BECOME A PRECINCT DELEGATE

What is a precinct?

The precinct is the smallest political unit in the country where all voters in a precinct vote at one location (your neighborhood). The precinct is where elections are won and lost.

What is a Precinct Delegate?

The role of a precinct delegate is one of the most important, yet least understood, of any elected office. Precinct delegates serve as a bridge between Democrats in their neighborhoods and the Democratic Party. Active precinct delegates can help win elections. Additionally, each precinct delegate represents their neighborhood at Democratic Party meetings. 

What do Precinct Delegates do?

• Help Democrats get registered to vote.
• Share information on issues and candidates with the voters in their precinct.
• With help from the county party they will identify Democrats in their precinct. 
• Help turn out the Democratic vote in their neighborhood/precinct.
• They can also keep Democratic leaders informed about the issues that concern their voters. 

What are the responsibilities of Precinct Delegates? 

• Precinct Delegates are the campaign leaders for the Democratic Party in their precincts, neighborhood. 
• After the August Primary election, those elected will be officially notified by the county clerk via mail. The notification will include the time and place of your county Democratic convention, which will be held in August after the primary.
• District or county conventions will elect delegates to the state convention held in August or September. County conventions may also adopt resolutions for recommendation to the state convention’s platform committee.
• The state convention will debate and adopt a platform, nominate candidates for Supreme Court Justices, State Board of Education, and university boards, and select presidential electors.

What other functions do Precinct Delegates have?

After Election Day, precinct delegates will also convene in district or county conventions to elect executive committees and officers to serve through the next general election. There they will also elect delegates to the February state convention where new state party officers and a new state central committee will be chosen to serve for the next 2 years.

How do Precinct Delegates get elected?

• Precinct delegates are elected in the Democratic primary every two (2) years in the August Primary Election.
• Each precinct is allotted precinct delegates based on past Democratic voting strength. Your county chair will be able to tell you how many delegate positions have been allocated to your precinct.
• To get your name on the August Primary ballot, you must file a notarized Affidavit of Identity by the May 7, 4:00 PM deadline. File your notarized Affidavit of Identity with your city, township, or county clerk. If you miss the filing deadline and still want to become a precinct delegate, you can become a write-in candidate. See the following information.
• You can become a write-in candidate by filing a notarized Write-in Candidate Declaration of Intent. File your notarized form with your county clerk no later than the August 2, 4:00 PM deadline. When you vote, write your name in the appropriate space designated under the precinct delegate section of the ballot and vote for yourself.   

Checklist to Become a Precinct Delegate

• File your Affidavit of Identity with your county, city, or township clerk no later than 4:00 p.m. on the twelfth Tuesday before the August Primary, in May. Your Affidavit of Identity must be notarized. 
• If you have opposition, contact your neighbors, friends, and family that reside in your precinct and ask for their support. Primary election day is in August. Remember to vote!
• If you are running as a write-in candidate, remember to write your name in the appropriate space and vote for yourself. Ask others to write in your name and vote for you. Please note, you only need one vote to win.
• Get involved in your local Democratic Party immediately. Keep the Party informed about what your neighbors are talking about and keep your neighbors informed about what elected Democrats are doing for them.

The Democratic Party is here to help. Contact us if you need information or assistance. By working together, we can deliver Michigan for the Democratic ticket. Don’t sit on the sidelines – be a part of the political solution. Run for Precinct Delegate!