This year, Maine Republicans will cast their votes for the party’s presidential nominee in town caucuses held across the state. In the past, the Maine GOP has selected the state delegates who choose the Republican presidential nominee at the national convention.

Boothbay Republican Party Chairperson Dawn Gilbert and Representative Stephanie Hawke will host a meeting at the Boothbay Town Office on Friday, Jan. 22 to discuss the planned March 5 caucus.

“The meeting will inform area voters about the upcoming first (Republican) presidential caucus in Lincoln County,” Gilbert said, “Rebecca Telega (Maine GOP Regional Field Director) will be there to explain the process and answer questions.”

Although the meeting will be held in Boothbay, Gilbert stressed that all peninsula Republicans and anyone interested in voting in the Republican caucus are invited to attend the informational meeting.

Gilbert said all Lincoln County towns will caucus together at Wiscasset Middle High School on March 5 (time to be determined). Individual towns will vote and then all of Lincoln County’s ballots will be taken to the Republican caucus headquarters in Lewiston. Statewide caucus results are expected to be tallied in Lewiston and reported by the end of the evening, she said.

According to the Maine GOP website, caucus voting will be open to every registered Republican voter who attends the caucus. Gilbert said anyone who wishes to change party affiliation to vote during the caucus will need to do so before the caucus, but town voting registrars will be available during the caucus to register new voters.

Republican state delegates will be selected based upon the percentage of votes cast for their candidate during caucus voting. According to a resolution passed by the Maine GOP last September, state delegates will be bound on a proportional basis to candidates receiving in excess of 10 percent of the statewide caucus vote. If a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the statewide caucus vote, the candidate will receive all of Maine’s delegates. State delegates will be bound to the caucus vote during the first ballot round at the convention.

The Republican caucus informational meeting will be held at the Boothbay Town Office, Friday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m.