Which process involves party members gathering to choose delegates to the national convention in a neighborhood or local setting?

• A. Primary
• B. Convention
• C. Petition process
• D. Caucus

Answer: (D)

Caucuses are local, participatory meetings where party members gather in a neighborhood setting to discuss candidates and decide which delegates will represent them at higher-level party meetings and eventually at the national convention. This face-to-face deliberation and preference alignment at the local level distinguishes caucuses from primaries, where voters cast private ballots across a broader, statewide electorate to select delegates or nominees. A convention is a later, larger gathering that uses those delegates to officially nominate the party’s candidate or set the platform. The petition process involves collecting signatures to place a candidate on the ballot, not selecting delegates.