Countdown to caucus ? less than four days remain before Jan. 3 event

The New Year will begin with each of Iowa?s 99 counties hosting Republican and Democratic caucuses. Iowa is the first state to do so and thus will be the first state to vote for a Republican presidential nominee.

The Henry County caucuses begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. However both parties ask that caucus goers be at the respective venues earlier because attendees must be in line or signed in by 7 p.m. to participate in the process.

To participate in either party?s caucus, a voter must be a registered voter and registered to the respective party. Voters may change party affiliation and register to vote at each precinct location given the proper identification.

Proper identification includes proof of identification and proof of residence. Proof of identification may be a passport, driver?s license, military identification, employee identification card, etc.

Proof of residence may be a utility bill with a current address, a lease agreement, paycheck or government check.

A complete list of acceptable proofs of identification and residence can be found at the Iowa Secretary of State?s website, http://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/edr.html.

The Republican caucuses are spread throughout the county based on precinct. Mt. Pleasant precincts one, two, three and four, as well as central precinct, will conduct the caucuses at the Mt. Pleasant Community High School at 2104 South Grand Avenue.

The other Republican caucuses are being held outside of Mt. Pleasant. The southeast precinct will meet at the New London High School auditorium at 101 Jack Wilson Drive. The northeast precinct is gathering at the library in the Winfield-Mt. Union High School at 208 South Olive Street.

The Republican caucus for the northwest precinct is in the community room at the Parkview Nursing Home, 102 North Jackson Street, Wayland. And the southwest precinct is meeting at the Salem Elementary School gym at 412 West Jackson Street.

At each of these Republican caucuses, a presidential preference poll will be taken, two persons will be elected to serve on the County Central Committee, delegates and alternate delegates will be elected to the Henry County Republican convention to be held on March 10, and platform planks will be proposed and voted on to send to the county convention.

The Democratic Party is holding all of the county?s nine precinct caucuses under one roof next Tuesday. The Democrats are gathering at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Mt. Pleasant. The church is located at 309 North Main Street.

The agenda for the Democrats includes: initiating the local process of electing the President, reviewing campaigns for 2012, discussing and adopting resolutions to the county platform, electing delegates and alternates to the county convention, and electing precinct committee persons for the county party.