The Democratic presidential caucus for the 8th Senate District in Kansas will be at BVNW on Saturday. Doors will open at 1 p.m. and the caucus, hosted by the Kansas Democratic Party (KDP), is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m.

KDP Executive Director Kerry Gooch said BVNW was selected based on its capacity.

“We were looking for a location that was large enough in that senate district and that was one of the best locations we could find,” Gooch said.

To participate in the Democratic caucus, individuals must be 18 on or before Nov. 8, the U.S. general election date for 2016. Although participants are not required to bring any documentation, Gooch said first-time voters are encouraged to bring a copy of their passport or birth certificate so they can register to vote at the caucus. However, Gooch said anyone is allowed to observe the caucus.

BVNW is one of 47 caucuses in Kansas which will be organized by the Kansas Democratic Party (KDP).

A caucus is a meeting where people of a specific party come together, listen to different perspectives and vote on a candidate. Gooch said the caucus will start with a few speeches by local candidates that are running in the area. This will be followed by a presentation by representatives of Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Gooch said the caucus chair, who leads the meeting, will split up the room so people are able to go the side of the room based on who they are there to caucus for. The candidate who has the most people in their area of the room will win the caucus.

A registered Democrat and first-time voter, senior Jack Anderson plans to attend the caucus this Saturday. Anderson made the decision to participate in the caucus when he researched Kansas Democratic caucuses in November.

“It’s the first chance that I have to vote in an election or at least a primary or caucus, so I kind of wanted to have my voice heard for the first time,” Anderson said.

He said because this is his first time participating in a caucus, he plans to mostly observe and listen to the views around him.

“I’m not decided yet on who I’m going to vote for, so I think that I’ll learn and make a decision when I’m there,” Anderson said.

Gooch said this is a beneficial opportunity for the local Democratic community to come together. He also said it allows high school students an opportunity to influence the politics.

“It’s something that [high school students] probably never have experienced before and it might be another four years till [they] get a chance to experience it,” Gooch said.

According to Anderson, it is important to attend a caucus because it allows individuals to have a more focused view of the candidates.

“I think it’s important [to go to a caucus] because it’s really viewing the issues, the stances that the candidates have on the issues,” Anderson said. “The general election is just kind of voting on party lines, and for people to decide ‘Hey, I’m a probably a democrat,’ and just voting, not really paying attention to who it is.”

Facility Scheduling Supervisor for the Blue Valley district, Phyllis Johnsen, said the KDP has rented BVNW’s PAC and commons for the caucus. Due to the maximum capacity of 803 for the PAC, Johnsen said the KDP will have to turn people away if they reach this limit. Gooch said he does not anticipate space as a concern.

BVNW government teacher Ken Thomas said he does not favor the idea of a caucus because everyone can see which candidate a voter supports. Thomas also said because each state has a different procedure there is an inconsistency in the process. Although Thomas has not participated in a caucus, he observed a Republican caucus that took place at BVNW in 2008.

Thomas said he will not be participating in the caucuses this weekend.

“I don’t necessarily want students to think I’m being biased in one way or another,” Thomas said. “I think if I attend a caucus and then declare for candidate and I’ve got students there, I think it hurts my credibility.”

However, Thomas said he encourages his students to take part in the process, as youth are integral part of future politics.

The Republican caucuses will also take place this Saturday at 102 locations across the state. Senior Jackson Regan will be observing the Republican caucus at Grace Church because he is not old enough to participate. He will also be volunteering at the Democratic caucus at BVNW. Through Thomas’ We The People class, Regan said he has developed a passion for learning about the government. He said when he heard about the caucuses, he jumped at the opportunity.

“I just think the current election we have there are just…so many different viewpoints that going to one of these caucuses and talking to people about their viewpoints will be very beneficial in learning where the country is and what the people are looking for in a candidate,” Regan said.

More information about how to caucus at BVNW can be found on the Kansas Democratic Party website here.

Information about Kansas Republican caucuses can be found here.