Application for Chair on Party Primary Ballot

Filing begins December 3, 2009 and ends January 4, 2010.

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The Precinct Chair
The party leader in the voting precinct is the precinct chair, who is elected by the voters in the precinct in the  Democratic Primary. The precinct chair is the “go-to person” for all Democratic precinct activity. An active, effective precinct chair makes an enormous difference in the success of the Party and our candidates.

Duties and Responsibilities
The following is a list that includes, but does not limit, the official and unofficial duties and responsibilities of the precinct chair:

• Organize the precinct and get to know the people in the precinct
• Be a standing member of the County Executive Committee
• Represent the precinct by attending every County Executive Committee meeting
• Get our voters to the polls
• Bridge the gap between voters and elected officials
• Help find judges, alternate judges, and election clerks
• Get people to do the following volunteer jobs:
  • Work the precinct polling place on Election Day
  • Pass out literature
  • Report pertinent information back to the Democratic party headquarters and Democratic campaigns
  • Dress the polls on Election Day
• Understand the TDP Rules and Texas Election Code
• Encourage primary voters to attend the precinct convention
• Place sign(s) at the Primary voting locations indicating the location of the precinct convention
• Organize and conduct the precinct convention
• To call a CEC meeting when County Chairs fail to do so

The County Executive Committee (CEC)
The County Executive Committee (CEC) is composed of the precinct chairs of each of the county’s voting precincts and the county chair. The county chair calls and presides over CEC meetings. Precinct chairs may also call meetings through a petition process. Elected local and county Democratic officials are not members of the CEC but should be invited to all meetings.

County Executive Committee administers the following business of the County Party:

• By statute, the CEC has certain responsibilities for the conduct of the Democratic Primary in the county.
• By TDP Rules, the CEC may adopt continuing rules for the conduct of its business.
• By TDP Rules, the CEC shall have primary responsibility for planning and integrating the General Election
  campaigns of the Democratic Party’s nominees within the county. This includes the following responsibilities:
  • Raising funds for conducting local campaigns
  • Supporting the statewide effort for the entire ticket
  • Developing materials
  • Integrating local services for all Democratic campaigns
  • Optionally, establishing precinct committees to facilitate and coordinate within the formal party structure

Responsibilities of the County Executive Committee
Grassroots efforts are more effective with an active, engaged County Executive Committee (CEC). Ideally these activities are done as the CEC; however, if the CEC is unable to meet a quorum to make decisions, the county chair is still responsible for seeing that statutory requirements for running a primary are met.

The CEC has the following responsibilities:

• Establish basic County Party goals and objectives
• Electing a county party secretary and treasurer
• Establish a budget and prepare election finance planning
• Establish standing party committees and appoint committee members
• Establish steering committees as necessary
• Assist the county chair in recruiting active precinct chairs
• Establish a County Primary Committee with these responsibilities:
  • Plan Primary Election financing
  • Organize and train Primary Election personnel (election, administrative, volunteers)
  • Secure election equipment, contract for special services
  • Obtain rental agreements for polling places and central counting location
  • Coordinate with the County Election Administrator on voter registration lists and related election activities
  • Conduct election training schools
  • Provide for voter education programs
  • Conduct other related Primary Election activities as provided for by statute and TDP Rules
• Establish General Election campaign committees to do the following:
  • Prepare and plan election financing
  • Provide voter education programs
• Campaign
  • Conduct the Get Out The Vote (GOTV) campaign
  • Conduct other related General Election activities as provided for by statute and TDP Rules

County Executive Committee Meetings
There are two types of County Executive Committee (CEC) meetings, statutory and non-statutory. CEC meetings are called by the county chair or by petition of the precinct chairs. It is the responsibility of the party calling the meeting to set the agenda. CEC members shall be notified in writing at least five days in advance of the meetings. According to TDP Rules, CECs are required to meet quarterly. See TDP Rules for information on quorum requirements and the order of business required at the statutory meetings.