How to Run Your Precinct Convention

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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Purpose of the Precinct Convention
Quick Rundown
Convention Scenario
How to Write a Resolution
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Purpose of the Precinct Convention
To Elect Delegates
Vote On Resolutions
What makes them special in Texas?
Precinct Conventions is the starting point to the
national convention
Delegates who are elected can move through the
process county, state, national
And in Texas, national delegates are allocated by
the primary vote (75) and Convention
participation (25)
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Who can participate
VOTERS IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY!
Be there at 715 polling location
The Precinct Chair has the priority to run the
convention, however, anyone can start the
convention
There are no secret ballot!
Provisional Voters can participate
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Materials you will get
Around 7 710pm ask the Election Judge at your
voting precinct for the Precinct Convention Packet
You will get in this packet
A Letter from the Chair
A Carbon Copy form of the Minutes
A Carbon Copy form sign in sheet
EZ Math Form
The Rules and Envelope
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
A Rundown
At 715, you call the convention to order
Have everyone sign in
Elect a Permanent Chair and Secretary
Elect Delegates and Alternates
Elect a delegation chair
Vote on Resolutions
If there are still people who are voting, YOU
MUST wait
Adjourn
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
In Presidential Years
You have to be concerned about presidential
preference
Each person will choose a candidate and sign in
as that preference, or as uncommitted
Non Presidential years, not a problem
The Precinct scenario is a based on presidential
year
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Lets Start
At 715, you ask people to sign in, the precinct
chair or someone will call it to order
In front of your packet, it will say how many
delegates you have
Lets say there 10 people, but 5 delegate spots
allocated to the county convention
First thing you do is elect a convention chair
and secretary
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Now, elect the delegates, with some math
Before you elect, you have to do use the EZ math
form to find out how much it takes to make a
caucus
Number of people present 10
Divided by number of 5 Delegates
entitled to
Which equals to 2 It
takes two people to form a caucus (if its a
fraction, round up i.e. 5.1 6)
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
The Math Portion
So we have 10 people
Lets say 6 choose green, 3 chooses yellow, and
one chooses red
So since it takes 2 to make a caucus
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
More Math
Now, we have to apportion delegates correctly
We have five
So now you must take the of the caucus
members DIVIDED BY the of people at the
convention TIMES the of delegates allocated to
the precinct
Yellow Caucus 4/10 .40 or 40 40 x 5 2
Green Caucus 6/10 .60 or 60 60 x 5 3
Also, in case you do not get a whole number (3.6)
you round down 3
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
More Math
Note Sometimes it doesnt come out so clean
Take this example
The precinct gets 6 delegates to the County
Convention. 35 people attend the precinct
convention. 12 are for A, 13 are for B and 10 are
for C.
When you do the math
So how do you allocate the 6th delegate
Group A 12/35 34.28 X 6 2.057 Rounded down
2 Group B 13/35 37.24 X 6 2.228 Rounded
down 2 Group C 10/35 28.57 X 6 1.714
Rounded down 1
Its whoever has the largest decimal Point
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Final Note on Math
You should not round up the decimal points
On your minutes, mark down up to 3 points
IE 5.283 or .342
Reason being, it will help A LOT
For Example 6 people 12 delegate spots 5 for A
and 1 for B (and you do it on a calculator it
should come out clean) 5/6 .833 X 12 10 1/6
.166 X 12 2
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
In the caucus
Each caucus will go to a corner and elect their
delegates
Each person in the caucus will cast the equal
amount of votes as there are delegates
Green Caucus Each person has 3 votes
Yellow Caucus Each person has 2
The highest vote getters are the delegates, while
the lowest are the alternates
The alternates are the same number as delegates
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
In the Caucus
Just because someone is NOT there does not mean
they cannot be nominated
When a person is not present but elected, you
must put a double asterisks next to their name
on the sign in sheet
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Now that were done electing delegates
We can now focus on resolutions
A resolution is a statement, a suggestion, or a
way to remember or congratulate someone
It does not bound the party to anything!
They follow the same path as the delegates
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
A resolution has two parts
Information about the reason something needs to
be resolved
And the action, or the resolved section
This is the part you are really voting on
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
How to write one
The first part always begins with a whereas
You can have as many whereas throughout the
document
You must end it with a Therefore, Be It
Resolved with that statement of action,
solution, or recognition
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Example
Resolution calling for the re-regulation of
college tuition WHEREAS, college tuition has
increased substantially since the Texas
legislature deregulated tuition in 2003, and
WHEREAS, tuition increases and other fees have
proven to be an obstacle for those wanting to
attend college THEREFORE , BE IT RESOLVED that
the Texas Young Democrats support the
re-regulation of college tuition by the Texas
legislature, and call on the legislature to
further help college students by exempting
college textbooks from the state sales tax.
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Example
Resolution honoring Texas Governor Ann W.
Richards WHEREAS, Ann W. Richards served
honorably as the first female commissioner of
Travis County, Texas State Treasurer, and finally
as the 45th Governor of the State of
Texas WHEREAS, Governor Richards cared deeply
about all Texans WHEREAS, Governor Richards
devoted her life to the welfare of others
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Texas Young
Democrats honor the life and legacy of the late
Texas Governor Ann W. Richards. AND BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Texas Young Democrats
extend profound gratitude to the family of
Governor Richards for holding a public memorial
service to honor Governor Richards.
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Now that youre done, what do you do
You turn in the packet by Thursday March 6th to
the EP Demo Party Office
White mailed out to the TDP Pink and Gold stay
with EP Demo Party Blue you can keep for your
records
Also, turn in resolutions at the same time
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Since its an important election, you MUST call
the Precinct Convention Hotline after you are done
What happens if no one shows up and its only me?
Does not matter, turn in the packet
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
A little on the County Convention
County Convention has the same purpose
March 29, 2008 at Jefferson HS, 900am
Again, you sign in and declare your presidential
preference or undecided
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
A little on the County Convention
County Convention has committees
Credentials, Rules, Credentials, and Nominations
To be on a committee, let the party chair know
before March 13th or attend that meeting to state
you want to be on that committee. The County
Executive Committee approves them
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
A little on the County Convention
Each precinct, or group of precincts elect a
delegate(s) from their group
Then, the remainder is elected at large but must
reflect the presidential preference who signed in
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How to Run Your Precinct Convention
Last Reminders
It all starts at 715 on March 4th at your local
precinct
All paperwork must be turned in by Thursday,
March 6th
Let people know about the precinct convention