Neighborhood caucuses are being held tonight - at 7 - by the various parties at hundreds of homes around the state, and any eligible voter is welcome to participate.

If you do get involved, you won't be voting for candidates but rather for the party delegates, who make the crucial decisions about which candidates will be on the ballot for primary runoffs and, ultimately, the general election Nov. 7. These are for all levels of races up to state elections. At this early stage, you actually have greater voting power because so few people participate and every vote carries weight.

If you want to get involved, the first thing to do is decide which party you want to affiliate with.

Beyond the Republican and Democratic parties, there are a number of so-called "third parties," such as the Libertarian Party or the Green Party.

Once you've made your party pick, go to that organization's Web site and find the address of the caucus in your neighborhood.

All you have to do to participate is show up and the folks hosting the meeting, usually in their own living room (and sometimes even with refreshments), will tell you what to do from there.

If you want to run to be a delegate, you might have to register your affiliation with the party. But often you can vote for delegates without registering.