Welcome to the Free Republic Caucus
Please read this page well, and participate according to the guidelines provided.  Thank you.


RULES

These rules are provided so that all sides can know they received a fair shake.  Everyone can read them and understand what is necessary to vote.  Everyone can know that everyone has to comply, not just one candidate's supporters.


Only vote on this thread on: ex:01/20/2016  another thread will pop up five minutes before: ex:01/21/2016
Wait to vote until a few minutes after 12:00 midnight EST (5 to be sure), and don't vote after a few minutes (5 to be sure) before 12:00 midnight EST at the at the end of the day.
Your time and Free Republicn's time may not be in sync. Votes outside the 24 hour period, will not be counted.  I want your vote to count.


There is only one way to vote on this tread, and have it count.  You must follow the rules.


If after reading the rules, you are still unsure about something, FReep Mail me.  

DO NOT POST ANYTHING BUT A VOTE ON THE CAUCUS THREAD.  PLEASE USE THE PROPER FORMAT EXPLAINED BELOW.
I ask this for three reasons.  I don't want electioneering.  I don't want discussion.  I don't want to have to wade through paragraphs to figure out who you wanted to vote for.
Try to understand how long it would take to have to read 1000 pararaphs to count the vote.


This will be a formal election process, and I need your help to make it successful.
Please don't do anything you wouldn't do at a election station.  Don't electioneer in any way, post picutres, write paragraphs, call friends over to look, or converse with other voters.

On this thread, please only post two word responses, once per day, by entering one of the two word selections below.  (Once per day, exceptions exist, read below)

You can only vote for one person.  (Exceptions exist, read below)

This will allow me to tabulate the results in a timely fashion, and report them back to you.

Please do not post commentary on these Caucus threads.  Two words only > Vote Name

Go ahead and remind your friends to vote using your ping lists.  You can only ping one list per day.  Do not post more than one post on the thread.  That will constitute electioneering.  Below I explain how you can change your vote, but you cannot ping another list when you change your vote.  If you do, I will disqualify your vote for the day.  Everyone will have to live with the same limitations.

Please, no messages to anyone on the thread.  This will disqualify your ability to vote on the day you do it.  It may entice someone into responding, and that will disqualify their ability to vote for the day.  Others may see your infraction and try to warn you.  That will cost them their ability to have their vote counted.  This may cause your candidate to lose support.  Please don't forget.  Two word voting posts only!!!


Here are the only valid entries for this thread.  Pick one and vote.  It needs to look just like these.


Selections:  (these are the only valid entries)

Vote Bush
Vote Carson
Vote Christie
Vote Cruz
Vote Fiorina
Vote Gilmore
Vote Graham
Vote Huckabee
Vote Kasisch
Vote Pataki
Vote Paul
Vote Rubio
Vote Santorum
Vote Trump
Vote No
    (Wouldn't Vote)


Time Frame for the Daily Caucus:

The caucus will be held from midnight to midnight each day, Eastern Standard Time (EST) time.
Your 24 hours will be timezone specific / be logical / we will all be voting at the same exact time for 24 hours, no overlapping

Your time to vote is 12:00 midnight to 12:00 midnight if you live in the Easter Standard Time (EST) zone.
Your time to vote is 11:00pm to 11:00pm if you live in the Central Standard Time (CST) zone.
Your time to vote is 10:00pm to 10:00pm if you live in the Mountain Standard Time (MST) zone.
Your time to vote is 09:00pm to 09:00pm if you live in the Pasific Standard Time (PST) zone.

Alaska / Hawaii / other locations, you're on your own.  You probably know when the 12:00 to 12:00 EST time is.  Please vote during that 24 hour period.  Thanks.

There weill be Caucus vote daily, and I will report out the results after I have tabulated them.  I'll shoot for one hour after the caucus closes each day.  I'm not sure how long it will take at this point.  After a few days I will know better.


Rules:

To count, your vote must be a two word post, with the words "Vote" space "Your candidate's name"  Ex: "Vote Gilmore"  (anything else will disqualify your vote)

Only vote once per day.  I will allow you to vote more than once if you change your mind.  I want you to have the freedom to change your mind.  I will only count your last vote each day.  Please don't abuse this.  Be reasoned.  Do not ping a second list if you change your mind and vote once more.  If you do, I will disqualify your votes for the day.  Everyone lives by this rule.  I do not care if you ping folks from other threads and urge them to come over and vote.  Everyone can do that.  I just don't want the Caucus thread to be one endless string of posts pinging people to come over.  It is a voting thread only.

Please do not try to post: Vote Gilmore Vote Gilmore Vote Gilmore or Vote Gilmore "new line" Vote Gilmore "new line" Vote Gilmore.  Please don't post two word posts over and over to game the system.  This will only cause me to take more time tabulating results, and it will disqualify your ability to have your vote counted the day you do this.


Warnings:

Caucuses will be run by the clock.  I will be posting about five minutes prior to 12:00 midnight EST and taking the poll down about five minutes after 12:00 EST so that you can be sure to get your votes in between the starting and ending points.  If you vote outside the the 24 hour period, you've vote won't be counted.  Please do not vote at 12:00:01.  Give yourself five minutes after 12:00 and before 12:00 to make sure.  Vote on the thread for the proper day.  I want your votes to be counted.

Votes that won't count:  If you enter more than two words in your post, your vote won't count.  (this will eliminate your abilty to have your vote counted for that 24 hour period)
Votes that won't count:  If you electioneer here, you're vote won't be counted for the day, even if it does appear as a two word post elsewhere.
Votes that won't count:  Bickering, electioneering, commentary, or attacks based on who folks voted for, will disqualify your ability to vote for the entire day, even if you do it properly elsewhere.

Elimination of Posters:  I don't want to do this, but I want to be up front about the rules.
Elimination of Posters:  If you try to circumvent the rules I will put up with it a few times, but your elimination is up to my discretion.  I will try to be as fair as I can be.

Please play by the rules so we can all participate in this.


What is Electioneering:  Examples

He's the best, Vote X
Why of course, Vote X
A graphic, Vote X
A big bold VOTE X that causes your vote to look different than everyone elses
Any graphic placed on the thread favoring a candidate
Any slogans
Calling friends over to vote by a text message


In closing:

I will continue doing this for the foreseeable future, if forum participants like it and will abide by the rules, and it is a positive thing for Free Republic.  If it becomes a headache for Jim, the forum, or me, I will discontinue the process.  If it becomes one more thing to bicker about on other threads, I will stop doing it.  This will be as informative and fun, as we make it.  Enjoy.