So, I've seen plenty of posts and comments about registering to vote, or registering as a Democrat too late and finding out you're not allowed to caucus or participate in a primary. First, let me explain why this is the case.

Primaries and Caucuses serve to allow members of a party to elect their nomination for the ballot. Every party does this. Even smaller parties (although their process may be vastly different than the behemoth parties). So, as such, everyone participating should be a vested party member. Brigading of another party's primary by outsiders is a HUGE problem. What better way to ensure that the worst possible candidate for the opponent party gets on the ballot then have a bunch of people switch parties at the last minute and influence that vote?

So, Lesson 1: Become a party member of the party that more closely matches your views. They don't have to be exact. Nor does it lock you into only supporting your party. You can vote in General elections for whomever you want. So, ultimately there is very little reason to NOT declare a party affiliation. Let me continue to spell out why you SHOULD have a party affiliation (as a voter).

Lesson 2: Politics isn't a spectator sport. If you want change, you have to participate. Bare minimum participation is voting. Better participation is active participation in your local party. Tired of parties seeming like some foreign entity that doesn't reflect your views? Join the party that more closely aligns with your ideals and participate. Participate in caucuses, party meetings, become a precinct captain/officer or party leader. The more you participate, the more influence you have. Parties aren't entirely run by large influences, they still require the participation of average people. The more people that share Bernie's vision that participate, the better! Become a party leader, become a school board member or city councilperson, run for an office. DO SOMETHING to participate. If you find a candidate like Bernie you just love, help them. Donate, volunteer, vote. Or go for the gusto and do all three. Voting is great, voting and donating is even better, voting, donating and volunteering is amazing. And you help Bernie by being active in your party! So even if you can't phonebank, if you're a Precinct Chair or Party Delegate, you're doing your part!

This is also where being an Independent is actually a negative (as a voter). By not being a part of a Party, you don't get to influence the party as much as you could, and as such you're entirely beholden to what comes out of those who do participate. "No party affiliation" basically means "I'm cool with whatever the nuttier of these parties do." Choose a party affiliation, it is ultimately in your best interest and increases your influence and power immensely. Bernie is an Independent, but he caucuses with the Democrats because they align more closely with his policies. There isn't absolute agreement. However, you can change that by taking control of the Democratic Party.

Lesson 3: Know your electoral calendar, and know your officials: You need to do some homework, and know when your elections happen (Party elections, Municipal Elections, General Elections, etc.) and stay on top of changes. Also, you should know your officials. Your city government and school board, your county government, your state government, and your Congressional Delegation. Know who they are and have their contact information handy (or at least know how to find it). The more local the office, the more important it is. Once you know who they are and what they do, communicate with them often. Write letters on a regular basis. Praise things they do well and support things you agree with. Show them you don't support things that go against your interest. Point is, make sure their office sees your name regularly. It doesn't matter if you're 18 or 99 either! It's work, but it's work that can be done in a couple of hours every other month.

Lesson 4: This is how the Tea Party usurped the GOP. People often ask how the Tea Party over-ran the slightly more sensible parts of the GOP. Everything I posted above is how. Their exact playbook. They got party officer positions, and then they got local positions, and then they sent their ilk up the ladder into statehouses, governors offices, and congressional seats. The more people participate in the Democratic Party, the more we move it from Republican Lite Beer to a truly Progressive party.

tl;dr - Join a party, participate in your party, participate in the electoral process at every chance. Know your election dates and deadlines, know your elected and party officials, and communicate with them regularly. Do this, and the Democratic Party moves in the direction YOU want to see it move!