John Hale

Iowa is throwing a party Monday night Feb. 1 — it’s the Iowa caucuses. And here’s a message for Independent, officially known in Iowa as No Party, voters: “You’re invited!”

I’m a registered Independent, and I’m going to attend. I hope a hundred thousand or so of my fellow Independents will do the same.

The caucuses are often misconstrued as a private little affair designed for Republican and Democratic party insiders. Too many Independent voters have felt they aren’t welcome, or have been led to believe the events are so complicated or so boring that it’s not worth their time or effort. So they’ve stayed away.

As a result, they’ve missed out on a tremendous opportunity to have an early and big say in who the next president of the United States could be.

How big of an impact can Independent voters have? Consider the numbers!

As the Register's Jennifer Jacobs reported Jan. 3 (Outcome could hinge on actions of avoiders), registered Independent voters are the largest voting block in Iowa. Yes you heard it right — the largest.

As of early December in Iowa there were:

724,801 registered Independents

611,433 registered Republicans

584,307 registered Democrats

So, what do these numbers tell us? If enough Independent voters show up, they can wield a great deal of power — power that can have a major impact on the outcome.

And this caucus — this election season — is the time to use that power.

Here are a few observations about Independents based on those I know in Iowa and beyond:

We’re Independents because — surprise — we’re independent! We’re like cats, very difficult to herd. We reject the idea of party platforms that tell us what we think and the party apparatus that tells us what to do.

We are tired of politics as usual. We don’t want bickering and gridlock; we want action and results.

We’re unpredictable. Sometimes we agree with Republicans, sometimes with Democrats and sometimes with neither.

We’re pragmatic; wanting elected leaders to do what everyone in real life has to do: work with others to get stuff done.

So, to my fellow Independents, if we are truly tired of politics as usual, and if we truly want to have some impact, we’ve got to get in the game.

Sitting in the bleachers watching others play the game won’t change things. Complaining about how bad things are won’t change things.

To get in the game, do this:

Find out where your neighborhood or community caucus site is. Contact your county auditor’s office, your local Democratic or Republican party, or search the state party websites. The caucuses start at 7 p.m. Plan to show up early, get properly registered and mingle.

Take your ID and voter registration card. Be prepared to fill out a form to change your party registration on site to either Republican or Democrat (whatever party caucus you choose to attend). You can change your registration back to No Party at a later date.

Make arrangements for child care, transportation or whatever is needed to participate.

Stay committed. If the weather is bad, if you’ve had a bad day, or whatever challenge crops up, do what you can to work through it and get there.

I’ve been a regular caucus participant for years. First-time attendees might find it a bit confusing, but don’t let that keep you away. There will be people there you recognize, and volunteers will be present to help you understand what’s going on. At the end of the evening, you’ll be glad you took part, and you’ll know you made a difference.

My fellow Independents, opportunity awaits. Seize it!

JOHN HALE is a registered Independent voter from Ankeny. Contact: indieiniowa@gmail.com