Below freezing temperatures this past Saturday may have discouraged some voters from venturing out to the Island County 2024 Republican Precinct Caucuses.

Held every presidential election year, the local caucuses provide an opportunity to elect precinct committee officers, delegates and alternates, some of whom progress to countywide and statewide GOP conventions.

According to Sandi Peterson, caucus and convention committee chair, 57 people attended the North Whidbey precinct caucus at Hillcrest Elementary School and 45 attended the South Whidbey caucus at South Whidbey Assembly of God. A third caucus was held on Camano Island and had the smallest turnout, at 35 attendees.

Besides the elections, Peterson said people talked about changes they would like to see in the platform.

“Because of COVID, we didn’t get to update it,” she said. “So we’re basically working off a platform that’s 8 years old.”

At the Island County Republican Party Convention on Feb. 10 in Oak Harbor, 35 of the approximately 200 people who were chosen at the precinct caucuses will be elected to represent Whidbey and Camano islands at the state convention.

“This is grassroots politics at its finest,” Peterson said.

There is still some space available. Republican-registered voters with an interest in vying to be a delegate at the state convention can contact the Island County Republican Party through islandcountygop.org.