Texas Democratic Party Precinct Chair

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Texas Democratic Party Precinct Chair Training
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• The purpose of this training is to educate
  current and prospective precinct chairs on
  activities designed to alter the outcome of
  elections progressively with the intent of
  electing more Democrats on all levels.
• Before implementing any activity, please make
  sure you refer to the latest Rules of the Texas
  Democratic Party, the latest Texas Election Code,
  and the updated rules and regulations of your
  local municipality, county, Texas Ethics
  Commission Federal Elections Commission.

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Party Structure
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Texas Democratic Party/TDP
Democratic National Committee/DNC
County Executive Committee/CEC
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Democratic National Committee

• Howard Dean, Chairman

440 plus national committee members

• Plan the presidential nominating convention of
  the Party
• Promote the election of the candidates of the
  Party with both technical and financial support
• Work w/ national, state and local party
  organizations, elected officials, and candidates

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Texas Democratic Party

• Boyd Richie, Chairman

98 members consisting of officers, SD members,
at-large, and DNC members

• In addition to attending SDEC committee
  meetings
• Assist TDP w/ fundraising
• Act as a liaison to county chairs
• Assist w/ county/senate conventions state
  convention
• Cultivate candidates and maintain relationship
  w/ elected officials within SD

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County Executive Committee

• Arthur Resa, Chair

Comprised of County Chair Elected Precinct
Chairs

• Electing a county party secretary and treasurer
• In election years, CEC is required to have three
  statutory meetings by Texas law
• Raising funds for conducting local campaigns in
  November
• Coordinate GOTV activities for November

• Jan candidates for offices draw names for
  ballot order in each campaign
• March canvass certify the returns from the
  primary
• April canvass certify the returns from the
  primary runoff

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Precinct Chair
The party leader in the voting precinct is
the Precinct chair, who is elected by the voters
in the Democratic Primary.
An active, effective Precinct Chair makes an
enormous difference in the success of our Party
and our candidates.
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Precinct Chair Duties

• Organize precinct (ex get access to VAN)
• Represent precinct at every County Executive
  Committee meeting
• Encourage Democratic primary voters to attend
  precinct convention
• Organize and conduct the precinct convention
• Bridge the gap between voters and elected
  officials/candidates
• Get our voters to the polls !!!!!!!!!!

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Precinct Organizing
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A strong grassroots organizational effort will
mean Victory for Democrats in 2008 and 2010!
Boyd RichieChair, Texas Democratic Party
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Precinct Organizing
The Online Voter File
Contains Voter History (Primary 1992- General
2006) Voter File contains registered voters ONLY.
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Precinct Organizing
VAN

• Walklists
• Phonelists
• Mailing Labels
• Counts Crosstabs
• Identify strong Democrats locally
• Potential Volunteers
• Search Voter History
• Identify and track Dem-leaning voters
• Input IDs into VAN to be used in GOTV
• All data saved for use in future election cycles

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Precinct Organizing

• Know the precinct geography
• Canvass the precinct to get IDs
• Keep VAN data current
• Get to know the people in the precinct
• Disseminate the message
• Grow the base through registration and activation

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Precinct Organizing
Geography

• Contact your county Party for precinct maps
• Otherwise precinct maps can be obtained through
  the county clerk, election office, or the county
  engineer

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Precinct Organizing
Canvass
ID Purpose Identify voter preferences Who to
target Voters whose Party/candidate preference
is not already known General election only
voters Voters with mixed primary history New
voters Scripts Questions should have simple,
concrete answers

• Go door-to-door speaking to voters, collecting
  IDs
• Single best method to persuade voters, to get
  information and to organize and build the Party

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Precinct Organizing
Canvass Preparation

• Map and sort walker/driver routes by streets
  (_at_15-20 houses per person per hour)
• Match block walkers to communities
• Highlight walker/driver routes on pct maps
• Arrange specific meeting/pick-up times
• Ensure all walkers are familiar with
  scripts/procedure
• Wear something identifying
• Get contact info from everyone involved

County maps often focus on precinct boundaries
and do not accurately display streets within the
precinct. Compare the county map to another
source before canvassing
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Precinct Organizing
Canvass Materials

• VAN Walk List
• customize to your community
• Precinct Map
• Literature
• Water/Snack
• All pertinent contact info
• County Party, Coordinated Campaign

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Precinct Organizing
Canvass Procedure

• Walk with a co-worker for safety
• - One person on even side of the street,
  other on odd
• Follow script and mark responses on walk list
• Update voter info (moved, phs, deceased)
• Leave literature on doors where not home with
  sorry we missed you note
• Input all data gathered back into VAN

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Sample Canvass Script Hello, may I speak with
Mr/Mrs_____. My name is_______ and I with the
John Doe for Congress Campaign. We are in your
neighborhood today to pass out some information
about Congressman Doe. Here is some information
about Congressman Doe and I hope you will
consider supporting him in November. I also have
four brief questions that we would like you to
answer. It will only take a minute. Which of the
following is the most important issue to you and
your family? Environment Education Taxes I
raq Do you consider yourself a Democrat,
Republican, Independent or Other? Whom are you
supporting for Congress? John Doe Beth
Anderson Undecided If supporting John
Doe May we put a sign in your yard? Would you
like to volunteer? Thank you Mr/Mrs______ for
your time today and, with your support,
Congressman Doe can continue to fight for hard
working Texans like you.
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Precinct Organizing
Canvass Safety

• Do not start on the next street until both
  walkers are ready. Its not safe and splitting up
  does not help you cover the area faster.
• Beware of dogs, and dont go into fenced and
  gated yards.
• Never go into a house, even if invited!
• Always carry a bottle of water and a snack.
• Never walk across peoples yards.
• Establish a time to meet back at the
  headquarters or central location.
• Rememberit is against the LAW to place ANY
  material in a mailbox.

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Precinct Organizing
Phone Canvass

• 2nd best method of persuasion
• Good for contacting a lot of voters in a short
  time frame
• May be the only option in rural communities
• Input all data gathered back into VAN

• Rule of Thumb
• Using a 30 second script, one caller can make
  about 50 calls per hour

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Setting Up a Phone Bank

• Calls can be made in two ways
• A centralized phone bank where all phones are
  under supervision.
• A decentralized operation using volunteer workers
  who call from their homes.

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Make Your Program Accountable

• Treat walkers and callers as professional
  employees (especially if you are paying them).
• Results should be tracked and audited.
• Follow up thank you notes, issue letters, VBM
  applications, rides, etc.

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Voter Contact
Outreach

• Neighborhood Association Mtgs
• House Parties
• Coffees, BBQs, Chili Suppers
• Churches
• Unions

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Voter Contact
Voter Registration Regulations

• Deputization
• Nonpartisan
• Voter registration applications must be received
  by the county voter registrar 30 days before an
  election in order to vote in that election

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Voter Contact
Voter Registration Targeting
Civic involvement GOOD Losing elections
because we register people who arent going to
vote Democrat BAD Target, Target, Target PTO
meetings, public access clinics, sports events,
colleges, high schools, naturalization
ceremonies, stores
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Get Out The VoteG.O.T.V.
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GOTV Planning

• Develop plan EARLY in the campaign.
• Time, Money, People
• Be Aggressive, Be Creative, but keep it SIMPLE
  !!!
• COMMUNICATE btw campaigns local party

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GOTV Objective
From the TDP Grassroots Handbook is to get more
of our voters to the polls than the opposition.
Every supporter you have identified must be
reminded over and over again to vote.candidates
win or lose as a result of the GOTV effort.
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GOTV Components

• Mail Ballots
• Block Walking
• Phone Banking
• Drivers
• DRTs Data Retrieval Teams
• Voter Protection
• Visibility

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GOTVMail Ballots

• Persuasion
• Purpose Persuade undecided voters to become
  supporters
• Who to target Voters who have been identified
  as Undecided
• Scripts
• More message based
• Talk about candidates goals/accomplishments

• Persuasion - Contact voters who are getting
  mail-in ballots
• Dems and IDs Remind mail ballot voters to get
  their ballots sent in on-time
• YOU CANNOT HAVE AN OPEN MAIL-IN BALLOT IN YOUR
  POSSESSION
• YOU CANNOT ASSIST THE VOTER IN FILLING OUT THE
  BALLOT
• IF MAIL-IN BALLOT IS NOT MAILED IN, VOTER MAY OPT
  TO VOTE IN PERSON BY RETURNING BALLOT TO THE
  ELECTION JUDGE

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GOTVBlock Walking

• Knock and Push
• - Target all known Dems and IDs
• Coordination is Key!!
• All walks conducted during Early Voting hours
  and on Election Day

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GOTVBlock Walking
Optimal Hours Early Voting Weekdays 5 PM till
dark 9 AM till 5 PM target 65 for mail
ballots/rides Early Voting Weekends Saturdays 10
AM polls close Sundays 1 PM polls
close Election Day Walk All Day
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GOTVBlock Walking

• Figure 1hr. / block walker / 20 HH
• Match block walkers to communities
• Develop system to deliver voters to polls
  immediately
• ie. construction flags, coordinate by cell phone
• Ensure drivers / block walkers are familiar with
  all appropriate poll sites / poll hrs

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GOTVPhone Banking

• Poll location / hrs reminders
• Its time to vote! reminders
• Must be integrated into the block walk/ride plan

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GOTVDrivers

• Patrol block walk routes ready to immediately
  transport voters to the correct poll and get back
  as quickly as is safely possible
• Be mindful that most persons needing rides will
  be disabled or senior citizens

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GOTVDRT Teams

• Data Retrieval Teams allow county party and
  campaigns to maximize resources by putting their
  resources where theyll be most effective
• State law requires voter turnout totals be
  posted by election judge on polling place doors
  every two hours from 930 AM until 550 PM

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GOTVVoter Protection

• Work as election judge or clerk at polling place
  on Election Day
• Presence prevents voter intimidation
• Ensures every vote is counted!
• In most cases the precinct chair should not be
  the election judge or clerk but this may be
  necessary in some precincts

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GOTVVoter Protection
Numbers to Know
Texas Democratic Party [phone] TX
Secretary of State (800) 252-VOTE (8683)
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GOTVVisibility

• Signs can still be important, especially in
  swing precincts and for local and down ballot
  races where name ID is low.
• In swing precincts, yard signs (not polling
  place signs) can create a level of recognition
  and acceptance in the community Candidate X
  must be OK if our neighbors have their signs have
  their signs up.

• Check the municipal regulations regarding
  signage
• Place signage at high visibility areas in and
  around your district
• Have volunteers holding signs and giving out
  literature at polls

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QUESTIONS ????