Otter Tail DFL schedules county caucuses to shape 2026

Otter Tail County Democrats will hold precinct caucuses on Tuesday, Feb. 3, with official registration and the formal start of business set for 7 p.m. at seven sites across the county. Participants will hear from candidates, debate party platform resolutions, elect precinct chairs and select delegates to advance through the party’s convention process as Minnesota’s 2026 election season unfolds.

The county will host caucuses at Perham Middle School, serving Perham, Ottertail and nearby townships; Henning High School; Pelican Rapids Public Library; Fergus Falls M State at Legacy Hall, serving city wards and many townships; Parkers Prairie High School; Battle Lake High School; and New York Mills High School. Each site will convene voters from assigned precincts, providing the first formal opportunity this year for Democratic-Farmer-Labor members to organize locally.

Precinct caucuses are a foundational step in party governance and local political mobilization. Electing precinct chairs establishes the grassroots leadership responsible for voter outreach, volunteer recruitment and precinct-level strategy in the months ahead. Selecting delegates shapes which voices and priorities move from neighborhood meetings to county and district conventions, influencing platform formation and candidate endorsements.

Otter Tail County DFL chair Betty Windom-Kirsch encouraged broad participation, framing the caucuses as the grassroots start to Minnesota’s 2026 election season. For residents, turnout at these meetings will matter beyond immediate officer elections: caucus decisions determine who represents the county at subsequent conventions and help set the policy discussions that candidates and elected officials must address.

Organizationally, the Feb. 3 meetings will test local party capacity to mobilize voters in a geographically dispersed county where small-town halls and school auditoriums serve as civic centers. Precinct chairs elected at caucus can affect how effectively the party translates platform priorities into get-out-the-vote efforts, volunteer coordination and public messaging through the campaign cycle.

For voters thinking about attending, caucuses offer a direct route to influence party structure and agenda at a neighborhood level. Those unable to participate should note that precinct chairs and delegates chosen Feb. 3 will be instrumental in shaping which issues rise to the top during conventions and which candidates receive local endorsements as 2026 progresses.