Call to Convention | November 10, 2022
Click here for the Call to Convention for November 10, 2022
Posted 09/27/22
What is a Precinct Delegate and what do they do?
What is Precinct?
The precinct is the smallest political unit in the country. The precinct is where elections are won and lost. It is your neighborhood. You know the people and you know what issues are most important to them. Each voting precinct must not contain more than 2,999 active registered voters.
What is a Precinct Delegate?
A Precinct Delegate (PD) is perhaps one of the most important roles in politics. A PD is the first rung on the ladder of elected officials for the two major political party organizations. A PD is someone who wants to work toward better government on the local, state and national levels in the pursuit of making our country a better place to live. PDs are closer to their community than any other elected official.
A candidate for PD must be a registered voter in the precinct where they reside. A candidate must file a notarized Affidavit of Identity with the Jackson County Clerk, in order to be placed on the August primary ballot.
Precinct delegates are elected directly by the voters of each local voting precinct to serve as a “bridge” between voters and the Republican party. As a PD, you represent the Republican Party in your neighborhood, and you represent your neighborhood at Republican Party meetings.
If elected in the August primary (even election years), a precinct delegate will serve a 2-year term where they are a representative of their precinct. It is the responsibility of the precinct delegate to represent his or her District at Republican County Conventions. Additionally, interest in representing Jackson at State Conventions is a possibility.
If I become a Precinct Delegate, then what?
You will be notified by the Jackson County Clerk after the August Primary if you have been elected as a precinct delegate. You will also get a Call to Convention from the Jackson County Republican Committee letting you know the date, location and time of the County Convention. There is typically a County Convention held in August, a couple of weeks after the primary.
As a Precinct Delegate, you should:
- Look at a precinct map and become familiar with your boundaries and neighborhoods.
- Connect with your neighbors.
- Help Republicans register to vote.
- Vote at Republican Party State, County, and Congressional District conventions.
- Take information on issues and candidates to the voters in your precinct Identify other Republicans and recruit new party members.
- Help turn out the Republican vote in your neighborhood on Election Day Keep Republican leaders informed about the issues that concern voters.
- Look at the demographics of your area including couples with children, working couples, senior citizens, subdivisions, apartments, single family homes, sidewalks or any other information you might find relevant. Looking for schools and shopping centers can be a great place to meet prospective Republican Party supporters.
- Look for good sign locations for Republican candidates within your precinct.
- Determine how many people you already know in your precinct.
- Reach out to fellow Republicans by knocking on doors, making phone calls or sending out mailings (Party bulk mail permit can be used).
How to become a Precinct Delegate
Running for Precinct Delegate is an amazingly simple process. Below are the requirements and action items. You only need to fill out a form and get it notarized. No signature gathering required.
- You must be 18 years of age.
- You must be a qualified and registered voter in your voting precinct.
- Find out what precinct you are in by visiting the Michigan Secretary of State website https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/
- File your Affidavit of Identity with your county, city, or township clerk no later than 4:00 p.m., on the thirteenth Tuesday prior to the August Primary (meaning paperwork is due in late April). This date may change as election laws are updated. If you express interest in running to become a Precinct Delegate, the JCRC can inform you of your filing deadline.
- Your Affidavit of Identity must be notarized. Without proper notarization your Affidavit will not be valid.
- If you have opposition, contact your neighbors and friends from your district and ask them to vote for you.
If you need help, be sure to fill out the online form below.
How do I find my Precinct?
Go to https://mvic.sos.state.mi.us/ and input your information to find out what precinct you are in.
If you miss the filing deadline, you can still run for PD
If there are open Precinct Delegate positions after the election, contact us and ask if there is an opportunity to be ‘elevated’ to become a Precinct Delegate at the next Jackson County convention which will be held shortly after the Primary Election. At the county convention, you may be elected to become a Precinct Delegate by the JCRC Executive Committee Members.
Where you can find a Notary Public
You can find a notary public at your local post office, bank, or public library. Your township clerk may be a notary public, or your city clerk may offer notary public services. Other types of businesses that may offer notary public services are AAA, banks, law firms or law offices, real estate firms or real estate offices, tax preparer or accountant offices, photocopy shops, parcel shipping stores, Secretary of State offices, colleges and universities, and libraries. They may charge a fee.
Do I have to campaign to become a PD?
If you are unopposed, you really only need one vote to be elected as a Precinct Delegate (so be sure to vote for yourself!). If there are more people than open spots running, we recommend you do some campaigning by contacting friends and neighbors and asking them to vote for you. If you really want to do it right, you can send a mailing fairly cheaply to the voters in your district. Contact us using the online form below for help with campaigning for the Precinct Delegate position.
What is a County Convention and a State Convention?
A convention is a gathering of Precinct Delegates. There are two types of conventions. County conventions are once during non-Presidential election years and twice during Presidential election years. County Conventions choose county party officers and delegates to the state conventions.
State Conventions happen after a County Convention and are attended by those delegates who are chosen during the County Convention. State conventions are especially important because they nominate the Republican party candidates for many of our elected officials, all the way from party chair to Secretary of State and Lieutenant Governor.
When are Conventions Scheduled?
After being elected as Precinct Delegate, the county Republican Party leadership will send you a notification before each county convention. For a state convention the state party will notify you if you have been chosen as a delegate or alternate.
How to attend a State Convention
After being elected in the primary in August your county will hold a county convention. At the county convention, they will vote for delegates to go to the state convention. The JCRC Chair will host an in-person or virtual meeting to guide you through the State Convention process.
What happens at a State Convention?
State Conventions are typically held on a Saturday in a centralize location in the state (usually Lansing). On Friday night, there are district caucuses. During these caucuses the district GOP leadership is elected and during presidential years, the presidential elector is selected. On Saturday, there is voting for various positions, depending on which convention is occurring. Below is a list of all of the positions elected at all conventions.
Gubernatorial Election Year:
- Lt. Governor Nominee
- Attorney General Nominee
- Secretary of State Nominee
- National Committeeman/ Woman
Non-election year (odd numbered years):
- MIGOP Chair/ Co-Chair
- Outreach Vice Chair
- Ethnic Vice Chair
- Administrative Vice Chair
- Coalitions Vice Chair
- Youth Vice Chair
- Supreme Court Nominees
- U of M Board of Regents Nominees
- MSU Trustee Nominees
- Wayne State Board Nominees
- Board of Education Nominees
What else?
- Obtain a precinct map from the Jackson County Clerk’s office or your city, village, or township clerk’s office.
- Regularly attend your township board or village/city council meetings and get to know your local officials. Learn what is going on in your community.
- Find out the number of Republican Precinct Delegate vacancies in your precinct.
- Find out how many candidates have filed for precinct delegate in your precinct through the Jackson County Clerk’s office.
- Be sure your Affidavit of Identity is notarized and returned to the Jackson County Clerk’s office.
- If you have opposition, contact your neighbors, friends, and family that reside in your precinct, ask for their support and to vote for you!
Still have questions?
The Jackson County Republican Committee (JCRC) is here to help. Please fill out the form below and submit your questions.