Caucus meetings are when the local political parties choose delegates for state and county conventions.
Members of the Wasatch County GOP met at Wasatch High School in Heber Tuesday, March 17, to choose leaders for 53 local precincts and delegates for the state and county Republican conventions.
Patty Sprunt is the interim chair for the county GOP. She said she was happy to see young voters taking part in the caucus.
“It’s been fun to see, literally, seniors in high school [and] kids in college come and say, ‘Hey, can I get involved?’” she said. “We had some young adults become county delegates last night, and I’m excited to see that.”
Sprunt said there was a smaller turnout than she hoped and encourages voters to come to the county convention April 7. Doors will open at 6 p.m. at Rocky Mountain Middle School.
“It’s an opportunity to walk in and talk to all of the candidates and get to know who they are, ask them tough questions,” she said.
In nearby Midway, Wasatch County Democrats chair Michelle Mallery said the mood was festive at the town hall for Tuesday’s caucus, where voters embraced a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
“We had over 100 people there last night, which is about three times our average turnout for the last two caucus cycles,” she said. “About a quarter of the audience were first-time caucus participants, so that was also really exciting.”
The Democratic county convention will be April 8 at the Wasatch County Fire District station in Heber. It begins at 6 p.m.
Mallery said attending the convention is a good way for Democrats to get involved in predominantly red Wasatch County.
“I think voters sometimes feel, especially Democratic voters, like their voice doesn’t matter or isn’t counted, and these caucuses and conventions are a great way for them to have a say.”
Only delegates can vote, but all voters are welcome at the conventions.
Candidates can get on the ballot either by receiving their party’s nomination at the convention or by gathering signatures.
This election cycle, several candidates have opted to use both processes to get on the ballot, meaning primaries are possible for some races.
Republican Rachel Kahler, who is running for county council, decided to gather signatures instead of going through the convention process.
To see a full list of candidates running for office in Wasatch County, visit the clerk-auditor's website.
