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To differentiate between these electoral terms, we needed a glossary. So rather than search for "+primary +caucus" or some other combination, we entered "political glossary" into the Yahoo! search box. The results were good, returning a single listing that fit our needs even though it didn't exactly match our search phrase. By visiting the listed site, the Fast Times Political Dictionary, we learned that a caucus is: "a private meeting of members of a political party to plan action or to select delegates for a nominating convention." Whereas, a primary is: "[an] election held to nominate a candidate for a
particular party at a forthcoming election for public office." While these definitions were helpful, we also decided to search for a little more substantive information. We managed to turn up an article from Bella Online that helped clarify the difference between the two terms. During a primary, voters simply cast their ballot for a particular candidate. A caucus, on the other hand, is more of a party affair, sort of like a town hall meeting. Members gather and hear speeches and engage in discussion before voting for a candidate. The majority of candidates today are selected in primaries. In any case, whether you're invited to a caucus or looking forward to a primary, make sure you read up on all the candidates and issues and then get out there and vote!
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