What’s Up With Texas?

Posted on Mar 11, 2008

Flickr / abbamouse

Texans crowd a caucus site last week.

It’s been a week since the so-called Texas two-step, when Texans got the chance (or burden, depending on how you look at it) of both voting and caucusing for their favorite candidate. While we know Hillary Clinton edged Barack Obama in the state’s primary voting, we still don’t know who won the caucuses or what the respective delegate count is.

Part of the problem is that caucus authorities weren’t required to phone in the results from their precincts, and they didn’t have to mail the numbers for days.

But really, Texas, a week? It’s not like this is a close election or anything.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, it could be 18 days or more before officials name a caucus winner.

Update: The official results might not be in for a while, but CNN is calling it for Obama.

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Austin American-Statesman:

Democratic Party chiefs in major counties on Monday were verifying sign-in sheets from last Tuesday’s caucuses and not expecting to focus on results until later this week or next. “We’re not even counting (who voted for whom) at this point,” Dallas County Democratic Party chairwoman Darlene Ewing said. “We’re just copying” documents.

The delay in Texas contrasts with Iowa, where results typically settle out the night of its caucuses, said Peverill Squire, a University of Missouri political scientist who worked until recently at the University of Iowa. The difference “is a result of not being prepared for the tidal wave of participation,” Squire said. “Given the importance attached to these numbers, I’m a little surprised that they’re not going to move more quickly.”

Hector Nieto, spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party, agreed the estimated turnout of 1 million voters at the caucuses was taxing.

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