Washington State caucuses tomorrow!

A reminder to all Evergreen State readers: You probably know that the Washington Democratic precinct caucuses begin tomorrow at 1 PM at thousands of locations across the state of Washington. But do your neighbors know?

The caucuses will begin in a little over eighteen hours. Consider taking some time this evening to call your neighbors and invite them to join you at the Democratic precinct caucuses tomorrow if they haven't already made plans to do so.

Fuse has a list of responses to many common "I can't go to the caucus" excuses.

You can look up your precinct caucus location at the state party's website. (A caution: the site is experiencing high traffic volume at the moment, so be patient and refresh the page if it doesn't load).

You can also use the Obama campaign's caucus locator, which we tested and are happy to report is working reliably. (The Obama campaign will ask you for a valid email address and telephone number in addition to your address.)

Here are some tips for first time caucusgoers:

• Bring your voter registration card with you to the caucus so you can be seated quickly with your neighbors. If you can't find your voter registration card, write your precinct name on the back of a business card and put it in your wallet. Knowing your precinct will help expedite sign-in significantly.
• Don't assume your precinct caucus is at your polling place. Precincts that are geographically close will meet together in groups (known as clusters, wards, or areas) at a central location.
• Remember that you may caucus if you are seventeen now but will be eighteen by election day, or if you are a citizen not registered to vote.
• Don't hesitate to bring your kids with you to the caucus. Children are welcome - remember, a caucus is simply a meeting of Democratic neighbors.
• Come prepared to say something about your presidential preference (Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, or another candidate).

You can also read answers to many frequently asked questions about the caucuses, or watch this video introduction which explains how the caucuses work.

Traditional media how-to articles about the Washington caucuses:

• Caucusing Is Easy: How to Caucus on February 9th (The Stranger)
• How the Democratic Caucuses Work (Seattle Times graphic)
• How to get involved in Washington's caucuses (Seattle P-I)
• A primer on Washington's caucuses and primary (Audio; KPLU/NPR)
• Some answers about primary and caucuses (The News Tribune)

Want to talk to a human? Call the Democratic Caucus Hotline at 206-583-4345.