Top Republicans are calling for a review of the methods used in presidential caucuses after a series of vote-counting mishaps in three early states. Maine on Tuesday became the latest state to fall victim to the caucus bug, with a local report noting that the state GOP declared Mitt Romney the winner of a close race without many localities reporting votes in the totals, including some that had submitted their results and some whose caucuses were set for later this month. It was just the latest foible in what has been a very rough year for the caucus format.
Earlier this year, Romney was declared the winner of the Iowa GOP caucuses by eight votes after results from one precinct were lost until the wee hours of the next morning. After recounting the votes, though, the party said more votes were missing and that the true winner of its caucuses would never truly be known. Then, two days later, it declared Rick Santorum the winner.
And in Nevada, a smattering of problems with its caucuses has left the state GOP searching for answers as it pushes for relevance in the presidential process. All of it has some suggesting that caucuses may not be a viable option going forward. Mostly, though, Republicans think it’s time to revisit how caucuses are run.
Full Article: Republicans rethink the caucus format – The Washington Post.