So I voted today here in Maine. 3 1/2 hours waiting in line (CRAZY turnout here in Portland!), then 1 1/2 more hours waiting because I decided to stay for the actual caucus instead of just doing it as an absentee ballot, then finally the caucus. I got there at one and finally left at seven... that's a long time to vote. We need to get rid of caucuses, they're absolutely terrible, this much waiting is unacceptable. It was all broken up into different rooms by district and precinct, and in mine only 13 people actually stuck around for the actual caucus, versus several hundred who left absentee ballots.
Now, this precinct ended up being about 71% Bernie, 29% Hillary, including all of the absentee ballots. This meant 21 state convention delegates for Bernie, and 8 for Hillary. Of the 13 people who actually stayed, though, it was 7 for Bernie and 6 for Hillary. (I supported Hillary.) So, of the state convention delegates we were assigning, Hillary and Bernie each got five. Bernie's campaign will have to do some calls or something to find people to fill the rest of those spots, if he wants that margin of victory to actually matter. Heh. While I didn't guess it would be that close beforehand, I wasn't too surprised; the stereotype is of course that Hillary supporters are more likely to be more dedicated to the party, and I think you see that there. That's why I stayed, certainly...
As for caucuses in general though, yes, there is some value to them. It lets you have actual conversations with people, including elected officials and party members, and that's a good thing. But as much as I did like that element of caucusing, having to wait hours and hours before you even get in the door (and then hours more once you get in, if you want to actually caucus) is absurd. It's never, ever like that in this state in normal elections, Maine is not one of those places with hours-long waits at regular polling places, and it doesn't have to be this way, we need to go back to primaries. Caucuses only work in off-years when only a couple hundred people go, they do not work in presidential years in anywhere with a larger population.
(Oh, I asked, and apparently Maine uses caucuses now in part because the state has to pay the bills for a primary while the parties pay for caucuses, so it's financially advantageous for the state to hold caucuses instead of primaries.)
