Missouri has recently adopted a caucus system, joining other states in choosing their party’s presidential nominee. This decision was made after the Missouri General Assembly passed a law in 2022 to abolish the traditional March Presidential Preference Primary.
The new process, outlined in Missouri statutes RSMo 115.776, grants the responsibility of nominating candidates to the established political parties within the state.
Under RSMo 115.776, the state party organization recognized by the national organization of each political party will conduct a series of caucuses leading up to congressional and state conventions.
These caucuses aim to nominate a candidate for the presidency before the national convention. Delegates for the national conventions will be chosen at these congressional district and state conventions, following rules set by each political party.
According to information provided on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website, the transition to a caucus system is seen as a significant change in how presidential nominees will be selected for the November 2024 election transition.
With this shift, each established political party in Missouri now has autonomy in determining its own process for selecting a nominee.
The Secretary of State’s Office has been reaching out to these parties to gather information about their respective nomination processes.
Missouri voters interested in participating in this nomination process are advised to consult information from their chosen political parties. Those who wish to affiliate with a specific party can register through the SOS website or contact local election authorities for guidance.
“One potential pro about this is Republicans get to do it the way they want to. Democrats get to do it the way they want to. Libertarians get to do it the way they want to,” said Missouri’s SOS Jay Ashcroft (R).
“Doing this will save the state about $10 million. I’m sure that after we’re done with the caucus, we will have a discussion about whether or not the legislature should have removed the primary or not and whether or not we should go back to that,” he added.
The Missouri GOP has taken proactive measures to outline its caucus process. They have announced that local caucuses will be held in each county and the City of St. Louis on March 2, 2024, at 10 a.m.
The GOP’s process consists of a series of caucuses and conventions leading to the selection of delegates for the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, WI, which is scheduled for July 16-18, 2024.
This convention will ultimately determine the Republican nominees for President and Vice President of the United States. To expedite check-in at the caucus, prospective participants are encouraged to pre-register.
It’s important to note that pre-registration details must exactly match the information on the Missouri Secretary of State’s Website, including capitalization. On the day of the caucus, attendees must bring their pre-registration confirmation email and a valid government-issued photo ID.
For comprehensive information about the caucus process, including Caucus Rules, Delegate Allocation by County, a Planning Memorandum, a Calendar of Important Dates, and explanations of the Plurality Slate Scenario, individuals can visit the Missouri GOP’s website.
Those who want a more detailed understanding can watch an online video of Caucus Training conducted in Independence, MO.
The video is divided into three parts: Introduction, Mock Caucus, and Conclusion.
Meanwhile, Democrats are mainly utilizing mail-in ballots but will also offer in-person voting on March 23.
