You can check my journal for the op titled "time to end the caucuses".

Caucuses are absurd.

elections and yet that's rarely acknowledged here.

I have to vote on my lunch break. My vote wouldnt exist. And Im 34 and in remarkable health. But I work 55hrs a week on average and have 2 little boys at home. Im glad we have primaries in NY.

Where I said make access to voting more efficient. I actually think Hillary would have won AZ by a larger amount due to the above demographics possibly leaving due to other time commitments.

Her margins would have been so much higher. Ironic that some haven't realized that it is the minority and latino vote that is specifically targeted by the Republican suppression strategy. They are the demographic who lost their polling places. They are the people who had to travel out of district to vote. The Republicans are doing everything they can to deny the poor and minority people of Arizona their civil rights.

caucuses should be the first to go. It is not going to happen because the Constitution gives individual states the power to run elections.

Second, I think California's primary system is good. I would like to see other state adopt a similar system.

It would be good for voter turnout and be less confusing. One set of rules for all: vote.

is one that allows for absentee voting.

And it seems very few do.

confused as to why we still have caucuses. Is there a political reason that caucuses are preferred in some states or is it just a holdover from early democracy?

Going into 2020/2024 I'd be interested to see if states change their methodology.

Caucuses are paid for by the political party organizations. Elections are paid for by the states.

... and Welcome to DU.

I had no idea there was an economic distinction. I'm ill-informed on caucuses beyond how they work.

Thank you for the info!

Primaries give people a larger window to vote.

Caucuses put an unfair burden onto those who might want to participate:

* Intimidation (groups all around trying to use peer pressure to get you to change your mind)

* Physically demanding - for instance, I'm not all that old, but there's no way with my present physical limitations that I could participate in a caucus if it was going to require more than perhaps an hour standing up or sitting in a hard chair.

* Time constraints - many people can't afford to put in the time required due to children, 2nd shift workers, those who are required to work overtime, hospital workers etc.

Vote totals are always in question as they are collected in the most primitive of ways. The system is ripe for cheating as there is little way to verify if said unscrupulous activity has occurred.

I can't think of anything more undemocratic that the caucus system. I do think it's fine to have a caucus system if that's traditional, but each of those states should, in addition, have a regular primary vote for the large percentage of people who can't participate in the caucus system for one reason or the other.

A system that disenfranchises working people and does not respect the secret ballot has no place in the Democratic nomination process.