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Democratic cauceses still being counted

05:19 PM CDT on Wednesday, March 19, 2008

By JOHN MCCAA / WFAA-TV

If you're keeping tabs on the delegate count among Democrats, today, it looks like this: Barack Obama has the lead with 1621 delegates to Hillary Clinton’s 1479. Those numbers could change next week because of caucus delegate decision, so the trouble may not be over yet.

More than a million people showed up for the Democratic caucuses March 4th. Nobody's ever seen anything like it.

“...and you would have a number of precinct conventions that would have 4 or 8 people. You see you've got plenty of room but on March 4th those facilities became inadequate,” said Steven Tillery, Dallas County Democratic Party.

They delegates are supposed to go back to the same locations next week for the next level of conventions, but for some that big turn out means new meeting locations.

“I normally have to plan for an event that will have anywhere from 100 to 150 people on a really good year, and now I have to plan for somewhere in the vicinity of 2500 people possibly,” said Tillery.

Party officials in many areas are trying to reach caucus goers to let them know of the changes. It’s time consuming, but necessary.

Also some caucus goers never properly registered. They'll show up next week to learn they can't participate. Others may simply not show up at all.

But party officials think there's not much chance it will change things.

“Because really at this point, it's just incumbent on each campaign to get all of their delegates that are eligible for the March 29th convention to show up,” said Tillery.

The delegate count from the caucuses will be announced at those meetings next week.

E-mail jmccaa@wfaa.com

 

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