Precinct Chair Information

As a Precinct Chair, you organize your precinct, help with elections, attend conventions, and make decisions for your county Party. You'll be a member of the County Executive Committee (CEC).
Your primary job as a Precinct Chair is to get out the Democratic vote in your precinct.
Duties of Precinct Chairs are:
1. Participate in CEC meetings and have the privilege of the floor and may vote
2. Complete trainings as required by the CEC
3. Identify, register, educate and turn out voters in their precinct.
4. Recruit additional precinct chairs and volunteers for the SCDP
5. Organize events on a frequent basis within the precinct to engage voters
6. Fundraise
7. Serve on one or more committees
8. Help grow the SCDP.
A precinct is a voting district. It's the smallest official political subdivision.
A Precinct Chair is the neighborhood organizer for the Democratic Party. A Precinct Chair is an elected official with special duties. It's an important job, but it's also a lot of fun!
You get to meet and help people in your neighborhood vote. You get to meet and help candidates get elected. You get invited to important meetings.
A Precinct Chair is an elected official with special duties. Both parties have precinct chairs. Precinct chairs are elected during the Primary Elections, which are held in March of even-numbered years. The term for a precinct chair is two years. If there isn't a chair in a precinct, the vacancy can be filled. Vacancies are filled by appointment of the county chair with a confirmation by the County Executive Committee (CEC).
This may sound complicated, but it's easy. Basically, you get elected in your precinct or appointed by the County Executive Committee (CEC).
1. Election for two-year term. This may seem difficult, but it is actually a simple process. Candidates for Precinct Chair run for office in the Primary Election each even-numbered year. A one-page notarized application must be submitted to the County Chair (or CEC secretary) within the filing period, usually September to December. Individuals may also apply as write-in candidates (§171.0231). If only one candidate applied to be on the ballot, there will be no election and that person will be declared elected to the office (§171.0221). If there is more than one candidate, the winner is determined by majority vote of those voting in their Democratic Primary.
2. Filling a vacancy. This is a common way Democrats become Precinct Chairs. Any eligible person may fill a Precinct Chair vacancy at any time. Appointment is by majority vote of the County Executive Committee (CEC) present at a properly called meeting with a quorum, unless otherwise stipulated by the Election Code (§171.024-5).
- Be a resident of the precinct (§171.023)
- Be a qualified voter in the Precinct Chair's (your) County (§161.005)
- Not be a county, state, or federal public officeholder or candidate for such office
- In a general election year, be affiliated with the Democratic Party through voting in the Democratic primary election or runoff or by oath of affiliation (§162.001 – 162.012)
Sometimes circumstances in life are such that a Precinct Chair may need to resign. If that happens, the Precinct Chair immediately provides a letter of resignation to the County Chair or CEC so the Party can fill the vacant seat.
If a Precinct Chair fails to perform his or her duties for an extended period of time or misses three consecutive county executive committee meetings, an Acting Precinct Chair may be appointed.