What is a caucus?

• A. A local meeting where party members discuss and vote for delegates or candidates
• B. A statewide runoff election
• C. A national convention
• D. A political rally with ballots

Answer: (A)

A caucus is a local meeting where party members discuss candidates and vote to select delegates or express preference for a candidate. Unlike a primary, where voters cast ballots privately at polling places, a caucus centers on discussion, persuasion, and sometimes realignment of support during the gathering. Attendees organize into groups for their chosen candidates, and delegates are chosen to represent those preferences at subsequent party conventions step by step, eventually influencing the party’s nomination. The other descriptions refer to different parts of the process: a statewide runoff election is a separate ballot contest that happens when no candidate meets a required threshold, a national convention is the large gathering where delegates from across the states nominate the presidential candidate, and a political rally with ballots is not how delegates or nominees are selected.