Thursday, September 28, 2023

California 2024 Central Committee Election

Californians, in most counties, will elect county central committee members by either assembly district or county supervisor district across the state at the California Presidential Primary Election on March 5, 2024. Some counties have opted out of the publicly run election and will elect members by caucus at dates to be determined in 2024.

Well, that's not totally true, because as many as half of those central committee positions will remain vacant for lack of interest or lack of awareness.

Do you like the way your party is run in your county? In California? Well, you can change that. But you have to get up off the couch and put yourself on the ballot or attend the caucus.

This is another opportunity to achieve a center of power and it won't come around again for another four years, except for caucus counties.

The deadline for candidates to file their Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Documents is close of business on December 8, 2023.

Qualifications

The qualifications in California are somewhat complicated, but only for people who have changed party designation recently. The county clerks and election officials are trained in what to look for. While I'm going to go through this here, your best and quickest choice is to just file. You'll be notified if you don't qualify. If you disagree, then you'll be able to investigate a little more to make sure the clerk didn't make a mistake.

Most importantly, you have to get on the ballot.

Central Committee membership and election is covered by statute in California. The legislature actually took the time to write separate rules for the different parties. You don't have to read these unless you'd like to go to sleep. But you can bet that the parties had the rules written to favor the insiders.

Democratic Party
Elections Code §7225-7230
Republican Party
Elections Code §7420-7425
American Independent Party
Elections Code §7670-7675
Peace and Freedom Party
Elections Code §7850-7857

You must live within the supervisor district or assembly district boundary.

You must be registered to vote (18 years old before the November General Election) and indicate a party affiliation for the party you want to represent.

You must not have changed party affiliation within three months of the filing date deadline (December 8, 2023) for the primary election in which you are running for election. There are exceptions to this.

While write-in campaigns are challenging, when no one else has filed for one of the available positions, it's a definite possibility.

To answer questions so that you can get yourself elected at your primary election, Project City Hall will host live teleconferences in October and November (see below) to discuss strategy and answer your questions.

What:California Central Committee Election Teleconference
When:Friday, October 13, 2024 at 9:00 pm (Pacific)
Friday, November 10, 2024 at 9:00 pm (Pacific)
Where:Your home or mobile telephone
Details:To receive teleconference call details, Sign up or text California PC, {your name}, {your e-mail address} to (973)498-8066

How to Determine Your District

  1. Go to the California Secretary of State's Check Status of Your Voter Registration. All the counties have either a web page or a phone number where you can confirm your registration status.
  2. We recommend that you find out, not only your status, but also your precinct, county supervisor district, and assembly district based on your residence address. Note that the district maps were redrawn in 2021, so make sure to ask for the new districts.

Getting on the Ballot

When you have a plan, you don't have to guess what to do next. Written plans are always better than winging it. With that in mind, we've put together the Precinct Committee Candidate Checklist to give you a starting point for your plan.

  1. On some county web sites, you can download the Declaration of Candidacy, but you must pick up your Nominating Documents at the county clerk's office.
  2. You can authorize another person to pull your papers. If you live or work close to the registrar's office, please volunteer to be a paper puller.
  3. Call the county clerk and ask for the name, if any, of the current central committee members for your district and their contact information (e-mail address and telephone number).
  4. Ask if the central committee member was elected in the previous election cycle, how many people from the assembly or supervisor district voted in the same party, and how many votes were cast for each central committee member on the ballot or as write-ins.
  5. Join other Californians on the live teleconference call (see above) where you can ask questions.
  6. Prepare printed information about yourself so that you can quickly communicate the information to everyone you meet (your neighbors) from your assembly or supervisor district. Also, see How to Present Yourself at a Precinct Caucus.
  7. File your paperwork with the county clerk as soon as you can. The best approach is to file in person. When you do, you can ask to have your filing documents reviewed to make sure that you completed it as the clerk requires and get back a stamped copy across the counter. By statute, you can also authorize someone else to file your paperwork. If you think you'll need to do that make sure to get that form as well.

Winning the Election

Winning a central committee member election is relatively easy, even with someone running against you, which is possible, especially in highly populated districts. You can do it if you prepare in advance and have a plan. Many people are looking for leaders and will accept almost anyone who simply steps up to lead. Just look at your current set of elected officials for proof of that.

After the Election

  1. Get a current copy of your state party committee by-laws and of your county party committee by-laws.
  2. Find out from the out-going county party executive committee when the organizational meeting is scheduled to elect new officers.
  3. Keep in touch, because we'll be producing training teleconferences about all the aspects of being an effective central committee member.

Who Should Attend?

  • Anyone who wants to take their country back.
  • Anyone who values freedom and liberty.
  • If you're already a central committee member, attend to encourage others and to relate your own experience.

What You'll Learn

  • The power of the central committee member.
  • The best strategies for getting your petition signatures.
  • How to win in a competitive race.

Are you a lone wolf?

  • If you think that one individual, working alone, can get elected to your central committee, you will be sadly disappointed.
  • The purpose of this page is to begin to connect people who live in the same assembly or supervisor district and same county. The connections will not be made public.
  • We have created a private membership association with a private communication, collaboration, and strategy platform to help you.
  • You must request to join the platform.
  • You must agree to strict non-closure of the materials you will find on the platform.
  • To request to join, text Join platform, {your name}, {your e-mail address}, {county}, {supervisor or assembly district} to (973)498-8066. Note we don't answer questions at this number. You either follow the instructions or you don't.
  • You will be vetted via one or more phone conversations.
  • If you are approved, you will receive a text reply with a link to join.

California County Precinct Contacts

All politics is local. We cannot reach the goal alone. We need your help. These people are actively recruiting precinct committeemen in their county. If you'd like to recruit for your county, add your comment to this article and a way to contact you.

County Party Information

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

Precinct / County Meeting Information

The Precinct Meetings may occur at multiple venues around the county on the same day, or on different days, and not necessarily at the same time. The County Conventions occur at a single venue within the county. This is the meeting at which the newly elected members of the county committee first exercise their power.

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

You've Got A Friend

If this is your first meeting, it helps to get together with others who may already know the ropes or just to know someone else who will be at the meeting. The party insiders already know the other insiders, so incumbents, as usual, always have an advantage. Here are a list of contacts, by county, who are willing to connect. You may not agree with them on everything, but they are not insiders, so they, like you, are probably in the minority.

All politics is local. You cannot reach your goal alone. You need help. Some of these people are actively recruiting precinct committeemen in your county. If you'd like to recruit or connect with others in your county, add your comment to this article and a way to contact you.

County Rules Analysis

Below you will find an analysis of county organization rules that differ from the norm.


 

© Copyright 2011-2023, Project City Hall. All rights reserved.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Iowa 2016 Precinct Caucus

Iowa 2016 Precinct Caucus

The Iowa precinct caucuses are upon us.

This year the caucuses are on Monday night, February 1, 2016.

This is another opportunity to achieve a center of power and it won't come around again for another two years.

Although the caucuses happen every two years, everyone in the country knows about the Iowa Caucuses this year because they're watching for the outcome of the Presidential Preference Poll. In non-presidential-election years, the attention given to the caucus declines greatly. Because of the media circus surrounding the Poll, most people have no idea of the other business that occurs at the caucuses. This means that it's a huge opportunity for those willing to perservere and attend their caucus on a typically cold February night.

Beyond the spotlight of the presidential race, the caucus is the most important business that happens in Iowa for the next two years -- its the business of regular folk taking back the centers of power.

Each of the dozens of precinct caucuses in all ninety-nine counties will also elect at least two (in many cases more than two) precinct committeemen to the party county executive committee. This is where everyday people like you and I can move into a center of power.

Qualifications

Most importantly, you have to show up.

You have to reside within the precinct boundary.

You have to be registered to vote (or 18 years old before November 8, 2016) and indicate a party affiliation for the party you want to represent.

You can even change your party affiliation or even register for the first time at the caucus. How easy is that? Just bring a photo identification and show up a little early to take care of that before the caucus starts.

I challenge you. Do you have what it takes to actually accomplish something of lasting effect? Or will you use one of your pat excuses? I've heard them all. (See The Power Is There for the Taking.)

To answer questions and to prepare you for your precinct caucus on Monday night, Project City Hall will produce a live teleconference on Saturday afternoon (see below) to discuss strategy and answer your questions.

What:Iowa 2016 Precinct Caucus Teleconference
When:January 31, 2016 at 7:00 pm (Central)
Where:Your home or mobile telephone
Details:To receive teleconference call details, Sign up or text Iowa PC, {your name}, {your e-mail address} to (973)498-8066

What:Iowa Caucus Night
When:Febraury 1, 2016 at 7:00 pm
Where:Your precinct caucus location

How to Determine Your Precinct

  1. Go to the Polling Place search page and enter your ZIP code and address.
    For example:
    Winneshiek County
    1959 Fox Hollow Rd, Decorah, IA 52101
  2. Note Your Precinct Name on the results page. (Don't assume that the polling place is the where the caucus will be held.)
    For example:
    CN/DEW4/DETSUP3
  3. Go to the party caucus location finder and enter your zip code, house number, and street to get to the page for the caucus location.
  4. Write down the address and print a map if you need to.
    For example:
    Carrie Lee Elementary School
    210 Vernon Street
    Decorah, IA 52101

Before the Caucus

  1. Call your county executive committee and ask how many precinct committeemen (leaders) your precinct can elect. (It will be at least two.)
  2. Ask for the procedure to nominate precinct leaders.
  3. Ask for the names of each of the current precinct leaders and their contact information (e-mail address and telephone number). If there are none, ask for the paperwork (rules, forms, building access contact) so that you can conduct the precinct caucus yourself.
  4. Ask for the number of people who attended the precinct caucus in 2012 (the previous presidential election year).
  5. Join other Iowans on the live teleconference call (see below) where you can ask questions.
  6. Prepare printed information about yourself so that you can quickly communicate the information to everyone in attendance.
  7. Prepare printed information about any party platform ideas that you have.

At the Caucus

  1. Arrive an hour early, if possible.
  2. Greet as many people as you can as they arrive and offer them your printed information.
  3. When the agenda turns to the election of precinct committeemen (leaders), make sure that your name is placed in nomination.
  4. When the agenda turns to the election of delegates to the county convention, make sure that your name is placed in nomination.

You Can Do It!

Winning a caucus election happens very quickly. You can do it if you take a few minutes to prepare in advance and have a plan. Many people are looking for leaders and will accept almost anyone who simply steps up to lead. Just look at your current set of elected officials for proof of that.

Who Should Attend?

  • Anyone who wants to take their country back.
  • Anyone who values freedom and liberty.
  • If you're already a preceinct committeeman, attend to encourage others and to relate your own experience.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Ohio 2016 County Central Committee Election

Ohio 2016 County Central Committee Election

Ohioians will elect county central committee members in more than 11,100 precincts across the state at the Ohio Primary Election on March 16, 2016.

Well, that's not totally true, because as many as half of those precinct positions will remain vacant for lack of interest or lack of awareness.

Do you like the way your party is run in your county? In Ohio? Well, you can change that. But you have to get up off the couch and put yourself on the ballot.

This is another opportunity to achieve a center of power and it won't come around again for another two years.

Qualifications

Most importantly, you have to get on the ballot.

You must live within the precinct boundary.

You must be registered to vote (or 18 years old by the general election in November) and indicate a party affiliation for the party you want to represent. You can change party affiliation at the time you file.

I challenge you. Do you have what it takes to actually accomplish something of lasting effect? Or will you use one of your pat excuses? I've heard them all. (See The Power Is There for the Taking.)

To answer questions so that you can get yourself elected at your primary election, Project City Hall will produce a live teleconference on December 11th (see below) to discuss strategy and answer your questions.

What:Ohio 2016 County Central Committee Election Teleconference
When:Friday, December 11, 2015 at 8:00 pm (EST)
Where:Your home or mobile telephone
Details:To receive teleconference call details, Sign up or text Ohio PC, {your name}, {your e-mail address} to (973)498-8066

How to Determine Your Precinct

  1. Go to the My Voter Information page.
  2. Enter the name that on your registration and your county. Then click the 'Search' button.
    For example:
    First Name: JOHN
    Last Name: PUBLIC
    County: Clermont
  3. On the Voter Search Results page, click on your the link for your name.
    For example:
    NameAddress
    JOHN Q PUBLIC 4 LEGEND CT
    CINCINNATI 45244
  4. On the Voter Profile Page, note the line where it says precint.
    For example:
    Voter Profile Page
    Name:  JOHN Q PUBLIC
    Address:  4 LEGEND CT
    CINCINNATI OH 45244
    Polling Location:  FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF GLEN ESTE
    1034 OLD STATE ROUTE 74
    BATAVIA OH 45103
    (Get Directions) * Precinct:  UNION TOWNSHIP A
    US Congressional District:  2
    Senate District:  14
    State Rep. District:  65

Getting on the Ballot

When you have a plan, you don't have to guess what to do next. Written plans are always better than winging it. With that in mind, we've put together the Precinct Committee Candidate Checklist to give you a starting point for your plan.

A county central committee candidate must file a single form, a Form No. 2-L - Declaration Of Candidacy / Party Primary Election / For Member of County Central Committee. The form includes a petition which must include the signatures of at least five (5) voters of the same party who live in the precinct. Between your own household and a couple of neighbors, you can get these signatures in a few minutes.

The filing period is months long beginning on September 12, 2015 and ending on December 16, 2015.

  1. Call your county elections office and ask whether your county is electing central committee members this cycle. Most counties are on a two-year cycle (elected every two years), but some are on a four-year cycle and this may not be the year the election occurs. (We'll compile this information for everyone, so text us {your county name}, {two / four cycle}, {election year} and we'll include this information for everyone.)
  2. Ask for the names of each of the current county committee members and their contact information (e-mail address and telephone number).
  3. Ask how many people from the county voted at the previous primary election, and how many votes were cast for each county committee candidate on the ballot.
  4. Join other Ohioians on the live teleconference call (see above) where you can ask questions.
  5. Prepare printed information about yourself so that you can quickly communicate the information to everyone you meet from your precinct.

Winning the Election

Winning a county central committee position is not very challenging, especially if no one is running against you. You can do it if you prepare in advance and have a plan. Many people are looking for leaders and will accept almost anyone who simply steps up to lead. Just look at your current set of elected officials for proof of that.

After the Election

  1. Get a current copy of your state party central committee by-laws and of your county party central committee by-laws along with the rules of the convention you are elected to.
  2. Keep in touch, because we'll be producing training teleconferences about all the aspects of being an effective caucus participant.

Who Should Attend?

  • Anyone who wants to take their country back.
  • Anyone who values freedom and liberty.
  • If you're already a county central committee member, attend to encourage others and to relate your own experience.

What You'll Learn

  • The power of the county central committee member.
  • What happens at the county reorganization meeting.
  • Why you need to connect with like-minded individuals before the county reorganization meeting.
  • Why you should get other people you know in Ohio to get on their county central committee.
  • The best strategies for getting your petition signatures.
  • How to win in a competitive election.

Reference Material

County Party Information

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

 

County Reorganization Meeting Information

The county reorganization meeting, where the new chairman and other officers are elected, occurs just a few days after the primary election. This is the meeting at which the newly elected county committee members first exercise their power.

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

 

You've Got A Friend

If this is your first meeting, it helps to get together with others who may be a little more organized. The party insiders already know the other insiders, so incumbents, as usual, always have an advantage. Here are a list of contacts, by county, who are willing to take you under their wing, so to speak. You may not agree with them on everything, but they are not insiders, so they, like you, are probably in the minority.

All politics is local. We cannot reach the goal alone. We need your help. These people are actively recruiting county central committee members in their county. If you'd like to recruit for your county, add your comment to this article and a way to contact you.

 

County Rules Analysis

Below you will find an analysis of county organization rules that differ from the norm.

 


 

© Copyright 2015, Project City Hall. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

What's Precinct Project 2016 About?

What's Precinct Project 2016 About?

First, this is not my group. It's your group. I'm just using the functionality of Linked In to provide a place to associate.

Anyone who becomes a member of Precinct Project 2016 may call me at 909-274-0813. (In fact, I'd like to talk, at least briefly, with each and every one of you.) If the conservation sounds like it might be of interest to others, I may ask your permission to record it and share it.


Every year since 2009, Project City Hall has brought more and more people (low thousands) into the major party organizations. This is not about voter registration, but about centers of power in the party organizations that control things.

It's also not about policy. Let's just agree that we can't all agree on what's important and how to accomplish it. Before you can get to that discussion, you have to be in a position of power. As an individual voter, or even a small group of voters, you have no power.

Since the 2010 election, the political powers-that-be have known that the people are coming.

In 2014, the empire struck back -- in states like Arizona (McCain), South Carolina (Graham), and Wyoming (Simpson). When a United States Senator does something, it makes the news.

You have to wonder why an imperial senator would stoop to mix it up with regular Americans like you and me. It's pretty simple, really. They recognize where the power comes from and they're out to make sure that they control it. They like the status quo and they're going to do everything in their power to keep it.

That's where you come in.

Early in this effort we started a blog to publish the organizational activities. That's at http://projectcityhall.blogspot.com/

You can use the small search control in the top left corner of the site to type in your state name and see what we've done in your state in prior years.

For example, here's what we did in Florida in 2012.

We've learned a lot since 2009. It's detailed knowledge. It's not easily available anywhere else. And it's not available in a single place.


In 2016, forty (40) states will elect new party leadership, from the precinct level on up. In addition, they will elect delegates to the presidential conventions.

Some states, like California, Florida, and Indiana only hold these elections in presidential election years. The rest hold them every two years, most states in even-numbered years and the balance in odd-numbered years. Every state does it differently.

We don't need millions of people to become the powers-that-be within the government-backed, two-party duopoply. We don't even need hundreds of thousands. We just need enough to become a majority in a majority of precinct, town, city, county, congressional district, and state committees. It's a fraction of a fraction of a fraction, 1/10th of 1%. For those of you who aren't math majors, that's called infinitesimal.

All of these committees have volunteers and followers. Using the Pareto principle, 80% are followers and 20% lead. We need to find the 20% (of the 1/10% of 1% of America) who have the inclination to be that 20%.

When you take back control of the tens of millions of dollars that flow through and at the direction of the party system, you have the power to influence office holders.

When you take back control of the organizations and the tens of thousands of volunteers who actually do the work to elect the candidates from the local to the federal level, you have the power to influence policy.

This movement is not about policy. It's about politics.

State statutes in every one of the 50 states endow the major parties with power and benefits. Working outside the two-party duopoly is quixotic exercise. Even on the off-case that a single candidate, like Jesse Ventura in Minnesota, pulls off an upset, it's not sustainable. The machinery is working against you, day-in and day-out. You're paying for it, to boot.

Only a fraction of a percent of the people in this country can describe how the party system works. People whose only contact with the parties is when they see a D or and R next to someone's name on a ballot don't know how it works.


The suggested goal for 2016 is to ascend to the positions of power within the parties.

These are some of the activities and strategies that support that goal.

  1. Identify the states where regular people can easily become the party.
  2. Compile a directory of who comprises the party organization within the states.
  3. Collect copies of the party rules for all levels. (This is already well underway.)
  4. Identify those who are there for the power or to support the powers-that-be.
  5. Recruit people (the tenth percent) to replace those people.
  6. Learn the rules in order to effectively exercise power.
  7. Gather and disseminate the knowledge of how to become an elector to the electoral college and a delegate to the national convention.

The beauty about the goal is that you can keep doing exactly what you are doing. You can support your favorite candidates. You can promote your favorite policy objectives.

You just need The Slight Edge. Change one habit. While you're doing everything that you're already going to do, become an elected member of your local party. It's simple to do. It's simple not to do. It's the path to power. If you don't take it, someone else will fill the vacuum.


© Copyright 2012-2015, Project City Hall. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Georgia 2015 Precinct Mass Meetings and County Conventions

Georgia 2015 Precinct Mass Meetings and County Conventions

The Georgia county party committees will reorganize on February 7, 2015 at 10:00 AM (Precinct Mass Meetings) and March 14, 2015 at 9:00 AM (County Conventions). These are the preludes to the Congressional District Conventions on April 18, 2015 at 10:00 AM and culminate in the State Convention on May 15-16, 2015.

Georgians will elect precinct committee officers and county committeemen in more than 3,300 precincts across the state at the Georgia Primary Meetings on February 7, 2015 and March 14, 2015.

Well, that's not totally true, because as many as half of those precinct committee positions will remain vacant for lack of interest or lack of awareness. At the Precinct Mass Meetings, you'll also be electing delegates and alternates to the county conventions.

Do you like the way your party is run in your county? In Georgia? Well, you can change that. Do you want to influence the direction of the party? You can do that, too. But you've got to get up off the couch and get yourself to the meeting (with as many like-minded neighbors and supporters as you can wrangle).

This is another opportunity to achieve a center of power. It won't come around again for another two years. The people who are elected at these meetings will be the people who are running the party during the 2016 presidential election year. These are the people who will have a big influence on who gets the party's nomination.

Qualifications

  • Most importantly, you must show up (before the doors close) at your local Precinct Mass Meeting or your County Convention.

  • You must live within the precinct and county boundary.

  • You must be registered to vote (or 18 years old by the general election date in November).

  • You must choose your party affiliation for the party you want to represent. If you are known not to be connected to the party, however, you may be challenged by anyone else at the meeting.

I challenge you. Do you have what it takes to actually accomplish something of lasting effect? Or will you use one of your pat excuses? I've heard them all. (See The Power Is There for the Taking.)

To answer questions so that you can get yourself elected at your meeting and convention, Project City Hall will produce a live teleconference on January 15th (see below) to review the process, discuss strategy, and answer your questions.

Teleconference

* Recording is available shortly after the call ends. Access only for those who have signed-up via form or text as directed below.
What:Georgia Precinct Project 2015 Teleconference
When:Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. (Eastern)
Where:Your home or mobile telephone
Details:To receive teleconference call details, Sign up or text Georgia PC, {your name}, {your e-mail address} to (973)498-8066

Project City Hall will produce a second call in mid February to address the county conventions which, in addition to holding the remaining precinct meetings, will all occur on March 14th. The strategy to get elected at the county meeting as either an officer or a convention delegate is significantly different.

Who Should Attend

  • Anyone who wants to take their country back.
  • Anyone who values the rule of law.
  • Anyone who values individual freedom and liberty.
  • If you're already a precinct committeeman or officer, attend to encourage others and to relate your own experience.

What You'll Learn

  • The power of the committeeman and delegate.
  • What happens at a meeting.
  • Why you need to connect with like-minded individuals before the meeting.
  • Why you should bring your posse.
  • How to win in a competitive election.

How to Determine Your Meeting Venue

How to Determine Your Precinct

  1. Go to the Georgia My Voter Page.
  2. Enter the required elements in the MVP Login box on the right side of the page.
    For example:
    First Initial: [J]
    Last Name: [SMITH]
    County: [pick from list]
    Date of Birth: [mm/dd/yyyy]
  3. Your precinct appears in the upper right quadrant of your voter page. We've put a red rectangle around it in the image below.
    Click for larger image.
  4. Print the page or write down your precinct and the address of your polling place and bring it with you to your meeting.
    For example:
    Precinct MD01
    MURDOCK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
    2320 MURDOCK RD
    MARIETTA, GA 30062

Precinct and County Convention Rules

Most of the rules for these meetings are dictated by the state party. Project City Hall has put together the relevant Georgia County Re-Organization Rules for your convenience, but don't be afraid to read the complete Rules of the Georgia Republican Party -- it's educational.

While most counties follow the state bylaws and rules, a few may have their own special rules. For those, you'll need to get your local county party rules. Contact your county party (click on the word 'Local' on the top line after landing on the page) to get its bylaws and rules. (Project City Hall is building a library of State and County bylaws and rules, so if you are able to get or create an electronic copy, please share it.)

Commentary
Under Chair Padgett, the Georgia Republican Party spent a lot of money on a fancy web site. The result is that almost everything is crammed on the home page. It uses fancy scripting that makes it impossible to directly link to relevant parts of the site. The on-line version of the party rules is an image scan of a printed document and therefore not word searchable. We give the site a grade of D for usability.

Robert's Rules of Order

On the teleconference, I will discuss Robert's Rules of Order. Here is a link to the Motion Chart which will be the reference for the discussion.

I won't be going over the whole motion chart, but you should print it out and bring it with you to any meeting that you attend. The teleconference will take the view of the minority and show you how to get your officers and delegates elected or at least make sure that you don't get run over. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

How the Party Reorganization Process Works in Georgia

Georgia has a command-and-control party structure. The state party exercises a lot of control over all the organizational meetings. This makes it significantly more difficult to change the way the party is run. So, it will take some work, but it is doable as a long-term strategy.

The twenty-nine most heavily populated counties (Bartow, Bibb, Carroll, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Columbia, Coweta, DeKalb, Dougherty, Douglas, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Muscogee, Newton, Paulding, Richmond, Rockdale, Walton, and Whitfield) will have two meetings - a Precinct Mass Meeting and a County Convention. The 130 less populous counties will have a single County Convention where the precinct elections will happen in the morning and the county elections will happen in the afternoon on the same day.

There are about 21 counties (Baker, Brantley, Calhoun, Chattahoochee, Clay, Clinch, Dougherty, Grady, Jenkins, Johnson, Macon, Miller, Mitchell, Quitman, Randolph, Talbot, Taliaferro, Telfair, Terrell, Webster, Wheeler) that are unorganized. This means that they do not have a recognized county party structure. If you are in one of these counties, give us a call to learn how to deal with this situation.

At the Precinct Mass Meetings the attendees elect precinct officers and delegates to the County Convention. The results of these meetings are certified to the county party.

At the less populous County Conventions, the attendees first meet by precinct to elect precinct officers and delegates to the convention. Each precinct meets separately, even though the meetings are held at the same venue.

At the County Conventions the delegates elected at the Precinct Mass Meetings meet to elect county officers and delegates to the Congressional District Conventions and State Convention.

Preparing for the Meeting

When you have a plan, you don't have to guess what to do next. Written plans are always better than winging it. With that in mind, we've put together the Precinct Committee Candidate Checklist to give you a starting point for your plan.

Part of the reason to be prepared is so that you're not surprised. The other part is to make a good impression on the people you meet. Because the reorganization happens in an odd-numbered year, it doesn't get the benefit of high publicity political races. The previous reorganization (two years ago) happened right on the heals of a controversial presidential election year. People have short attention spans. Many will not realize that these meetings set the stage for the 2016 presidential race in Georgia. If attendance is down, then those that do show up will have a better chance of getting elected.

  1. Call your county central committee and ask how many officers and delegates your precinct or county can elect.
  2. Ask for the names of each of the current precinct and county officers along with their contact information (e-mail address and telephone number).
  3. Ask how many people from your precinct and county attended the previous meeting (two years ago). The minutes of those meetings should have all the information.
  4. Join other Georgians on the live teleconference call (see above) where you can get your questions answered.
  5. Prepare printed information about yourself so that you can quickly communicate it with everyone you meet from your precinct and county. (Many copies, depending on expected attendance.)
  6. Prepare printed information about any party platform ideas that you have. (At least three copies to enable discussion.)

At your meeting, you have an opportunity to present planks for your party platform for adoption at the meeting. If you need help writing a plank, submit your plank idea in the comment area (below). We'll use part of the question and answer period to help you refine your plank to increase the likelihood that the meeting will adopt it.

If you're not currently registered, or your registration does not match your current home address, you still have time to get your registration in order. Contact your County Elections Commission. To check your voter registration, see How to Determine Your Precinct (above).

Winning the Election

Winning a precinct or delegate position is a little challenging, unless no one is running against you. You can do it if you prepare in advance and have a plan. Many people are looking for leaders and will accept almost anyone who simply steps up to lead. Just look at your current set of elected officials for proof of that.

In general, assume a positive attitude and you're very likely to have a say in the process. Only the people who show up get to vote. In the more populous counties' Precinct Mass Meetings, your goal is to get elected as a delegate to the county convention. In all counties, your goal is to also get elected as a precinct officer. If your goal does not include election as a goal, then you should attend to help elect like-minded people.

After the Election

  1. Get a current copy of your state party central committee bylaws and of your county party central committee bylaws along with the rules of the convention you are elected to.
  2. Keep in touch, because we'll be producing training teleconferences about all the aspects of being an effective meeting participant.

County Party Information

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

Precinct / County Meeting Information

The Precinct Mass Meetings may occur at multiple venues around the county on the same day, although not necessarily at the same time. The County Conventions occur at a single venue within the county on the same day everywhere in Georgia. This is the meeting at which the newly elected members of the county committee first exercise their power.

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

You've Got A Friend

If this is your first meeting, it helps to get together with others who may already know the ropes or just to know someone else who will be at the meeting. The party insiders already know the other insiders, so incumbents, as usual, always have an advantage. Here are a list of contacts, by county, who are willing to connect. You may not agree with them on everything, but they are not insiders, so they, like you, are probably in the minority.

All politics is local. You cannot reach your goal alone. You need help. Some of these people are actively recruiting precinct committeemen in your county. If you'd like to recruit or connect with others in your county, add your comment to this article and a way to contact you.

County Rules Analysis

Below you will find an analysis of county organization rules that differ from the norm.


 

© Copyright 2012-2015, Project City Hall. All rights reserved.

Hawaii 2015 Precinct Meetings, District Caucuses, and County Conventions

Hawaii 2015 Precinct Meetings, District Caucuses, and County Conventions

The Hawaiian Republican Party committees will reorganize beginning on January 31, 2015 (Precinct Meetings and District Caucuses). These are the preludes to the County Conventions and culminate in the State Convention.

Hawaiians will elect precinct committee officers in more than 300 precincts across the state at the Precinct Meetings and District Caucuses between January 31 and February 7, 2015.

Well, that's not totally true, because as many as half of those precinct committee positions will remain vacant for lack of interest or lack of awareness. At the District Caucuses, you'll also be electing delegates and alternates to the county conventions.

Do you like the way your party is run in your county? In Hawaii? Well, you can change that. Do you want to influence the direction of the party? You can do that, too. But you've got to get up off the couch and get yourself to the meeting (with as many like-minded neighbors and supporters as you can wrangle).

This is another opportunity to achieve a center of power. It won't come around again for another two years. The people who are elected at these meetings will be the people who are running the party during the 2016 presidential election year. These are the people who will have a big influence on who gets the party's nomination.

Qualifications

  • Most importantly, you must show up (before the doors close) at your local District Caucus.

  • You must live within the precinct and district boundary.

  • You must be registered to vote (or 18 years old by the general election date in November).

  • You must have registered as a Republican with the Hawaii Republican Party at least ten (10) days before the meeting. If not, you may still be elected as a delegate, but will not be able to vote at the meeting.

I challenge you. Do you have what it takes to actually accomplish something of lasting effect? Or will you use one of your pat excuses? I've heard them all. (See The Power Is There for the Taking.)

To answer questions so that you can get yourself elected at your meeting and convention, Project City Hall will produce a live teleconference on January 29th (see below) to review the process, discuss strategy, and answer your questions.

Teleconference

* Recording is available shortly after the call ends. Access only for those who have signed-up via form or text as directed below.
What:Hawaii Precinct Project 2015 Teleconference
When:Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. (Honolulu)
Where:Your home or mobile telephone
Details:To receive teleconference call details, Sign up or text Hawaii PC, {your name}, {your e-mail address} to (973)498-8066

Who Should Attend

  • Anyone who wants to take their country back.
  • Anyone who values the rule of law.
  • Anyone who values individual freedom and liberty.
  • If you're already a precinct committeeman or officer, attend to encourage others and to relate your own experience.

What You'll Learn

  • The power of the committeeman and delegate.
  • What happens at a meeting.
  • Why you need to connect with like-minded individuals before the meeting.
  • Why you should bring your posse.
  • How to win in a competitive election.

How to Determine Your Meeting Venue

How to Determine Your Precinct

  1. Go to the Polling Place Query Form, City and County of Honolulu..
  2. If you live on an island other than Oahu, contact your County Clerk.
  3. Print the page or write down your precinct and the address of your polling place and bring it with you to your meeting.

Precinct and County Convention Rules

Most of the rules for these meetings are dictated by the state party. Project City Hall has put together the relevant Hawaii District and County Re-Organization Rules for your convenience, but don't be afraid to read the complete Hawaii Republican Party State Rules -- it's educational.

While most counties follow the state bylaws and rules, a few may have their own special rules. For those, you'll need to get your local county party rules. Contact your county party to get its bylaws and rules. (Project City Hall is building a library of State and County bylaws and rules, so if you are able to get or create an electronic copy, please share it.)

Robert's Rules of Order

On the teleconference, I will discuss Robert's Rules of Order. Here is a link to the Motion Chart which will be the reference for the discussion.

I won't be going over the whole motion chart, but you should print it out and bring it with you to any meeting that you attend. The teleconference will take the view of the minority and show you how to get your officers and delegates elected or at least make sure that you don't get run over. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

How the Party Reorganization Process Works in Hawaii

Hawaii has a command-and-control party structure. The state party exercises a lot of control over all the organizational meetings. This makes it significantly more difficult to change the way the party is run. So, it will take some work, but it is doable as a long-term strategy.

At the Precinct Meetings and District Caucuses the attendees first meet by precinct to elect precinct officers and delegates to the District Caucus. Each precinct meets separately, even though the meetings are held at the same venue. The results of these meetings are certified to the county party.

At the County Conventions the delegates elected at the District Caucuses meet to elect county officers and delegates to the Congressional District Conventions and State Convention.

Preparing for the Meeting

When you have a plan, you don't have to guess what to do next. Written plans are always better than winging it. With that in mind, we've put together the Precinct Committee Candidate Checklist to give you a starting point for your plan.

Part of the reason to be prepared is so that you're not surprised. The other part is to make a good impression on the people you meet. Because the reorganization happens in an odd-numbered year, it doesn't get the benefit of high publicity political races. The previous reorganization (two years ago) happened right on the heals of a controversial presidential election year. People have short attention spans. Many will not realize that these meetings set the stage for the 2016 presidential race in Hawaii. If attendance is down, then those that do show up will have a better chance of getting elected.

  1. Call your county central committee and ask how many officers and delegates your precinct or county can elect.
  2. Ask for the names of each of the current precinct, district, and county officers along with their contact information (e-mail address and telephone number).
  3. Ask how many people from your precinct, district, and county attended the previous meeting (two years ago). The minutes of those meetings should have all the information.
  4. Join other Hawaiians on the live teleconference call (see above) where you can get your questions answered.
  5. Prepare printed information about yourself so that you can quickly communicate it with everyone you meet from your precinct, district, and county. (Many copies, depending on expected attendance.)
  6. Prepare printed information about any party platform ideas that you have. (At least three copies to enable discussion.)

At your meeting, you have an opportunity to present planks for your party platform for adoption at the meeting. If you need help writing a plank, submit your plank idea in the comment area (below). We'll use part of the question and answer period to help you refine your plank to increase the likelihood that the meeting will adopt it.

If you're not currently registered, or your registration does not match your current home address, you still have time to get your registration in order. Contact your County Clerk. To check your voter registration, see How to Determine Your Precinct (above).

Winning the Election

Winning a precinct or delegate position is a little challenging, unless no one is running against you. You can do it if you prepare in advance and have a plan. Many people are looking for leaders and will accept almost anyone who simply steps up to lead. Just look at your current set of elected officials for proof of that.

In general, assume a positive attitude and you're very likely to have a say in the process. Only the people who show up get to vote. In the more populous counties' Precinct Mass Meetings, your goal is to get elected as a delegate to the county convention. In all counties, your goal is to also get elected as a precinct officer. If your goal does not include election as a goal, then you should attend to help elect like-minded people.

After the Election

  1. Get a current copy of your state party central committee bylaws and of your county party central committee bylaws along with the rules of the convention you are elected to.
  2. Keep in touch, because we'll be producing training teleconferences about all the aspects of being an effective meeting participant.

County Party Information

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

Precinct Meeting and District Caucus Information

The Precinct Meetings and District Caucuses may occur at multiple venues around the county on the same day, although not necessarily at the same time. The County Conventions occur at a single venue within the county on the same day everywhere in Hawaii. This is the meeting at which the newly elected members of the county committee first exercise their power.

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

You've Got A Friend

If this is your first meeting, it helps to get together with others who may already know the ropes or just to know someone else who will be at the meeting. The party insiders already know the other insiders, so incumbents, as usual, always have an advantage. Here are a list of contacts, by county, who are willing to connect. You may not agree with them on everything, but they are not insiders, so they, like you, are probably in the minority.

All politics is local. You cannot reach your goal alone. You need help. Some of these people are actively recruiting precinct committeemen in your county. If you'd like to recruit or connect with others in your county, add your comment to this article and a way to contact you.

County Rules Analysis

Below you will find an analysis of county organization rules that differ from the norm.


 

© Copyright 2014-2015, Project City Hall. All rights reserved.

New Mexico 2015 Precinct and Ward Caucuses and County Conventions

New Mexico 2015 Precinct and Ward Caucuses and County Conventions

New Mexicans will elect precinct committee officers in more than 1400 precincts across the state at the New Mexico Primary Meetings between January 5 and January 31, 2015.

Well, that's not totally true, because as many as half of those precinct committee positions will remain vacant for lack of interest or lack of awareness.

Do you like the way your party is run in your county? In New Mexico? Well, you can change that. But you have to get up off the couch and put yourself to the caucus.

This is another opportunity to achieve a center of power and it won't come around again for another two years.

Qualifications

Most importantly, you have to get on the ballot.

You must live within the precinct boundary.

You must be registered to vote (or 18 years old by the general election in November) and indicate a party affiliation for the party you want to represent. You can change party affiliation at the time you file.

I challenge you. Do you have what it takes to actually accomplish something of lasting effect? Or will you use one of your pat excuses? I've heard them all. (See The Power Is There for the Taking.)

To answer questions so that you can get yourself elected at your primary election, Project City Hall will produce a live teleconference on May 8th (see below) to discuss strategy and answer your questions.

What:New Mexico Precinct Committee Officer Election Teleconference 2014
When:Wednesday, May 8, 2014 at 8:00 pm (PDT)
Where:Your home or mobile telephone
Details:To receive teleconference call details, Sign up or text New Mexico PC, {your name}, {your e-mail address} to (973)498-8066

How to Determine Your Precinct

  1. Go to the My Vote - New Mexico State Voter Information page.

Getting on the Ballot

When you have a plan, you don't have to guess what to do next. Written plans are always better than winging it. With that in mind, we've put together the Precinct Committee Candidate Checklist to give you a starting point for your plan.

For information about running for party positions, see How to Become a Candidate in New Mexico State.

A precinct committee candidate must file a single form, a Precinct Committee Officer Declaration of Candidacy.

The filing period is only one week long beginning on May 12, 2014 and ending on May 16, 2014. Several counties, including those with the most precincts provide for filing on-line. Where this is available, in most cases, the links to on-line filing will only appear on the county elections office web site during the filing period, so no one can file on-line either early or late.

  1. Call your county elections office and ask how many committee positions are available for your precinct.
  2. Ask for the names of each of the current committee officers and their contact information (e-mail address and telephone number).
  3. Ask how many people from the county voted at the previous primary election, and how many votes were cast for each committee officer on the ballot.
  4. Join other New Mexicans on the live teleconference call (see above) where you can ask questions.
  5. Prepare printed information about yourself so that you can quickly communicate the information to everyone you meet from your precinct.

Winning the Election

Winning a precinct committee position is not very challenging, especially if no one is running against you. You can do it if you prepare in advance and have a plan. Many people are looking for leaders and will accept almost anyone who simply steps up to lead. Just look at your current set of elected officials for proof of that.

After the Election

  1. Get a current copy of your state party central committee by-laws and of your county party central committee by-laws along with the rules of the convention you are elected to.
  2. Keep in touch, because we'll be producing training teleconferences about all the aspects of being an effective caucus participant.

Who Should Attend?

  • Anyone who wants to take their country back.
  • Anyone who values freedom and liberty.
  • If you're already a precinct committee officer, attend to encourage others and to relate your own experience.

What You'll Learn

  • The power of the convention delegate.
  • What happens at a caucus.
  • Why you need to connect with like-minded individuals before the caucus.
  • Why you should bring your posse.
  • How to win in a competitive election.

Reference Material

County Party Information

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

 

County Convention Information

The county convention, where the new chairman and other officers are elected, occurs just a few days after the primary election in September. This is the meeting at which the newly elected members of the county committee first exercise their power.

If you have corrections or additions to this information, please let us know.

 

You've Got A Friend

If this is your first meeting, it helps to get together with others who may be a little more organized. The party insiders already know the other insiders, so incumbents, as usual, always have an advantage. Here are a list of contacts, by county, who are willing to take you under their wing, so to speak. You may not agree with them on everything, but they are not insiders, so they, like you, are probably in the minority.

All politics is local. We cannot reach the goal alone. We need your help. These people are actively recruiting precinct committeemen in their county. If you'd like to recruit for your county, add your comment to this article and a way to contact you.

 

County Rules Analysis

Below you will find an analysis of county organization rules that differ from the norm.

 


 

© Copyright 2014, Project City Hall. All rights reserved.