What is the main difference between a primary and a caucus??
A caucus is held at a certain time and you have to be there at that time. In some cases you vote by secret ballot at a caucus but usually you vote publicly. In Iowa tonight the caucuses started at 6:30 local time and if you couldn’t be there then you didn’t get to vote. Both are vehicles that political parties use to select nominees and although most people don’t know it a party can pick its nominees any way it chooses. For example, Tennessee will be part of the big primary Tuesday next month but the state party on either side could have simply said we are going to have a caucus or convention instead of a primary. In a convention only party leaders would have a vote and the Democratic Party in my county actually discussed having a convention for county offices not long ago to keep our candidates from having to spend money on a primary.
