Caucus basics

When and where will 2020 precinct caucuses be held?

The 2020 precinct caucuses will be held on Tuesday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m. at locations set by the parties.

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).

Who can participate in a caucus?

To participate, you must be eligible to vote in the November 2020 general election and live in the precinct. You also must generally agree with the principles of the political party hosting the caucus.

What happens at the caucus?

Each political party runs their caucus meetings a little differently. Check with your political party if you have specific questions. Generally, there are three main activities at a caucus:

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

Feedback about caucuses

If you have questions, concerns or a complaint about your precinct caucus, please contact the political party holding the caucus meeting. Unlike elections, which are run by local and state government election officials, precinct caucuses are run by political parties. Everything from site location to how the caucus is conducted is the responsibility of the party.