Dear Editor,
The spread of coronavirus must be stopped, but the work of democracy can’t stop with it.
That was the dilemma facing the Democratic Party of Page County, Virginia (DPPCV) — how to go forward with critical caucuses, while protecting participants’ health. The answer: a reinvention of the way caucuses are done.
The new appraoch begins April 18-20, when the local party selects four delegates and one alternate.
Ordinarily, those delegates would then participate, in person, at the 6th Congressional District Nominating Convention on May 9, in Lexington — followed by the Virginia State Convention on June 20, in Richmond.
Instead, current plans call for online, virtual versions of both meetings. It’s a first-ever approach to their process, and one that party leaders hope will reassure possible candidates.
For those interested in serving as delegate, their job will be to elect national delegates to represent Virginia at the Democratic National Convention scheduled for July 13-16, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Planners describe it as a simple job, but one that’s more important than ever.
That’s because it was announced that if one locality has fewer people file to be elected than the number of delegates allowed, then the unused spaces may be allocated to other localities. This means that if the local party has more than five people file, they may get more seats at the conventions.
Those interested in becoming delegates may visit the Page County Democrats’ website at www.pagecountydems.org for more information.
Gary Grant ~ Luray, Va.
Be the first to comment