1. TO CHANGE THINGS, YOU MUST CHANGE THE LAW
Are there things about our country you want to change? Our Constitution gives us a way to remedy policies. We elect members of Congress and the State Legislature.
THE FIRST STEP
UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL POWER
It's important to take a moment and understand how political power works in order to understand the power of a Precinct Committeeman.
2. TO CHANGE THE LAWS, YOU MUST CHANGE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM
Congress and the State Legislatures pass thousands of laws every year. No citizen or group can possibly read or research them all.
If you want to change the laws or taxes, you must elect representatives you can reliably count on. This is key.
3. TO GET ELECTED, A CANDIDATE MUST BE ON THE BALLOT
Many times it seems that we simply have a choice to elect “the lesser of two evils." The ballot seems to lack a truly conservative candidate. This means we must be able to affect how candidates are chosen.
4. TO GET ON THE BALLOT, A CANDIDATE MUST BE NOMINATED IN A PARTY PRIMARY OR CONVENTION
The winners in the party primary or convention will be the candidates who appear on the ballot in November. Except in very rare cases, all candidates must first win a Party Primary or Convention. Write-in campaigns and third-party candidates are theoretically possible, but rarely succeed.
5. CANDIDATES ENDORSED BY THE PARTY USUALLY WIN THE PRIMARY ELECTION
Only a small minority of Americans vote in primary elections. The result is that persons nominated to be on the ballot in the general election are chosen by a small group of voters in the primary or in the convention that selects the nominees. Sometimes the Party organization actually “endorses” candidates in the primary election. Many voters simply vote for their party's candidate.
6. Primary endorsements are often made by a party committee, which is elected by the Precinct Committeemen of the Party.
Each political party has local organizations called "committees." These committees frequently endorse candidates in the primary, and that endorsement is often the key to a primary victory. The local committees are elected by the Precinct Committeemen who, in turn, are elected in their individual precincts.
duties of the precinct committeeman
The Precinct Committeeman is the person who, through building positive relationships in their community, gets out the vote on election day. Before each election, the Precinct Committeeman will communicate with voters in their precinct and encourage them to come out to the polls. This is how elections are won. They work with their local leadership to execute an effective Get-Out-the-Vote strategy.
powers of the precinct committeeman
1. Friendly access to neighbors. Most people are eager to know more about their government and the people who run it. When you introduce yourself as their “Republican Precinct Committeeman,” they assume you have something to say. You can provide them with information on candidates and issues.
2. Respect from elected officials. Since a Precinct Committeeman represents voters, and has the power to vote for party officials, any call or letter from a Precinct Committeeman gets the attention of elected officials.
3. Launching pad for other offices. Many of our Presidents, Senators, Congressmen, and state and local officials started as Precinct Committeemen and still serve as Precinct Committeemen even though they hold a higher elected office. That’s because they know the power of a Precinct Committeeman.
4. Direct influence over the party platform, policies, and selection of candidates. At state, district, county, and township caucuses and conventions, the Precinct Committeeman is an active player. The Precinct Committeeman can have a tremendous influence on the adoption of the party platform and policies, support of or opposition to issues, and selection of candidates.
key points to remember
- To change things, we must change the laws.
- To change the laws, we must change the people who make them.
- To get elected, your candidate must be on the ballot.
- To get on the general ballot, they must win the Primary.
- To win the primary, they must get the support of the Precinct Committeeman who make endorsements in the primary, and who get out the vote of others in the primary.
We have several instructional videos that can provide you even more information
