BECOME A PRECINCT DELEGATE

What is a precinct?

The precinct is the smallest political unit in the country and all voters in a precinct vote at one location. 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.

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 the Democrats in your neighborhood and the Democratic Party. Additionally, each precinct delegate represents their neighborhood at Democratic Party meetings. It is the active precinct delegate who wins elections for the Democratic Party.

What do Precinct Delegates do?

• Help Democrats get registered to vote.
• Take information on issues and candidates to the voters in your precinct.
• Identify other Democrats, and recruit new Party members.
• Help turn out the Democratic vote in your neighborhood on Election Day.
• Keep Democratic leaders informed about the issues that concern voters.

How do Precinct Delegates get elected?

Precinct delegates are elected in the Democratic primary every 2 years in August. Only Democratic voters choose Democratic precinct delegates.

Each precinct is allotted precinct delegates based on past Democratic voting strength. Your district or county chair will be able to tell you how many delegate positions have been allocated to your precinct.

Precinct delegate candidates file an Affidavit of Identity to get on the ballot. There is no longer a petition requirement for precinct delegate candidates. A precinct delegate candidate can file with the clerk of their county, city, or township of residence. (Formerly, all precinct delegate candidates filed at the county level.) Your Affidavit of Identity must be notarized.

Candidates for precinct delegates must file their Affidavit of Identity form with their county clerk. The filing deadline for precinct delegate candidates falls on the twelfth Tuesday prior to the August primary. A precinct delegate can be elected with just one vote. (Formerly a precinct delegate candidate needed a three-vote minimum.)

What are the responsibilities of Precinct Delegates?

Precinct Delegates are the campaign leaders for the Democratic Party in their precincts. After the primary election, those elected will be officially notified by the county clerk by mail. The notification will include the time and place of the district or county Democratic convention, which will be held in August after the primary.

Precinct delegates should take their official notification to the district or county convention to register with the convention credentials committee.

District or county conventions will elect delegates to the state convention held in August or September. These conventions may also debate or 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 have another responsibility. Precinct delegates will 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.

Checklist to Become a Precinct Delegate

• Obtain a precinct map from the county, city, or township clerk’s office.
• Find out the number of Democratic precinct delegate positions in your precinct.
• 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. Find out how many candidates have filed for precinct delegate in your precinct.
• 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.
• 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!