REGIONAL — Minnesota’s major political parties will hold precinct caucuses next week, launching a process that plays a key role in how candidates are endorsed and how party priorities are set ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Caucuses are scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 3, with meetings beginning at 7 p.m. Locations are set by the political parties, and voters can find their assigned caucus site by entering their address into the state’s online caucus finder tool at https://caucusfinder.sos.mn.gov/.
While caucuses have long been part of Minnesota’s political landscape, many voters have never attended one. Unlike a primary election, which is run by the state, caucuses are meetings organized and conducted by the political parties themselves.
Not an election
A precinct caucus is not an election, and no candidates are placed on the ballot as a direct result of caucus night. Instead, caucuses are the first step in a series of party-run meetings where candidates may eventually be endorsed, delegates are selected, and party platforms are shaped.
In Minnesota, precinct caucuses are held in even-numbered years and are followed by local organizing unit conventions, district conventions, and state party conventions. Delegates chosen at each level move on to the next, where endorsements for offices ranging from the Legislature to governor are decided.
Before Minnesota adopted a presidential primary system, caucuses also played a central role in determining presidential preference and national convention delegates. That changed beginning in 2020, when the state shifted the process of selecting party nominees for president to a primary election. Today, caucuses focus primarily on party organization, endorsements, and platform development.
What happens at a caucus
Caucus meetings follow a general structure, though exact procedures can vary by party.
Participants begin by registering and affirming that they are participating in the caucus of the party holding the meeting and that they are not participating in another party’s caucus. You do not need to be a registered member of a political party to attend. Attendees must be at least 16 years old to participate. To vote or serve as a delegate, participants must be at least 18 years old and eligible to vote in the next election.
After the meeting is called to order, attendees select a caucus chair to run the meeting. A secretary and tellers are typically chosen as well to keep records and count votes when needed.
One of the early tasks of the caucus is electing local party officers, such as a precinct chair and vice chairs. These volunteers help organize party activities at the local level and serve as a link between the precinct and the broader party structure.
Local candidates, including those running for the Minnesota House or Senate, may attend caucuses to introduce themselves and briefly seek support from attendees.
The caucus then turns to selecting delegates and alternates who will represent the precinct at upcoming conventions. Those delegates will help endorse candidates, elect party leadership, and in some cases move on to higher-level conventions.
Grassroots input through resolutions
Caucuses also give participants the opportunity to raise issues they want their party to address.
Attendees may propose resolutions on topics they believe should be included in the party platform or action agenda. Resolutions approved at the precinct level move on to higher conventions, where they may be debated further, amended, or voted down.
While many resolutions do not survive the full convention process, some eventually become part of a party’s official platform, giving caucus participants a direct, if incremental, way to influence party priorities.

Why turnout matters
Caucus attendance is typically far smaller than turnout in primary or general elections, particularly in non-presidential years. Participation can vary widely from one community to another, often depending on whether there are contested local races or issues generating strong interest.
Because turnout is often limited, a relatively small number of participants can have an outsized influence on which delegates are selected and which candidates are eventually endorsed, as well as which issues move forward within the party.
Because caucuses are party-run meetings, everything from how the meeting is conducted to how concerns are handled falls under the authority of the political party, not state election officials.
For those who attend, caucuses offer a close-up look at how political parties operate at the grassroots level and how endorsements and platforms are shaped long before ballots are printed.
Find your caucus
Both major political parties hold their precinct caucuses on the same night but in separate locations. Caucus sites are determined by the parties and shared with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.
Voters can find their caucus location by entering their address into the state’s caucus finder tool on the Secretary of State’s website.
Selected locations from the caucus finder include:
DFL
Ely – MN North College, Vermilion Campus, 1900 E Camp Street
Tower – Vermilion Country School, 1 Enterprise Dr.
Cook – Cook Community Center, 510 Gopher Dr.
Orr – Cook Community Center, 510 Gopher Dr., Cook
Republican
Ely – MN North College, Vermilion Campus, 1900 E Camp Street
Tower – Tower Civic Center
Cook – North Woods School, 10248 E Olson Rd.
Orr – Lakeview Baptist Church, 4594 Lake St.