URGENT MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR:
The Office of Precinct Chair is the Most Important Position in the Entire Democratic Party

When precincts are organized, the Democratic vote is maximized and our candidates win elections. In addition to statutory responsibilities for the conduct of primary elections, the Precinct Chair is responsible for canvassing the precinct and coordinating all campaign work in that precinct, arranging coffees, recruiting volunteers, and training and directing those volunteers. The Precinct Chair carries out all the Party's strategies in the precinct. A good Precinct Chair is the soul of the Party.

The Precinct Chair gets the Party's message to the individual and carries out the Party's program to get the voters to the polls on Election Day. The Precinct Chair must be depended on to carry out responsibilities capably and efficiently. He or she should be an outgoing person who likes people because the basis of all precinct organization is person -to-person contact. Should an elected Precinct Chair be unable or unwilling to do the work, a precinct coordinator should be chosen to carry on the political work in the precinct.

There is no single more important job for a Democratic County Chair than to recruit enthusiastic, responsible people to serve as Precinct Chairs or precinct coordinators in every precinct in the county. Active Precinct Chairs will be the core of a winning campaign.

Duties and Responsibilities of a Precinct Chair
An active, effective Precinct Chair makes a huge difference in the success of the Party and our candidates. What follows is a very brief list of the kinds of things a Precinct Chair can and should do that will make a real difference in electing Democrats.

1. Organize and Canvass Your Precinct. Get a list of voters in your precinct from your County Chair. Design a program to involve friends or other strong Democrats to act as volunteers to hold "block parties," to recruit volunteers, to do door-to-door or phone canvassing, and to carry out the precinct canvassing/organizational program described in this manual.
2. Know Your Precinct. Get a precinct map from your County Clerk or elections office. Drive around your precinct and learn its geographical boundaries. the characteristics of the neighborhood, places to have meetings, distribute literature, regis ter voters, etc.
3. Know the People in Your Precinct: A Precinct Chair can be a "bridge" or liaison between the people in the community and elected officials. Get to know people through neighborhood, civic, church or other community activities. As the person who helps organize and elect people, the Precinct Chair can go to the County Commissioner or legislator to help a citizen or community group to secure appropriate assistance with a particular problem or concern.
4. Know the Law and the Rules: Learn the Texas Election Law and the Rules of the Texas Democratic Party.

How Do I Get Out the Vote in my Precinct?
You've canvassed your precinct. You've registered new voters. (See Part RE: Don't Forget About Our Base) Your lists are up-to-date and you know who is likely to vote for Democratic candidates. You have friends or other volunteers who are ready to help.

Ideally, you will be part-the most important part-of a larger coordinated campaign plan and organization. Precinct Chairs, as part of the County Executive Committee, and other precinct organizers should be involved from the beginning in planning the campaign for the whole county, including specific activities for Election Day and the Early Voting period.

Each county is different, of course, and will have a different plan, but your job as a Precinct Chair remains basically the same on Election Day:

1. Contact every known Democratic voter to make sure they vote (or have already voted during the Early Voting period or by mail).
2. Contact voters you have identified as likely to vote for Democrats to make sure they vote.
3. Keep records of your contacts throughout the day and the turnout at your polling place so that you can report this information to your headquarters.
4. Provide or know who is your area is providing rides to the polls (many candidates help to arrange this service, or the County Party may have arranged for a pool of volunteer drivers).
5. Find volunteers to work at your polling place handing out candidate literature and on the phone calling voters. You may also be asked to help get volunteers for a central phone bank or other joint efforts or to help in other precincts.
6. Know what to do or where to call in your county for answers to questions about election law, voting fraud, or unfair practices taking place at your poll.

What Meetings Does a Precinct Chair Attend?
As a member of the County Executive Committee, the Precinct Chair will have three meetings that are required by statute in election years (Sections 172.082, 1172.116, Texas Election Code):

1. First meeting: In January
2. Second meeting: Thursday or Friday following the second Tuesday in March (Canvass Primary Election).
3. Third meeting: Thursday or Friday following the second Tuesday in April (second or runoff primary)

The following is the order of business at each of the three required meetings:

First Meeting

1. To receive from the County Chair the names of all candidates for state, district, county and precinct offices as certified to appear on the ballot;
2. To determine by lot (drawing) the order in which these names will appear on the ballot
3. To approve the County Chair's appointment of the five-member Primary Committee (or, by resolution, to change its composition), which has the duty to make up the official ballot;
4. To determine whether of not voting systems (other than paper ballots) shall be used in the primaries and early voting;
5. To assist and approve the County Chair's appointment of election judges;
6. To order the consolidation of two or more county election precincts, if necessary, and to select the polling place in such precincts;
7. To set the hour (at 7:15 p.m.) and place of precinct conventions to be held on the day of the first or general primary;
8. To set the hour and place of the County Convention to be held on the second Saturday after the first or general primary; and
9. To group precincts, where necessary, for purposes of caucusing to elect delegates at the County Convention.

Second Meeting

1. To canvass and certify the returns of the first or general primary by comparing poll lists with the tally lists and return sheets to determine those candidates for county and precinct offices who received the necessary votes for nomination;
2. To determine the particular offices for which no candidate received a majority of votes cast and to order that the names of the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes for that office be placed on the ballot for the second or runoff primary; and
3. To determine by lot (drawing) the order in which these names appear on the ballot.

Third Meeting

1. To canvass and certify the returns of the second or runoff primary, as was done following the first or general primary.

How Do I Hold a Precinct Convention?
As Precinct Chair, you are responsible for serving as the temporary precinct convention chair at precinct conventions until a permanent chair is elected by the delegates (Sec. 174.027, Texas Election Code). You may be elected permanent precinct convention chair, but regardless, the following are the procedures for precinct conventions that the precinct chair needs to get things started. More specific information about conducting party conventions can be found in the Rules of the Texas Democratic Party.

The precinct conventions are to be held at the time and place (usually the polling place) designated by the County Executive Committee at its January meeting. The purpose of the precinct convention is to elect the apportioned number of delegates from each of the precincts within the county to the County Democratic Convention. The duties of the Precinct Chair, as temporary convention chair, are to:

1. Get the letter of instructions and the minutes forms and carbon list forms from the County Chair before the meeting so that any questions you may have can be answered before your meeting begins;
2. Call the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m., or after the last voter has voted, if later.
3. Prepare and attach to the minutes a list with names and complete addresses of all persons present who are qualified to participate; a participant must be a registered voter and have voted in your precinct in the Democratic Primary this day, or by early voting. Carbon forms for this list are provided by your County Chair.
4. Hold nominations and an election for a permanent chair for your precinct convention, who will chair the meeting from this point until adjournment.
   
   Under the permanent convention chair, the convention then will:
   
5. Nominate and elect a permanent secretary for your precinct convention who will keep a accurate and proper account of the proceedings;
6. Nominate and elect your assigned number of delegates and alternates to the County Convention; there is place on the list of participants to mark each person elected as a delegate or alternate.
7. Adopt resolutions and transact such other business as may be presented to your convention, attaching copies of adopted items to the minutes;
8. Adjourn.

The permanent convention chair and the convention secretary must then sign the minutes. The original and one copy of the minutes, the convention sign -in list with the delegates and alternates marked, and any resolutions or other adopted items MUST be delivered by the permanent chair to the County Chair EITHER in person by no later than 5:00 p.m. on the third day after the election, OR by registered mail no later than the second day after the election. Another copy of the minutes, marked sign-in list and resolutions or other items MUST be sent to the state party, in the envelope provided. The permanent convention chair retains a copy of everything for his or her records. All the carbon forms for the minutes and sign-in lists are marked so that it will be clear who is to get which copy.

How Do I Become A Precinct Chair?
A Precinct Chair is a publicly elected party official. The Precinct Chair is elected by the Democratic voters in a precinct in the first (general) primary election (or in the second primary, or runoff election, if no candidate gets a majority in the first primary). The names of candidates for Precinct Chair in a precinct are on the Democratic primary ballot for that precinct.

Term of Office
A Precinct Chair's term of office begins on the 20th day following the runoff primary and continues for two years, or until a successor is elected or appointed and certified.

Qualifications
To be eligible for the office of Precinct Chair, an individual must be:

1. 18 years of age or older;
2. A qualified voter who has voted in all Democratic primaries (not counting runoffs) in the voting year;
3. A resident of the precinct from which he or she is seeking election; and
4. Not a candidate for, or holder of an elective office of the federal, state, or county government,

Filing To Run for Precinct Chair
A qualified individual interested in running for Precinct Chair must obtain a filing form from the County Chair. Applications can be submitted beginning in early October before a general election year, and must be submitted by 6:00 p.m. on the filing deadline in January. This is almost always January 2, unless January 2 falls on a weekend or legal holiday-be sure to check! An application may be mailed to the County Chair but must be received by the filing deadline.

Write-in votes for Precinct Chair are permitted in the first primary, whether or not there are other candidates on the ballot. Write-in votes for Precinct Chair are not permitted in the runoff.

Precinct Chair Vacancies
From time to time, vacancies in the office of Precinct Chair occur. These vacancies may be filled by a majority vote of the County Executive Committee at a meeting at which a majority o f the committee is present.

Resources
Obtain a copy of the Texas Election Code by downloading it from the Texas Legislature Online Web Site at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/eltoc.html.The Election Code file can be downloaded, but it is a very large file. The updated edition will be available by October, 2003. You need to understand the law so that you will know the rules for voter registration, campaigning, elections, precinct conventions, etc.

You can obtain a copy of the Party Rules at no charge from the state party office or on line at:

Gerry Birnberg
Chair, Harris County Democratic Party
February 10, 2004

Archive of Gerry Birnberg's Messages

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