Dallas caucus site overflowing with crowds
DALLAS — “I’ve been the precinct chair for seven years, and the most people we have had at a caucus was six people,” said Robert Franklin. “This has absolutely never happened before.”
Part of what’s being dubbed the “Texas Two-Step,” the caucus at this grammar school in north Dallas drew 500 enthusiastic voters who had either cast an early ballot or had voted that day. Despite starting out the day battling icy roads, the result of an unusual late-night snowfall, the caucusgoers were upbeat about adding their voices to the hotly contested race.
Udall Barriere, 73, has lived in Dallas for 10 years, has never caucused and wasn’t quite sure what the process was all about. Even so, she showed up at her precinct.
“I was the first person in line for early voting,” said Barriere, who cast her vote for Sen. Barack Obama. “Oh yes, it means a lot.”
Under Texas’ system, 65 percent of the 234 delegates will come from the vote, and the other 35 percent of delegates will be gleaned from the convention or caucus process.
Ten minutes after the doors closed at 7:15 p.m. at Brentfield Elementary School, the organizers were forced to move one of the three precincts into the gymnasium. Since caucus organizers were nearly overwhelmed by the large turnout, many of the caucusgoers had to leave before learning which candidate earned the biggest share of delegates.
The last time the caucus mattered was in 1988, so many of the people who participated in the process didn’t know what to expect.
“I have never even heard of the Texas Two-Step, until the Obama and Clinton race,” said Beverly Smith, who cast her vote at the polling place earlier that day.
Most of the voters in the upscale neighborhood are high-income professionals. The crowd was nearly evenly split between senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. According to vote returns announced during the caucus, Clinton got 624 votes and Obama picked up 537 votes. Those totals did not include early voting numbers.
“Hang tight, just stick with us,” a caucus organizer pleaded as more and more people tried to squeeze into the school’s small auditorium. After telling the crowd the media was making the Texas Two-Step process appear “complicated,” he had to borrow a calculator from someone in the crowd.
Delegates are not awarded in proportion to the overall state vote, which makes it more likely a candidate could win the popular vote, but lose the delegate count.
Mahvash Schneider, an Iranian immigrant who has lived in Dallas since 1978, was also a first-time caucusgoer. Although there was some confusion over how these delegates would be chosen, Schneider said she wasn’t disappointed with the process.
“I was telling my sister this morning I was never so excited about voting,” Schneider said. “Although I always vote, this is overwhelming to see the participation.”
Although the caucus organizers were clearly surprised by the huge turnout, the majority of the people who showed up didn’t seem to mind the chaos.
