CAPE ELIZABETH — Democrats and independents have arrived in droves to caucus at Cape Elizabeth High School this afternoon, delaying the start of the proceedings by more than an hour.

The event is one of hundreds of its type today, as Democrats in Maine head to local caucuses a day after Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. swept contests in Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington – closing in on front-runner Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. in the battle for the Democratic presidential nod.

Hundreds of people waited in the school’s cafeteria for the proceedings to begin. Some were forced to wait at least an hour to get into the building. The caucus had been scheduled to begin at 12:30, but proceedings were getting under way at 1:40 p.m.

About 300 Democrats turned out to caucus at the same site in 2004, said Jamie Wagner, the town's Democratic party chairman. Far more came today. Many are caucusing for the first time.

“There’s a whole lot more at stake,” said Kirk Miklavic, a human resources official at the Central Maine Medical Center, who attended the event with his wife, Beth O’Hara-Miklavic, and his 17-year-old daughter, Meghin.

She is allowed to participate in the caucus because she will turn 18 before the November general election.

Meghin’s parents will support Clinton, while she will caucus for Obama.