Precinct Project, Page 2
Below you will find information on how to become a Republican Party Precinct Committeeman in your state. Learn more about the Project’s purpose.
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New Hampshire
GOP State Committee Elections – The election of State Committee officers will take place on a date set by the State Chairman during the month of January in the calendar year immediately following a biennial election. Officers shall be required to attend personally or be represented at all Executive Committee meetings. Officers who fail to attend at least half of the meetings set by the Chairman within a calendar year, either in person or by representation, shall be deemed to have resigned from their office.
Officers of the Committee need not be members thereof at the time of election.
The Officers of the Committee shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, an assistant to the Chairman for Recruiting, a Federal Election Commission Compliance Officer, five area Vice Chairmen, a Finance Chairman, a Secretary and an Assistant Secretary, a Treasurer and an Assistant Treasurer.
The officers of the Committee, with the exception of the FEC Compliance Officer (appointed by the Chairman), Finance Chairman and the Assistant to the Chairman for Recruiting, shall be elected at a regular meeting of the Committee, which shall be held on a date set by the State Chairman during the month of January in the calendar year immediately following a biennial election. The three aforementioned officers, who shall be appointed by the Chairman, must also be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. Officers shall be required to attend personally or be represented at all Executive Committee meetings. Officers who fail to attend at least half of the meetings set by the Chairman within a calendar year, either in person or by representation, shall be deemed to have resigned from their office.
The National Committeeman and Committeewoman shall be elected by a majority vote of the members of the Committee at the Republican State Committee meeting immediately prior to the Republican National Convention. Candidates at the time of the nomination need not be convention delegates to be eligible. In the event or resignation, death or incapacity of a National Committeeman or Committeewoman, the State Chairman shall call and conduct a meeting of the Committee pursuant to this Article to elect a replacement to serve until the time of the next meeting called pursuant to the first sentence of this Article.
Vacancies – The Chairman of the County or City Committee shall provide written notice of the vacancy to the Chairman of the Republican State Committee. The members of the County or City Committee may vote to replace that member at a duly noticed meeting. The names of the new members shall be read into the minutes of the next State Executive Committee Meeting.
County Committees – Members of each County Committee shall be elected by the Party nominees and delegates from each County and city to the State Convention as provided by such statute. Members so elected shall be designated as members of the Committee, with voting privileges. These members of the Committee shall elect the officers of the County or City Committee. County or City bylaws shall encourage the acceptance of additional members, but such members of the local committee shall not be members of the Committee and are not allowed to vote for the officers of the County or City Committee. County or City Committees shall encourage the designation of “social”, “associate”, “county” or other similar(ly) named members to have voting privileges in all other matters which do not constitute official Committee business.
It shall be the duty of a County Chairman to notify all town and city chairmen to either: (1) hold a caucus for the purpose of establishing within 45 days following the election of County Officers, or (2) file with the State Chairman a copy of its previously adopted bylaws and a list of officers and committee members for the town and city who have been elected in accordance with those bylaws after published notice of meetings.
In the event that a town or city fails to organize, the County Chairman may appoint a temporary chairman for the purpose of establishing an organization in said town or city. They shall hold that office until the close of an organizational meeting which must be held by the end of February in the year following the biennial election. In the event that the county fails to organize by the end of February in the year following the biennial election, or the County Chairman fails to appoint a temporary chairman of any town or city herein provided, then the State Chairman will make such appointment and undertake all steps to conduct an organizational caucus.
The State Chairman will also call biennial meetings of the County and City Committees for the purpose of holding a caucus to elect members of the Committee. These meetings must take place during the period beginning immediately following the biennial election and ending by December 15th. All qualified registered Republicans nominated shall be included on the ballot for consideration of election at these meetings. The State Chairman will be responsible for notifying all members by mail at least 10 days before the day of the meeting. Only members of the Committee shall elect the county and city committee officers.
For county-specific information on election to specific leadership roles, visit: http://www.nhgop.org/pages/detail/39
City Committees – Any city or town whose population is equal to or greater than the population of the least populous county shall qualify for representation by their City or Town Committee Chairman on the Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee shall vote to accept application for representation by the city or town committee upon demonstration by the city or town committee of eligibility based on population. The Executive Committee may vote to deny representation whenever the city or town committee is unable to demonstrate eligibility. All cities or towns whose committees are represented on the Executive Committee shall be referred to as City Committees.
For city-specific and town-specific information on election to specific leadership roles, please visit: http://www.nhgop.org/pages/detail/40 and search each city and town’s specific Bylaws if available.
Generally, city or town leadership roles will be similar to this example, from Nashua (the second largest city in the state):
Elections of the Nashua Republican City Committee (NRCC) Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer will be held at the Biennial Meeting of the NRCC. The date for the Biennial Meeting shall be established by the NRCC Chair subject to approval by a majority of the Executive Committee, but shall not be later than 45 days subsequent to New Hampshire’s General Election. Notice of said meeting shall be mailed to all voting members of the NRCC no later than 30 days prior to said meetings. Candidates for elected office shall be voting members in good standing for a period of not less than 12 months prior to the Biennial election of the NRCC. Interested candidates shall submit their names to the NRCC Secretary at least 12 days prior to the meeting not counting the day before and the day of the meeting to allow time to prepare the ballot. To be elected, a candidate for an NRCC Office must receive a majority of the ballots cast. In the event that there are more than 2 candidates for a given office and no candidate receives a majority, a runoff election shall be held between the 2 candidates receiving the highest numbers of votes. In the event of a tie vote in the runoff, the winner shall be determined by a lottery conducted by the NRCC Chair. Said runoff election shall be held on the same day of the Biennial Meeting.
Vacancies – Any special election to fill a vacancy resulting from the resignation, removal or incapacitation of the NRCC Chair will be organized as follows: (1) Interested candidates shall submit their names to the NRCC Secretary a minimum of 7 days prior to the meeting not counting the day before and the day of the meeting. (2) If no names are submitted pursuant to Article IV, Section 1(e), nominations from the floor may be accepted. (3) Notice of said special election shall be mailed to all NRCC members in good standing not later than 15 days in advance of the designated special Election Day.
All Vacancies, except that of NRCC Chair, shall be filled as follows: (1) The NRCC Chair shall nominate a replacement candidate for each vacancy, Which shall be approved by at least two-thirds of the Executive Committee and placed before the membership for confirmation at the next scheduled membership meeting. (2) If a candidate so nominated by the NRCC Chair fails to receive confirmation by a majority vote of the voting members present at said NRCC membership meeting, nomination may be made from the floor and subject to subsequent confirmation. In the event of a vacancy of the NRCC Chair position, the NRCC Vice-Chair shall immediately become Acting NRCC Chair and shall hold a special election of the full NRCC membership to fill said vacancy not later than the second regularly scheduled meeting of the NRCC after said vacancy occurs.
Eligibility for Voting – Persons eligible to vote on matters proposed at NRCC meetings, including NRCC elections, shall have been members in continuous good standing for a period beginning at least 90 days prior to the date of said election; and shall have attended at least 3 full membership meetings during the 12 month period prior to the date of said election.
Full membership rights, including voting privileges, shall be conferred on said persons upon payment of annual dues, except Associate Membership. This membership in the NRCC is open to any registered Republicans otherwise complying with the requirements for membership, but not registered to vote in the City of Nashua, notwithstanding other provisions in these Bylaws, Associate Members shall have the rights of full members with the exception of voting in elections for and serving as members of the New Hampshire State Committee representing Nashua, and Nashua City committee officers who, if elected would be ex officio members of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee or New Hampshire Republican State Executive Committee. Also, Adjunct Membership in the NRCC is open to any undeclared voter registered to vote in the City of Nashua or unregistered natural person domiciled in the City of Nashua, New Hampshire who shall satisfy the Chairman in consultation with the Executive Board of said voter’s adherence to Republican principles and shall otherwise qualify for membership in the Nashua Republican City Committee; Adjunct Membership shall not entitle the adjunct member to the right to vote on any motions, resolutions, amendments to these Bylaws or election of officers, nor shall Adjunct members serve as Officers or members of the NRCC executive committee; Adjunct members shall otherwise be afforded the benefits of membership.
Regional Committees – Any city or town whose population is equal to or greater than the population of the least populous county shall qualify for representation by their City or Town Committee Chairman on the Executive Committee. Members of the Executive Committee shall vote to accept application for representation by the city or town committee upon demonstration by the city or town committee of eligibility based on population. The Executive Committee may vote to deny representation whenever the city or town committee is unable to demonstrate eligibility. All cities or towns whose committees are represented on the Executive Committee shall be referred to as City Committees. Such regional committee shall have the right to elect their own officers, adopt their own bylaws and conduct activities of the State Committee within their respective area.
Local Wards (New Hampshire does not have Precincts) – Following the Nashua example used above (see City Committees Section): Ward committees shall caucus at the third monthly meeting of the NRCC following the Biennial Meeting and shall nominate from the floor candidates for ward chair, vice chair and clerk. To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority vote of the caucus.
For information on what occurs when vacancies take place, as well as eligibility for voting and running for Ward Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Clerk see the “City Committees” section above. This is one example. For more information please visit individual city and town GOP Bylaws by visiting http://www.nhgop.org/pages/detail/40.
For more information, please read the New Hampshire Republican Party Bylaws, from which this information has been summarized and edited (excepting examples grafted from the Nashua Republican City Committee website, which is used solely as a sample: http://www.nashuagop.org/bylaws.html): http://www.nhgop.org/pages/detail/33
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New Mexico State Central Committee – Elections take place at County level: Elective members of the State Central Committee contingent from each county and elective members of the County Central Committee for each county shall be elected by a Republican county convention in each county.
The County level is organized by either Wards or Precincts, wherein County-level Party officials are elected: Each County adopts, in its supplementary county rules, either a “ward-based” or a “precinct-based” administrative organization.
Ward-Based: In a ward-based county administrative organization, ward officers shall be elected by a Republican ward caucus for each ward in the county. The elected ward chairman for the ward shall appoint precinct chairmen for the precincts within the ward.
Precinct-Based: In a precinct-based county administrative organization, precinct officers shall be elected by a Republican precinct caucus for each precinct in the county.
The State Central Committee shall consist of a membership as follows:
(1) One elected member from each county in the state of New Mexico; (2) an additional number of elected members from each county consisting of one member for each one thousand (1,000) votes or remaining major fraction thereof cast in the county for the Republican nominee for governor at the last preceding gubernatorial election for which official election canvass records are available; (3) the county chairman and two other officers as determined by each County Central Committee in accordance with the Supplementary County Rules; (4) the national committeeman and the national committeewoman; (5) three members to be selected by the State Young Republicans; (6) three members to be selected by the State College Republicans; (7) three members to be selected by the New Mexico Federation of Republican Women; (8) any Republican from New Mexico who is an incumbent member of the cabinet of the President of the United States, any incumbent Republican member of the United States Senate, any incumbent Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, any incumbent Republican governor of New Mexico, and any incumbent Republican statewide-elected office holders except judiciary; (9) all former state chairmen, all former national committeemen, and all former national committeewomen; (10) each officer of the Republican State Central Committee; and (11) the chairman of the Advisory State Rules Committee.
Membership in the State Central Committee is only one of the aforementioned methods.
Opportunities for County Representation at the State Central Committee are as follows:
County Contingent – (1) The county contingent to the State Central Committee shall consist of: (a) the county chairman and two other officers as determined by each County Central Committee in accordance with the Supplementary County Rules and (b) the elected members from the county or any appointed replacements. (2) The elected members of the county contingent to the State Central Committee shall be elected at the Biennial Organizational County Convention held in the county.
The process for the election of State Officers is as follows: At a meeting of the State Central Committee called between November 15 and January 15 following the biennial general election, the State Central Committee shall elect a Chairman, First Vice-Chairman, Second Vice-Chairman, State Vice-Chairman from Congressional District I, State Vice-Chairman from Congressional District II, State Vice-Chairman from Congressional District III, Secretary, and Treasurer.
State Vice-Chairmen from the Congressional Districts: Nomination and Selection – District Caucuses: At the biennial organizational meeting of the State Central Committee the members of the State Central Committee from each congressional district shall caucus and nominate a single candidate for the office of state vice-chairman from each of their respective districts.
Opportunities Open Due to Vacancy: Any vacancy occurring in the office of any State Central Committee officer shall be filled by the State Executive Committee and confirmed at the next meeting of the State Central Committee, provided that, in case of the vacancy of the chairmanship of the State Central Committee, a meeting of that committee shall be called by the first vice-chairman or, in his or her absence, the second vice chairman for a time not later than thirty (30) days after such vacancy occurs, for the purpose of selecting a permanent state chairman. In the event the first vice-chairman or, in his or her absence, the second vice chairman fails or refuses to call such a meeting, a meeting for the same purpose may be called, with proper notice, by any ten (10) members of the State Central Committee. For the Treasurer role, in the case of a vacancy occurring in the office of treasurer of the State Central Committee, the office shall be temporarily filled by an available officer of the State Central Committee designated by the state chairman, who shall serve until a replacement shall have been designated by the State Executive Committee. The designation by the state chairman of a temporary treasurer shall be in writing with copies sent immediately to all members of the State Executive Committee.
Opportunities for election to State or District Conventions are as follows:
State / District: Conventions: National Convention Delegate Selection – For any Republican state or district convention at which delegates and alternate delegates from New Mexico to the Republican national convention are to be selected, the following shall be used (A) Representation: The Republican Party of New Mexico shall endeavor to have equal representation of men and women in its delegation to the Republican national convention. This is not intended to be the basis of any kind of quota system (B) Allocations: The number of national convention delegates and alternate delegates selected shall be in strict conformity with the rules adopted for and the call for each Republican national convention (C) Special Allocation – Four Women and Four Men: The total number of New Mexico delegates shall include at least four women and four men, and the total number of New Mexico alternate delegates shall include at least four women and four men. This special allocation is to ensure full membership on all of the four committees of the Republican national convention. (D) General Procedure for Nominating and Electing Delegates and Alternate Delegates to the Republican National Convention: The following general procedures should be followed in nominating and selecting delegates and alternate delegates to the Republican national convention:
1. Self-Nomination: Any properly qualified registered New Mexico Republican voter wishing to be a nominee for delegate or alternate delegate to the Republican national convention shall, prior to the Quadrennial Republican State Convention, file a written notice of his or her self-nomination with the state chairman not later than a due date set by the state chairman. Not less than thirty (30) days prior to the due date set by the state chairman, written notice of that date shall be mailed to each county chairman. (A) A self-nominee shall be a properly qualified registered New Mexico Republican voter on or before October 1 of the year before the year in which the Republican national convention is to be held. (B) A self-nominee can run in his or her congressional district election or in the statewide at-large election, but not both. (C) The notice of self-nomination shall contain the nominee’s full name, gender, registered residence address, current mailing address, county of voter registration telephone numbers, and a “congressional district election” or “statewide at-large election” designation (but not both).
2. State Chairman’s List of Self-Nominees: Immediately after the deadline for the filing of self-nominations for delegate or alternate delegate to the Republican national convention, the state chairman shall direct that a list be prepared of all properly filed and qualified self-nominees. The state chairman’s list shall contain each (nominee’s full name, gender, current mailing address, county of voter registration, telephone numbers, and a “congressional district election” or “statewide at-large election” designation (but not both). Copies of the state chairman’s list of self-nominees shall be made available promptly, upon request, to any properly qualified elected delegate or alternate delegate to the Quadrennial State Convention.
3. No Floor Nominations – Exception: There shall be no nominations from the floor of any convention for delegate and / or alternate delegate to the Republican national convention except in the case of actual failure of the self-nomination process to meet the allocated number of elected delegates or alternate delegates.
4. Election of Delegates and Alternate Delegates – Ballots – Voting: Election of delegates and alternate delegates to the Republican national convention shall be by secret ballot appropriate and separate for each congressional district as authorized by the elected officers of the State Central Committee and prepared prior to the convention. The names of all qualified self-nominees, properly filed prior to the involved convention, shall be listed on each appropriate ballot in alphabetical order of surname, along with gender and county of voter registration for each. The ballot for each congressional district shall include the list of self-nominees for the district election and the list of self-nominees for at-large election by the state convention.
5. Determination of Delegates and Alternate Delegates: Rosters – Boards of Election Judges – Resolution of Tie Votes: Election shall be determined for the convention by a Board of Election Judges confirmed by each congressional district and the state convention at large. Election of delegates and alternate delegates shall be determined by the election judges, by highest votes received, from a roster of nominated candidates arranged in descending order of votes received. Tie votes shall be resolved by lot.
6. Vacancy in the New Mexico Delegation: In the event of a vacancy occurring in the New Mexico delegation prior to the formal certification of the delegation to the Republican national convention, the state chairman, in consultation with the involved Board of Election judges, and in conformance with national requirements, shall determine a replacement from the convention roster, based on the highest vote received. Such action shall be deemed formal action of the involved convention.
State: National Committee Members – Vacancies – In the event of a vacancy in the office of the Republican National Committeeman or Republican National Committeewoman, the State Central Committee shall elect his or her successor at a properly called meeting within thirty (30) days after such vacancy occurs.
Opportunities for County Central Committee leadership are as follows:
County – Central Committee – Membership
Apportionment: Each County Central Committee shall consist of a membership as follows:
(1) The ward chairman of each ward in a ward-based county or the precinct chairman of each precinct in a precinct-based county; (2) an additional number of elected members nominated from each ward in a ward-based county or from each precinct in a precinct-based county, such number to be proportionally based on the number of votes cast in each such ward or precinct for the Republican candidate for governor in the last preceding gubernatorial election for which official election canvass records are available, the proportion to be determined by each County Central Committee and properly included in the Supplementary County Rules of each county; and (3) ex-officio members, as provided for in the Supplementary County Rules.
Proxies: Any member of a County Central Committee may appoint any qualified registered Republican voter of his or her ward in a ward-based county or of his or her precinct in a precinct-based county as his or her proxy for any meeting of the County Central Committee unless prohibited in these rules.
Vacancies: Any vacancy occurring in the elected membership of any County Central Committee shall be filled by appointment by the county chairman.
County – Central Committee – County Officers
Organizational Meeting and Election of County Officers: At an organizational meeting of each County Central Committee to be held during the Biennial Organizational County Convention and immediately following the selection of the new members of the County Central Committee by the Convention, the newly constituted County Central Committee shall elect a chairman, first vice-chairman, second vice-chairman, secretary, and treasurer.
Vacancies:
General: Any vacancy occurring in the office of any County Central Committee officer shall be filled temporarily by a nominee of the County Executive Committee until the vacancy is filled by an election of the County Central Committee.
Treasurer: In the case of a vacancy occurring in the office of treasurer of the County Central Committee, the office shall be temporarily filled by an available officer of the County Central Committee, designated by the county chairman. This designee shall serve until a regular temporary replacement shall have been designated by the County Executive Committee. The designation by the county chairman of a temporary treasurer shall be in writing with copies sent immediately to all members of the County Executive Committee.
Opportunities for election to Precinct or Ward positions consist of the following:
Local Precinct and Wards
1. The ward / precinct caucus called prior to or during the Regular Biennial Organizational County Convention is where the following ward / precinct officers are elected: chairman, vice-chairman, and secretary.
2. Each ward / precinct officer shall be officially registered as a Republican voter and shall reside in, and his or her registered residence shall be in, the ward / precinct in which he or she was elected or appointed to serve. Should any ward / precinct officer change his or her registered political party designation, or should his or her residence or registered residence for any reason cease to be in the ward / precinct, then the office of such ward / precinct officer shall immediately be deemed vacant, and a successor shall be selected in the manner provided in these rules for the filling of ward / precinct officer vacancies.
Vacancies:
Vacancies in ward / precinct offices shall be filled by appointment by the county chairman to complete the term of the officer being replaced.
In odd-numbered years during the week specified by the state chairman, the elected officers of each County Central Committee shall call caucuses for each ward in a ward-based county or for each precinct in a precinct-based county for the purposes of electing new officers and for electing delegates to the Biennial Organizational County Convention.
Prior to any county convention, ward / precinct caucuses shall be held within the county to elect delegates to the county convention from each ward or precinct as required.
For more information, please read the New Mexico Republican Party Bylaws, from which this information has been summarized and edited: http://gopnm.com/uploads/FileLinks/a693d714db594c2a95c61140fe1bfdbd/RPNM%20Rules.pdf
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In Ohio, one needs only five signatures to run for Precinct Committeeman. More info. coming soon.
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The Oregon Republican Party has made becoming a Precinct Committeeman very simple: go to this website and sign up to begin the process!
In Pennsylvania, county committeemen are elected in even numbered years. The terms of committeemen are specified in the county committee bylaws which are public information and should be available at your county Elections office. Most counties in Pennsylvania elect two committeemen in every precinct, although we are aware of at least two counties (Centre and Elk) that do not elect committeemen in the primary. These two counties have chosen to give the power of appointing committeemen to the county chairman, who is elected on the Primary ballot.
In most counties, vacancies on the committee can be filled at any time at the pleasure of the county chairman. The exact rules are usually specified in the county bylaws.
State committee members (some states refer to them as “central committee”) are elected every 4 years in the counties. The counties are allocated a specific number of representatives on state committee based on the number of registered Republicans in that county (see the state committee bylaws for the exact formula.) Also, the county chairman is automatically a member of the state committee.
The state committee is also divided into 6 regional caucuses. Counties are free to join the caucus of their choice. The caucuses also elect their own officers.
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To be a state or county GOP Delegate in Utah, one must be a Utah citizen who resides in the precinct, age 18 or older by that year’s general election, and a registered Republican Party member as referenced in Article I of the Party Constitution or who registers as Republican at the individual caucus meeting. Each participant shall not be a simultaneous officer, delegate, candidate or registered affiliated voter of any other rival political party. Attendance at the state and county GOP conventions is open to anyone.
In Vermont, there are three units that work together: the local GOP Town and District Committees, the County GOP Committees, and the State Committee.
Voting members of the Republican State Committee of Vermont include the Officers in the State GOP, the two RNC members, organizational leaders (YR Chair; College Republicans Chair; GOP Womens Chair), the State Finance Chair and Vice-Chair, the two highest ranking Republicans in the House and Senate, the Chairman of the County Committee of each county, the Finance Chairman of the County Committee two elected members from each county (one male, one female), and Members At-Large determined by vote in the previous gubernatorial election. The At-Large members do not have to serve as representatives of the county in which they reside. County committee members and delegates to the state committee shall serve for the following two years or until their successors are elected or appointed.
Twenty-two members of the State Committee constitute a quorum. Meetings of the State Committee and its standing committees are open to committee members and other interested persons unless the members vote to have a closed meeting. County Committees also designate a member to serve on standing committees of the State Committee.
Upon their election, town chairs shall be members of their County Committees. In addition, each town shall elect two delegates to the County Committee plus one additional delegate for each 100 votes, or major fraction thereof, cast for the Republican candidate for Governor in the last General Election. Towns may elect alternates to the County Committee up to the number of delegates they are allowed.
The state committee of each major political party holding a national convention shall call a party convention to be held during the month of May or June in each presidential election year. At the convention, delegates and alternates to the national convention of such party, to the number apportioned to this state, shall be elected by the rules adopted by the party.
To find where you vote, use the State Board of Elections online look-up service.
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