This year’s precinct caucuses will take place at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 27, one week before the Presidential Nomination Primary, which is set for March 5.   Precinct caucuses provide residents with the opportunity to participate in grassroots politics. 

Those who live in Pope County and wish to caucus with Republicans can attend the caucus at Captains Bar and Grill at 23583 North Lakeshore Drive in Glenwood.  County residents who caucus with the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party will meet at the Minnewaska Area Elementary School at 409 4th St SE in Glenwood.  Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. with the caucus convened at 7 p.m.

The Minnesota Secretary of State website (caucusfinder.sos.state.mn.us) has a statewide Caucus Finder page to help Minnesota citizens find their meeting locations.

What is a precinct caucus?

Precinct caucuses are meetings run by Minnesota’s political parties. They are the first in a series of meetings where parties may endorse candidates, select delegates, and set goals and values (called party platforms).

What happens at the caucus?

Each political party runs their caucus meetings a little differently. Generally, there are three main activities at a caucus:

1. Choose volunteers who will organize political activities in the precinct. This could include maintaining contact lists, holding political meetings, and helping with campaign efforts.

2. Discuss issues and ideas for the party to support. You can present an issue or idea for the party to support, called a resolution. If you convince other attendees to support your resolution, it will be taken to the next political convention. Eventually, your resolution could become part of the official party platform.

3. Choose delegates who will endorse candidates at future conventions. At future conventions, party delegates will endorse state and federal candidates, including for Governor. Political parties have different ways of choosing delegates at the precinct level caucus—contact your party for more information.