Election season is here. In a few short months, we will be voting for our next president of the United States, and it is important to make sure you are well informed for this crucial decision. On March 26, Washington State Democrats will gather together to choose its delegates for the National Democratic Convention. This is called a precinct caucus, and it is used to determine whom to support for the next presidential candidate.

It's all right if you don't totally understand what a caucus is or how it works. Whether you're a blooming activist or a seasoned political junkie, everyone can be a part of their local caucus. Here are the basics for what you can expect when caucusing for the Washington State Democratic party:

1. Sign in and get comfortable.

Don't expect to simply walk in, cast your ballot and leave. This is a time for you to sit down with your community members and fellow Washingtonians to talk about whom you want to be the next presidential nominee. Prepare yourself for about two hours of discussing candidates, picking convention delegates and dealing with state party business.

2. Someone will explain the rules.

Someone called the "Precinct Captain" will be selected to explain the rules. These are usually volunteers, so be nice and listen to what they have to say.

3. Divide and conquer.

People will divide into groups based on their preferred candidate. There are no secrets here: everyone will be able to physically see who supports whom.

4. People duking it out for their candidate.

If your group doesn't have enough people in it, the other groups will try to convince you to join their group. Your group won't count if you don't have a certain amount, so caucus-goers can give a quick pitch to try and sway other people to their side.

5. You may change your mind...

A second tally is counted after everyone has had a chance to make their claim. You may find that you end up joining another group, or a candidate you didn't want wins the tally. This is one of those "majority rules" situations, so you just have to go with the flow if things don't go your way.

6. So now you want to go to the Democratic National Convention?

Using the results of the second tally, delegates are allotted to each candidate based on the percent of supporters each group has. Each group of caucus-goers chooses their delegates to represent them at the district caucus and county convention. If you feel extremely moved by the amazing power of grassroots politics, your community members can vote for you. This potentially puts you in the running to go the National Democratic Convention to represent all the Democrats of the State of Washington, which would be pretty cool!

7. Finally, the closing ceremonies.

Lastly, there is a discussion of resolution for the State Convention in June, and the results of the precinct caucus are sent to the state party. You can leave feeling pretty good about being part of the process to choose our next president of the United States. Score one for community-powered politics!

So if this sounds like something you want to be a part of, you can thank this article for preparing you. If not, at least you're a little educated than you were before you read it.