At the caucuses, party activists spend hours in little groups, trying to work out which candidates are 'viable' and allocating to the winner the largest number of 'state delegate equivalents'.

Only state delegates are reported by the party.

The state delegates non-exclusive power to local municipal and county governments.

Many of the state delegates were contested.

In odd numbered years county and state delegates gather at county organizing conventions and the state organizing convention respectively to determine their county and state party leadership.