Forum to 'Restore the Caucus' Planned in Lake Forest

A citizens group in Lake Forest wants more participation in the city’s caucus system and is planning a meeting to inform all registered voters that they are members of the caucus.

Restore the Caucus, a newly-formed citizens group in Lake Forest, will host a free informational forum on the Lake Forest Caucus at the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Rd. at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 12. The forum kicks-off with coffee, followed by a description of the initiative, a presentation on Caucus history and bylaws and a Q & A.

According to a news release, Restore the Caucus (RTC) was founded to educate Lake Forest residents on the contents, meaning, and implications of the Bylaws of the Lake Forest Caucus and to encourage broad community participation in the vetting and selection of Caucus candidates for Mayor, Alderman and local public school boards.

“Because all Lake Forest registered voters are members of the Lake Forest Caucus, they are all empowered to collectively slate City and school board offices,” according to the release. “RTC founders believe Lake Forest citizens are not sufficiently aware of their right and responsibility to vet and slate candidates.”

At the September 12 meeting, RTC researchers will present archival materials, including vintage Lake Forest Caucus brochures, showing that the “Caucus System” is a rooted in the 300+ year-old New England Town Hall meeting tradition and “can be a paradigm of transparent, participatory democracy.”

Caucus systems, like the one in Lake Forest, usually select a slate of candidates in an open meeting. The slate generally runs unopposed.

The Lake Forest Caucus is selected to pick four candidates for aldermen in November 2015, ahead of the April 2016 election.

In 2017, aldermen, school board members and a mayor will be up for election, having been selected by the Caucus in November 2016.