It's Almost Time to Caucus
Join your Republican neighbors to select our presidential nominee
The 2024 Idaho GOP Presidential Caucus is less than three weeks away! The precinct committeemen and volunteers of Legislative District 14 are hard at work preparing for this great event. Here is what you need to know:
Last year the Idaho Legislature removed the March election from the cycle to limit bond and levy votes in a low turnout election. But they also removed the presidential primary. Knowing they had created this problem, they refused to add it to May and left the state’s voters with no method to choose our Presidential candidate.
Thee Idaho Republican Party was faced with several options. We could simply have had Chairwoman Dorothy Moon or the State Central Committee send our state’s 32 delegates to one candidate or another, but that was a nonstarter. We could have held a convention, but our regular convention in June would be too late to take part in the primary and holding another would be expensive and time-consuming.
The State Central Committee decided to hold a “firehouse caucus”. This differs from the type of caucus our state held in 2012. Instead of locking in the attendees for hours, they will simply show up, sign in, vote, and go home. There will be only one round of voting, and you are free to leave any time.
You should receive a postcard this week with your caucus location. We recommend you bring it with you on March 2 for faster check-in.
Doors will open at your caucus location at 12:00pm on Saturday, March 2. When you arrive you will first show your ID and check in, after which you will have an opportunity to watch video messages from each of the candidates. The caucus will officially begin at 1:00pm with a small ceremony. Following an invocation and the Pledge, voters present will be shown an empty ballot box that will then be locked. Then the caucus attendees will vote to appoint the three tellers who will count the ballots at the end. Finally, you will line up and begin casting your ballots.
Doors will close at 1:30pm, but anyone in line at that time will still be allowed to vote. Once all voters have cast their ballots, caucus volunteers will count the votes. You are free to watch the tabulation!
There are six caucus sites within LD14 — three in Gem County, and three in Eagle. Your caucus location is based on which precinct you live in. Click here to look up your precinct. Several locations are still looking for volunteers, so email your Caucus Captain if you are interested!
Gem County:
If you live in the precincts of Brick, Bench, North Emmett, South Emmett, Central Emmett, or Emerson, your location will be Emmett Middle School, and your Caucus Captain is Leona Poen.
If you live in the precincts of Butteview, Lincoln, West Emmett, Hanna, or Letha, your location will be Carberry Elementary School and your Caucus Captain is Cathie Johnson.
If you life in the precincts of Sweet or Ola, your location will be Sweet-Montour Elementary School and your Caucus Captain is Carol Andrews.
Eagle:
If you live in precincts 1402, 1403, 1404, 1412, or 1413, your location will be Galileo STEM Academy and your Caucus Captain is Phil Reynolds.
If you live in precincts 1401, 1405, 1406, 1409, 1414, 1415, or 1417, your location will be Eagle Middle School and your Caucus Captain is Jeff Russell.
If you live in precincts 1407, 1408, 1410, 1411, or 1416, your location will be Seven Oaks Elementary School and your Caucus Captain is Brian Almon.
Six candidates filed with the state party and paid $50,000 to be on the ballot. They are Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Chris Christie and Ryan Binkley. Even though several have suspended their campaigns, they will remain on the ballot. Others are, at least as of today, still running and it is important that every Republican shows up to vote. There will still be a vote on March 2. Bring your children and teach them about the importance of civic participation.
Decisions are made by those who show up. The captains look forward to seeing you on March 2.