Ask Auntie Pinko
August 1, 2002

Dear Auntie Pinko,

What does a precinct delegate do?

Mary,
Sterling Heights, MI

Dear Mary,

A good deal of the precinct delegate's role depends on how your state Party's charter defines it. In general, where the role of precinct delegate exists, it is what might be described as the "entry level" of real participation in the political decision-making process.

Typical responsibilities for the precinct delegate include attending the district, county, or regional convention, and voting there on three things: how the Party will operate, what the Party's agenda (platform) will be, and what candidates the Party will endorse. The precinct delegates are obligated to present rules and proposed platform planks that were adopted at the precinct level. They are expected to support the matters their fellow citizens who selected them as delegates supported. They may also be asked to serve on committees to help organize and conduct the district or regional meeting/convention.

It is assumed that if you as a precinct delegate supported a particular issue or candidate, you will continue to support that issue or candidate for as long as they remain viable in the process. Often there are many more candidates early in the process, and if your particular candidate is eliminated from consideration at higher levels, you are free to give your support to another candidate who appears likely to best represent the concerns of you and your neighbors at the precinct level.

At the district/county convention or meeting, usually the precinct delegates will also have a chance to become delegates to the next level of the party's process-regional or State conventions. If selected by your peers to be a delegate to the higher level meetings/committees, again you will be expected to represent their concerns for as long as they are viable. You may also be asked to serve on committees to organize and/or conduct the meetings at this level, and often the regional and State level meetings are where Party officials are elected or chosen. You may have an opportunity to run for higher Party offices here.

If you want to be effective as a precinct delegate, there are a few things you can do:

First, study your state Party's constitution until you thoroughly understand the process whereby meetings are conducted, business is transacted, and decisions are adopted.

Second, stay in touch with your neighbors in the precinct to keep them abreast of what's going on, as well as other delegates from your precinct (if any) and/or closely neighboring precincts.

And third, take the time to participate on committees and working groups to help organize and conduct Party business. This can be very tedious and time-consuming, but it helps you learn how to get things done within the Party and can really increase your effectiveness!

Auntie Pinko hopes that as many as possible of my readers will consider becoming precinct delegates or otherwise participating actively in Party process in their states. And thanks, Mary, for asking this question and giving me the opportunity to encourage all the nice folks at DU to give participation a try!