Idaho’s Republican Presidential caucus on Super Tuesday was new for the party. So there were a lot of questions around what exactly takes place. At Canyon County’s caucus, nearly 5,000 people filed into the Idaho Center in Nampa. Most of them had one thing in common. It was their first time at a caucus. Steve and Katherine Garner got a babysitter for their three kids so they could participate.
They were excited to try something new, “novel” as Steve Garner put it. “Usually I go and vote,” said Katherine Garner. “ If this is the only way that Canyon County has a chance to have their say, then I want to be a part of it.”
The Garners proudly wore Romney stickers as they waited for their turn to vote. They took in the patriotic music, and listened to speeches by people supporting each of the four presidential candidates. They were also treated to a process that’s a lot like listening to those safety instructions right before you fly.
Brandon Hixon, the chairman for the Canyon County Republican Caucus gave instructions as the event got underway. “Proceed to the directed booth and indicate your vote by dropping your coin into the container of the candidate of your choice. You may only vote once per round.”
The Garners say it was “anticlimactic” to actually plunk their token into the bin for Romney during the first round. But they did stay through the second round of voting before heading home to their kids. It took that many rounds to name their candidate, Mitt Romney, the winner.