>In recent messages, people have stated that they felt there was "low >turnout" at DFL Ward Conventions. >I'm wondering what kind of turnout they are expecting, and what they are >comparing this year's attendance to? > Do people really expect 100%, or anything approaching that, at these >Conventions? If so, I would say such expectations are not realistic. > >Here are the numbers I have from some of this year's Ward Conventions: >9th Ward 78% attendance >12th Ward 76% attendance >11th Ward 61% attendance >2nd Ward 51% attendance >5th Ward 55% attendance > >This is comparing to the total number of delegates elected a year ago, at >the 2000 precinct caucuses, without taking into account people that have >moved, etc. since then. (In 12th ward, for example, we knew that 5.5% of >the delegates had moved, 1.5% were senior citizens wintering in the south, >and .5% had died. So our best possible would have been about 92% >attendance. Well, it is not that bad. In the precinct caucus, there are to be elected a like number of Alternates as there are Delegates. In my 10th ward precinct, we have had trouble rounding up enough people to fill all the Alternate slots. This past year, to avoid balloting, the one surplus candidate for Delegate agreed to be first Alternate. Alternates are ranked so as to avoid arguments as to which Alternate to promote to Delegate at any particular convention. This clear as mud yet. >And this just the ones we knew about.) In the 6th Ward >(heavily renters, and very mobile) over 30% of the delegates from the 2000 >precinct caucuses have moved since then! > >At the year 2000 Senate District 62 Convention, which was held on the same >day at the same location as the Precinct Caucuses, and which had major >contests in all 3 races, we still had only 86% of the people (elected that >very morning) who stayed for the Convention that afternoon. > >Here are some past attendance figures for comparison. These are from >Senate District Conventions, typically held 4-6 weeks after the Precinct >Caucuses. >SD62 2000 86% attendance >SD62 1998 69% attendance >SD62 1996 61% attendance >SD62 1992 79% attendance >SD58 1992 73% attendance >SD62 1990 70% attendance >SD62 1990 53% attendance (Special convention when Donna Peterson resigned) > >My impression is that attendance at this year's Ward Conventions is pretty >similar to past conventions. The attendance goes up only when people think >that there is a close race in a particular ward. >------------------------- >Of course, another interpretation of these numbers is attendance has been >dropping about 10% per week, as the outside temperature rises about that >same amount! :) > Jack Ferman Minneapolis, MN [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
