Caucus deadlines loom for party switch-overs

AUGUSTA – Members of recognized political parties in Maine who want to switch registrations so they can vote in another party’s caucus face deadlines starting Wednesday.

State law says that to change party affiliation, an application must be filed in the town where a voter lives at least 15 days before the caucus.

In the case of a Democrat or Green who wants to vote in a Republican caucus Feb. 1, that deadline falls Wednesday. As of Tuesday, only one GOP caucus has been set for that date.

Republicans’ presidential preference caucuses dates also extend to Feb. 2 and 3, with virtually all of them Feb. 2. That gives switch-overs another day or two to change registrations.

Mainers registered in other parties who want to participate in the Democratic caucuses have until Jan. 26 to sign up as Democrats. Democratic caucuses will be held Feb. 10.

Independent voters, who are unenrolled in any party, can register the same day of the caucus as either a Democrat or Republican, the Secretary of State’s Office said.

The state requires the 15-day advance registration changes in order to prevent late-campaign switch-overs that could skew caucus results.

In neighboring New Hampshire, which held first-in-the-nation presidential primaries Jan. 8, voters who wanted to switch parties had to do so by Oct. 12, 2007.

Undeclared voters in New Hampshire may declare a party at the polls, vote on that party’s ballot and then change their affiliation back to undeclared.

In Vermont, where presidential primaries will be held March 4, voters don’t register by party so there are no affiliations to change.

In Vermont’s primaries, voters can choose any of three ballots – Democratic, Republican or Liberty Union – and then cast them, said Secretary of State Deb Markowitz.