Republican Caucus is Coming Up

Are you interested in getting involved in the Republican Party in El Paso County?

The first step would be to attend the caucus for your precinct in March of even years, scheduled for March 3, 2026, at 7:00 PM this year. To attend the caucus, it is recommended that you verify that you are a registered Republican for the required 22 days prior to the caucus. You can do that by going to this link and entering your information. https://www.coloradosos.gov/voter/pages/pub/olvr/findVoterReg.xhtml  

Once you have confirmed that you are a registered Republican, you can verify your precinct, commonly referred to as the last three digits of your precinct number. This information can be found under the County and District Information.

Next, determine the location of the caucus for your precinct at https://www.gopelpaso.com, under “Caucus Location” in the center of the page. This information is available for download as an Excel spreadsheet. It is highly recommended that you verify this location on the day of the caucus in case there are changes.

What Can You Expect at the Caucus?

You will need to be credentialed by showing your ID with your address. Only those who are registered Republicans in that precinct can attend the meeting as voting members; all others will be visitors and unable to vote.

After everyone is credentialed, the meeting can start. It is typically run by the two current Precinct Leaders. They will follow a script provided by the Republican Party leadership to conduct the meeting. The script is necessary to ensure every precinct completes each of the required steps.

At the caucus, each precinct will vote for new Precinct Leadership. They will also vote for representation at each of the assemblies for the County, Congressional District, and State Convention. These representatives, or delegates, will vote for the Republican candidates on the primary ballot at the corresponding assembly or convention. Alternates are also selected to serve in place of delegates if needed.

To be a delegate for a candidate at multi-county or state assemblies/conventions, you MUST be a delegate at the County Assembly.

In some cases, the number of delegates and alternates is greater than the participation at the caucus. This is unfortunate because we really want our neighbors to select the primary candidates, not someone who has different political views than we do. Those delegate and alternate positions that are not filled are rolled up to higher levels within the Republican Party to be filled by other precincts.

As part of the fundraising for the party, the County GOP and State GOP will ask for donations from the delegates. This helps to pay for the assembly and state convention locations.

Resolutions to be considered as part of the party platform are also collected at the caucus. The Central Committee will consolidate and vote on the resolutions to be presented at the assemblies or state convention.

What Happens at the Assemblies and State Convention?

Each assembly or state convention will be held on different days, usually in early to mid-April, so you could be a delegate for all three. The GOP Chair will email and, in some cases, mail a call for the assembly or convention to each delegate. The call will include the assembly date, location, time, agenda, rules, and bylaws for the assembly.

All candidates using the caucus/assembly/convention process for access to the Republican primary ballot will be given an opportunity to speak and provide their positions on issues in hopes of getting at least 30% of the delegate votes for access to the ballot. For each office, there is potential for up to three people to gain access to the primary ballot at the assembly or state convention. As a delegate, you hold more power in advancing candidates to the primary than a voter in the primary.

The other method for gaining access to the primary ballot is through petitions. Candidates who choose this method do so to avoid the assemblies or to guarantee access to the ballot. The assembly process is the preferred method for those who believe in the caucus/assembly process, and their names will appear first on the Republican primary ballot.

At the district assemblies, delegates nominate candidates for the primary ballot for Congress, the state legislature, the State Board of Education, the Board of Regents, and district attorneys.

At the state assemblies, they nominate candidates for the primary ballot for statewide offices. In a presidential election year, the state assembly also elects delegates to attend their party’s national convention to cast votes for presidential candidates based on the results of the presidential primary election.

What Are the Duties of a Precinct Leader?

As a Precinct Leader, you are a member of the Central Committee for the Republican Party in El Paso County. The Chair of the Republican Party will send out notifications of any meetings in accordance with the Bylaws available at https://www.gopelpaso.com/about-4. There are typically 1-3 Central Committee meetings a year.

The Republican Party Organizational Meeting is held in the odd years. This is where new party leadership is voted into office, including leadership for each County, State, and Congressional position to assist the candidates currently in office. The Organizational Meeting is also where Bonus Members are selected for the El Paso County Central Committee and the State Party Central Committee. Bonus Members hold significant influence over the County GOP and the State GOP. Each position is for two years. The State Party Central Committee will hold 2-3 meetings per year and may require in-person attendance anywhere in the state or via internet meetings.

As a Central Committee member for the County GOP, Precinct Leaders determine the overall direction of the county GOP by voting on resolutions and bylaws. They also vote for the District Captain, along with other precincts in that district.

It is important to remain engaged with the County Republican Party and the Republicans in their precinct, communicating with them, and ensuring that they cast their votes in the general election.