually a convention chairman and secretary. They then elect delegates and alternates to their county or state senatorial district convention. Finally, they consider and vote on any resolutions offered by the delegates.

Here is a link for a Sample Script for Precinct Conventions.

http://www.texasgop.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5742

Each precinct is allocated an equal number of delegates and alternates to the county or senatorial district convention. The number is based on the number of votes the precinct cast for the governor in the last gubernatorial election, taking into account any applicable boundary changes.

Democratic Party Caucus information here:

1. Texas has 193 pledged delegates, as well as 35 unpledged delegates
2. The Statewide Primary vote, by itself, determines no delegates and is merely a "beauty contest," except insofar as it translates into delegates elected in State Senate Districts, or through caucuses (in order to participate in caucuses, one must also have voted in the primary). It is very much possible that whoever wins the sum of the Senatorial District Primaries will not win the majority of Texas' delegates.
3. 126 pledged delegates will be allocated proportionally in 31 separate primary elections conducted in each of Texas' State Senate Districts.
4. 67 pledged delegates will be allocated through Texas' caucus system, the first round of which will be held in precincts across Texas at 7:15 PM on March 4th. 42 of these will be rank and file "at large" delegates, and will ultimately come from ordinary people who participate at their precinct caucuses, while 25 will be party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs).

So in order to support your candidate of choice in the democratic primary as much as possible you must vote in both the primary and caucus. In my humble opinion, this system essentially helps keep the party elite in power.

Detailed process

As a result, Democrats who show up at the polls election night for precinct conventions will be choosing which delegates move forward to senatorial conventions.

But they'll also be choosing which presidential candidate those delegates will be voting for, based on turnout in support for each candidate.

When people first show up, they'll sign in, listing their name and presidential preference.

If a precinct has 10 delegates and 50 people show up -- with 30 for Clinton and 20 for Barack Obama -- then six delegates for Clinton and four for Obama will move on to the senatorial convention. Even if the popular vote for that precient has 99% for Bill Richardson. (If you are for either Mrs. C or Mr. O the numbers are just for illusstration)

Texas' delegate process differs for Republicans and Democrats.

Democrats:

Total: Texas will send 228 delegates to this year's Democratic National Convention.

Breakdown: 126 of those delegates will vote for candidates based on election results, representing the state's 31 senatorial districts.

Special delegates: 35 will be superdelegates, mostly elected or high-ranking officials, who are all unpledged and may back whichever candidate they choose.

Caucus: The remaining 67 delegates will be chosen through the caucus system. Forty-two will be rank-and-file, at-large Democrats, and 25 will be leaders and elected officials.

Republicans:

Total: Texas will send 140 delegates to this year's Republican National Convention.

Breakdown: 96 will vote for candidates based on election results, three for each of the state's 32 congressional districts. The person who gets more than half the vote in a congressional district gets all three delegates voting for him. If no one gets 50 percent, then the person with more than 20 percent gets all the candidates.

Special delegates: 41 at-large delegates who will be chosen by the overall state results. Three "unbound" delegates can choose whichever candidate they want.

Sources: Lone Star Project report, House Research Organization, Texas Democratic Party, Republican Party of Texas, Fort Worth Star Telegram
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Anyone else confused?????????????? I sure am! I guess I will just take my 75% and go vote...have not decided which one I am going with yet though...Hillary or Obama...a quiz I took online said for me to go with Obama...but I am just not sure!!! UG! I still have some time.

For all my republican friends...we just will continue to NOT talk politics.