Democrats statewide will have an opportunity to nominate a candidate for president of the United States at the state Democratic precinct caucuses, set for Sunday, April 15 at locations across the state. President Barak Obama is the main candidate on the ballot.

Voters will also get an opportunity to present resolutions on political issues they consider important enough to be offered at the local, state or national level. This process, which requires the submission of a resolution, allows voters to participate in the formation of the national Democratic Party platform.

Resolution forms are available at the caucus or at www.5thdems.org/index.php/eventsmeetings/caucus-information/caucus-resolution-template

Voters can find the location of their caucus by entering their address at the state Democratic Party Caucus Finder at www.wa-democrats.org/caucuses.

The precinct caucuses are the first step in a three-tier process that elects delegates to the Democratic National Convention, held in North Carolina the week of Sept. 3. The party’s nominee for president is formally selected and the party’s platform is formally written at that convention.

At the precinct caucuses, Democratic voters will technically vote for delegates and alternates to the party’s county and legislative district caucuses, which in turn will elect delegates and alternates to congressional district conventions.

It is those congressional conventions that actually elect the 121 delegates and nine alternates who go to the national convention. The precinct caucuses also vote for issues to be included in the party platform, which is finalized at the Democratic State Convention on June 1-3 in Seattle before moving on to the national convention.