This Guide was put together by David Holt of the blog Confessions of a West Tennessee Liberal. It has been left the same as his original post with only the dates changed below.
What is the caucus?
The caucus is a process in which Democrats get together and vote for delegates from each precinct to go to the convention.
What is the convention?
The convention has four main purposes:
1. Get local Democrats involved in the party.
2. Elect the party executive committee and party chair (the people who run our local party)
3. Offer a chance to hear from party leaders and activists.
4. Elect precinct chairs. (The people who organize their precincts for elections and choose executive committee members from their district if one resigns, etc.)
Where and when are these meetings?
The caucus will be on March 3 and the convention on March 31. Both events will be at Airways Middle School at 2601 Ketchum. Registration for the caucus runs from 9:00-10:45. Registration for the convention runs from 12:00-1:00.
Why do we care, and what can we do?
Because we all want a strong, effective party that can work to elect good Democrats on a local, statewide, and national basis.
We can do four things at the convention:
1. Elect delegates from each precinct.
2. Elect precinct chairs.
3. Elect executive committee members.
4. Choose a chair who will uphold the highest ethical standards, work to unite the party, reach out to grow the party, and manage our resources responsibly.
Files containing important information regarding the convention can found on https://umdrive.memphis.edu/dkholt/public/ and http://westtennessee.blogspot.com.
What does a delegate do?
1-6 delegates are selected from each precinct at the caucus on March 3. The delegates will return on March 31 to elect 3-5 executive committee members from their house districts.
What is the difference between a precinct and a district?
A district is the area that a Tennessee House of Representatives member represents. A precinct is a smaller part of a district where people who live near one another all go to the same location to vote.
How do I become a delegate?
1. Find out what your state house district and precinct are. They should be on your voter registration card. You can also use the precinct locator on http://www.shelbyvote.com.
2. Talk to friends and neighbors about the local party and why we need to work to make the party stronger.
3. Contact past attendees or local Democratic supporters. Invite them to the convention and ask for their support. Find friends and neighbors and bring them into the process.
4. Some precincts have as few as 0 people attend. Others have significantly more. Try and ensure that you can bring at LEAST three people, depending on how many delegates your precinct can elect.
5. Arrive early. The earlier you arrive the more you can talk with other members of your precinct and try and gain their support.
6. Everyone will meet in an area with other members of their house district. Groups will then break into precincts. The state house district chair will request one person to be the convener for each individual precinct. The convener will receive a packet containing instructions and a form to record the officers elected. That person will conduct an election for precinct chair.
7. After the precinct chair is elected, he or she will conduct the election for delegates. Nominations will be taken. Have a supporter or yourself nominate you. Speak about your qualifications. Why are you a Democrat? What have you done for the party? Why do you want to be a delegate?
8. The number of male and female delegates must be as nearly equal as possible. For example, if a precinct has four delegates two must be male and two female. Districts with an odd number of delegates cannot be farther off than one.
9. The first race for delegate can involve males or females. The next race should involve the opposite gender as won the first race. The final race can be of either gender if the district has an odd number of delegates.
10. Use strategy for these races. For example, if your precinct has five delegates and you have three people who wish to run, don’t all run at once. Doing so merely dilutes your voting power. Instead, create a batting order of electing Deborah first, then Bob, then Sally.
11. In the event of a tie, the two candidates with the highest vote total are voted on again. If a tie remains, a coin toss is done.
12. If another group has come and is fighting for the seats, and you can’t win outright, negotiate. “If we vote for your person for precinct chair and the first delegate, then will you support our second delegate?” This is politics, so cut a deal.
13. When you come back as a delegate, you will again break into house districts to elect executive committee candidates.
What does a precinct chair do?
The chair conducts elections for delegates and fills out a report of who was elected and who was in attendance. This report is to be given to the party chair or the credentials committee chair immediately following the meeting. The chair is also responsible for “organizing the precinct” for election. This is rarely done, but something that we should make an effort to be as active in as possible. All politics is local and you can’t get any more local than your neighborhood.
How do I become a precinct chair?
Follow the exact same directions as if you wished to be a delegate. Better yet, run for both.
What does an executive committee member do?
The executive committee meets the first Thursday of every month and on additional dates as needed. This is the committee that runs the local party. They deal with fundraising, candidate recruitment, public relations, outreach, etc. If you want to be part of reforming our party in any manner, this would be the place to go.
How do I become an executive committee member?
1. Follow the directions for running for delegate. The same gender rules apply as well.
2. Find out how many people attended from your district at the last caucus.
3. Aim to bring more than half that number of supporters from that district to run for delegate at the caucus.
4. For example, district 89 had 35 people attend the caucus in 2002. If you were running for that seat you should attempt to find at LEAST 18 people to run for delegate in the district who support you. Each delegate should have at least 2-3 people come to their precinct caucus to support them for delegate.
5. All of the delegates who were elected return to their house district meeting on March 31. Arrive early and start politicking.
6. The procedure is the same as electing a delegate except the meeting is of the entire house district. Again, use strategy; cut deals, if need be.
7. After the meeting the new executive committee will meet to elect a new party chair.
Important things to keep in mind:
1. Arrive early…Arrive early…Arrive early…
2. Bring more people than you expect it to take to win.
3. Be aware of your proper house district and precinct number. If you think that you have been sent to the wrong place, question.
4. If you believe something has been mishandled or someone is not actually eligible for an office, then ask for a “challenge form” from your house district chair or a member of the credentials committee immediately following the meeting. Challenges will be ruled on by the credentials committee later in the week.
5. If you have questions, ask a member of the credentials committee (David Holt will be credentials committee chair.)
6. Don’t leave the room after the meeting has started unless all of your people have been voted on.
7. If you are the precinct chair, deliver the minutes report to the credential committee chair or party chair immediately following the meeting. Do NOT remove the sheet from the site.
8. If someone is trying to talk endlessly and prevent a vote, say “I call for the question” when you gain the floor. Have this seconded. This is meant to end debate and force a vote. Avoid using this, unless there is an extreme circumstance.
9. Technically, meetings follow Robert’s Rules of Order except on matters that are specifically addressed in the bylaws or convention rules. If you are elected to the executive committee, it would be an excellent idea to familiarize yourself with this book.
10. Remember: This is about doing what is best for the party, not for any one group or faction. Winning is all well and good, but don't burn bridges that keep us from working together for the important issues.
11. Good luck.
Original Post: http://westtennessee.blogspot.com/2007/02/hitchhikers-guide-to-local-par...