Precinct captain explained
A precinct captain, also known as a precinct chairman, precinct delegate, precinct committee officer or precinct committeeman, is an elected official in the American political party system. The office establishes a direct link between a political party and the voters in a local electoral precinct.[1] [2] Their role is to build a relationship between those who hold public office and those who vote at the polls.[3]
Election to the office is by ballot or by the county party executive committee. Voters file their declaration of candidacy with their party in their voting district. If elected during the primary, the Precinct Captain shall serve as long as one remains eligible, or until seeking reelection in the subsequent district primary. Requirements vary among states and counties.[4]
Responsibilities of the post include facilitating voter registration and absentee ballot access; leading get out the vote outreach efforts; distributing campaign and party literature; promoting the party; and addressing voter concerns.[5] In many states Precinct Captains are also eligible to establish party unit committees for fundraising.[1]
The concept of precinct leadership is to provide a grassroots position with officials generally serving as volunteers, though in some states they receive a stipend.[6] Positions of county captain have also been created, but are usually used for election campaigns rather than party organizing.[4]
In Illinois, Michelle Obama got her initial introduction to Democratic party politics when her father served as a Precinct Captain and the then-Michelle Robinson accompanied the elder Robinson on his rounds through his precinct.[7]
In Washington, in case of a vacancy in the state legislature, the precinct committee officers will nominate candidates to fill the vacancy, which then need to be approved by the county council.[8]
Office title designation by state
Titles may vary by political party.
- Alabama - Unknown
- Alaska - Unknown
- Arizona - Precinct Committeeman[9] [10]
- Arkansas - Unknown
- California - Precinct Committeemen[11]
- Colorado - Precinct Committee Person (Republican)[12] [13] ~ Precinct Organizer or Block Captain (Democrat)[14] [15]
- Connecticut - Town Committeeman[16]
- Delaware - Precinct Committee Member[17]
- Florida - Precinct Captain[18]
- Georgia - Precinct Captain[19]
- Hawaii - Precinct Committee[20]
- Idaho - Precinct Committeeman[21]
- Illinois - Precinct Committeeman[22]
- Indiana - Precinct Committeeman[23]
- Iowa - Precinct Captain[24]
- Kansas - Precinct Captain[25]
- Kentucky - Precinct Captain (with allowances for a Co-Captain and a Youth Captain for at least the Republican party)[26]
- Louisiana - unknown
- Maine - unknown
- Maryland - Precinct Captain[27]
- Massachusetts - Town Committeeman[28]
- Michigan - Precinct Delegate[29] (officially, but less commonly, referred to as Delegate To County Convention)
- Minnesota - Block Captain[30]
- Mississippi - unknown
- Missouri - unknown
- Montana - Precinct Officer[31]
- Nebraska - unknown
- Nevada - Precinct Captain[32]
- New Hampshire - unknown
- New Jersey - County Committeeman or Committeewoman
- New Mexico - Ward Chair[33]
- New York - District Leader[34]
- North Carolina - Precinct Chairman[35]
- North Dakota - Precinct Committee Person[36]
- Ohio - Precinct Captain[37]
- Oklahoma - Precinct Chair[38]
- Oregon - Precinct Committee Person[39] [40]
- Pennsylvania - Precinct Committee Member[41] (Republican) ~ Precinct Committee Person[42] (Democrat)
- Rhode Island - unknown
- South Carolina - Precinct President[43]
- South Dakota - Precinct Committeeman or Committeewoman[44]
- Tennessee - Precinct Committeeman or Committeewoman[45]
- Texas - Precinct Chair[46] [47]
- Utah - Precinct Chair[48]
- Vermont - unknown
- Virginia - Precinct Committeeman[49]
- Washington - Precinct Committee Officer[50]
- West Virginia - unknown
- Wisconsin - Committeeman or Committeewoman[51]
- Wyoming - precinct committeeman and committeewoman[52]
Sources
Notes and References
- Web site: Archived copy . www.collincountygop.com . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130228225909/http://www.collincountygop.com/wp-content/uploads/precinct_chair_handbook.pdf . 28 February 2013 . dead.
- Web site: Most Powerful Office in the Land . 2023-10-01 . Network America™ . en-US.
- Web site: Bryant . Christine . What Are the Duties of a Precinct Committeeman? Synonym . 2023-10-12 . classroom.synonym.com . en.
- Web site: Archived copy . www.eac.gov . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060209220352/http://www.eac.gov/election_survey_2004/chapter_table/Chapter13_Polling_Places.htm . 9 February 2006 . dead.
- Web site: Gianassi . Donald . 2023-01-21 . Who Is My Precinct Committeeman? [Comprehensive Answer] - CGAA.org ]. 2023-10-05 . CGAA . en.
- Web site: Become a County or Precinct Chair | Texas Democratic Party . www.txdemocrats.org . 17 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090926182635/http://www.txdemocrats.org/take-action/become-a-county-or-precinct-chair/ . 26 September 2009 . dead.
- Book: Obama, Michelle. Becoming . 2018. Viking Press. en. 978-0-241-33414-0.
- News: . Rich Smith . A Legislative Shake-Up in Bothell: Rep. Derek Stanford Fills Palumbo's Old Seat, and Deputy Mayor Davina Duerr Fills Stanford's . 2019-07-01 . 2020-01-19 .
- Web site: GOP . AZ . INC . PSYCLONE MEDIA . azgop.com . Precinct Committeeman . 2023-10-01 . AZ GOP . en.
- Web site: 2013-06-12 . What is a PC? . 2023-10-05 . Be A Precinct Committeeman . en-US.
- Web site: Perez . Cheryl . March 2021 . California Republican Party Structure . 1 Oct 2023 . Precinct Strategy.
- Web site: Souldern . Jeanne . 2024-02-28 . Precinct caucuses 101: Taking the mystery out of the process . 2024-03-29 . The Sopris Sun . en-US.
- Web site: Griswold . Jena . Caucuses, Assemblies and Conventions FAQs . 2024-03-29 . Colorado Secretary of State . en-es.
- Web site: Souldern . Jeanne . 2024-02-28 . Precinct caucuses 101: Taking the mystery out of the process . 2024-03-29 . The Sopris Sun . en-US.
- Web site: Fish . Sandra . 2023-02-06 . Colorado Democratic Party, GOP prepare for intraparty reorganizations that will have big influence over their future . 2023-10-01 . The Colorado Sun . en-US.
- Web site: 2022 Town Committee Primaries . 2023-10-01 . CT.gov - Connecticut's Official State Website . en.
- Web site: Feb 2022 . Springfield Democrats . 1 Oct 2023 . springfielddems.org.
- Web site: 2021 . Precinct Captain Manual . 2 Oct 2023 . sarasotadems.com.
- Web site: Precinct Organizing . 2023-10-03 . Fulton County Democrats . en.
- Web site: OahuGOP . Precinct Election Meetings – Honolulu County Republican Party . 2023-10-03 . en.
- Web site: Section 34-624 – Idaho State Legislature . 2023-10-01 . en-US.
- Web site: 2023 . Become A Precinct Committeeman . 30 Sep 2023 . Illinois Freedom Alliance.
- Web site: 2020 . Precinct Committeemen Handbook . Hamilton County GOP.
- Web site: desmoinesdem . 2016-01-31 . How the Iowa caucuses work, part 4: What a precinct captain does . 2023-10-12 . Bleeding Heartland . en.
- Web site: Become a Precinct Captain Northwest Johnson County Republicans . 2023-10-04 . nwjocorepublicans.org.
- Web site: Kentucky – Republican Party Overview – Take Over the GOP . 2023-10-04 . en-US.
- Web site: Precinct Captain Responsibilities . 2023-10-05 . Calvert County Democratic Party . en-US.
- Web site: The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts . 1 Oct 2023 . Massachusetts Legislature.
- Web site: 2021-09-20 . Become a Precinct Delegate . 2023-10-01 . MI Precinct First . en-US.
- Web site: mnhd66brepublicans . 2022-02-25 . Be a Block Captain in Your Precinct . 2023-10-05 . Minnesota House District 66B Republicans . en.
- Web site: Become a Precinct Officer . 2023-10-06 . Montana GOP . en-US.
- Web site: Clark County Republican Party . 5 Oct 2023 . clarkcountyrepublicanparty.com.
- Web site: Ward & Precinct Chair Roles . 2023-10-06 . DPBC . en-US.
- Web site: 2021-04-29 . What do district leaders do? . 2023-10-01 . City & State NY . en.
- Web site: 2019 . NC Democrats 2019 Precinct Packet: Your Guide to Organizing Your Precinct . 1 Oct 2013 . guilforddems.org.
- Web site: Bylaws - Dem-NPL Party Democrats . 2023-10-06 . Dem-NPL Party . en-US.
- Web site: Precinct Captains Fairfield County GOP Ohio . 2023-10-06 . www.fairfieldcountygop.org.
- Web site: February 2021 . Precinct Leadership and Volunteer Guide . 6 Oct 2023 . okdemocrats.org.
- Web site: Become a PCP . 2023-10-01 . Oregon Republican Party . en-US.
- Web site: Precinct Committee Persons . 2023-10-01 . Democratic Party of Oregon . en-US.
- Web site: May 2019 . Republican Precinct Committee Member Qualifications and Duties . 9 October 2023 . Cumberland County Republican Party.
- Web site: 2017 . Precinct Committee Person Guide & Resources . 9 October 2023 . delcodems.com.
- Web site: 2021 . My South Carolina GOP . 10 October 2023 . myscgop.com/.
- Web site: Sand . Elisa . There are 194 contested GOP precinct committee races in SD this year. Here's what voters should know . 2023-10-11 . Aberdeen News . en-US.
- Web site: TN Voices For Liberty . 2023-10-11 . tnvoicesforliberty.com.
- Web site: 2021 . Precinct Chair and Activist Training and Reference Manual . 1 Oct 2023 . collindemocrats.org/.
- Web site: bingham . Collin County Republican Precinct Chairs CollinGOP . 2023-10-06 . Collin County Republican Party . en-US.
- Web site: Precinct Positions – Precinct Portal . 2023-10-12 . en-US.
- Web site: 2021-02-14 . How to Become a Precinct Committeeman – Conservative Action Center . 2023-10-12 . en-US.
- Web site: Become a Precinct Committee Officer . 2023-10-01 . Washington Democrats . en-US.
- Web site: Wisconsin Statutes 8.17(1) . 2024-04-16 . Wisconsin Legislative Documents . en-US.
- Web site: 2021 Wyoming Statutes :: Title 22 - Elections :: Chapter 4 - Political Parties :: Article 1 - Major Political Parties :: Section 22-4-101 - Application; Composition, Election and Qualifications of County Central Committees; Certificate of Election. . 2023-10-12 . Justia Law . en.