StL P-D: St. Patrick’s Day Missouri Caucus Gets Even Stranger, No Winner That Day March 2, 2012

For Missouri voters perplexed by the Feb. 7 primary election that didn’t count, the Republican caucuses that begin later this month could prove to be even more of a mystery.

Not only is the Byzantine process familiar only to a relative few party insiders, but how the candidates fare will not be officially known for weeks after the caucuses are held, a notion that might seem arcane to voters accustomed to instant results.

Every other state that has held caucuses this year to select its preference for a presidential nominee has had some type of reporting mechanism to give the public a grasp of who prevailed, even if it’s just an informal straw poll.

But the Missouri Republican Party is giving organizers up to three days to turn in the names of delegates who are selected at the 142 local caucuses. And even then, those who submit the names will not necessarily list which candidate the delegates have pledged to support. In fact, the selected delegates may not declare support for anyone.

Most caucuses are countywide. But to make matters more complex, St. Louis County Republicans will conduct 28 separate caucus meetings, based on little-known township boundaries.

20 Pounds Note: The Jackson County republican cuacus is being held march 24, not March 17 becuase the local GOP does not want to conflict with the area’s many St. Patrick’s Day actitivies being held that day. kansas City has one of the largest St. patrick’s day parades in America on march 17th. other cities have celebration, too.

So the winner of Missouri’s 52 electoral votes for the GOP presidential nomination will not be known until a round of meetings in April, weeks after most county-level caucuses are held on the designated date, March 17.

“There’s not going to be a quote ‘winner’ at 6 p.m. on March 17,” said Lloyd Smith, executive director of the state Republican Party.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/in-missouri-caucus-results-will-have-to-wait/article_f384a13f-86ca-51a5-ab4a-9a009a2f1ef2.html#ixzz1nyfElDQl

Two More Counties Move Off March 17 St. Patrick’s Day GOP Caucuses February 20, 2012

Chalk it up to the Luck ‘O the Irish, the AP reports two more counties are moving thier GOP Presidential caucuses off St. Patrick’s day, March 17.
AP: “Missouri Republicans will make their first binding presidential candidate choices on different days next month.
Republicans in most counties will hold caucuses on St. Patrick’s Day – March 17 at 10 a.m. Republicans in Jackson County and St. Louis city are waiting a week and will meet March 24.”
Jackson County Republican Chairman Shirley Simmons says her group expressely asked to shift their caucus date so there would not be a conflict with the Kansas City metro’s huge St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
The downtown Kansas City Parade reguarly attarcts more than 200,000 people to the Parade (see previous post).
More AP: “Chariton ((SHAYR’-uh-tuhn) County in central Missouri is holding its caucus March 15, and southeastern Wayne County is meeting March 16.
Requests to change caucus dates are considered by the state Republican Party chairman.
The results from Missouri’s presidential primary earlier this month were not binding for Republicans. The state party opted to use caucuses to determine presidential delegates because the state primary was held too early under national Republican rules.