Maui County Democratic Party
[contact address, phone, website]

What is a Precinct?
A precinct is where elections are won or lost, because it is where people live and vote. In your precinct, you know the people, the schools, the churches, the community centers, and the small businesses. You understand the assets and needs of your area and you have the desire to improve it.

What is a Precinct President?
The Democratic Party’s campaign organization begins with the Precinct President. Being a Precinct President means understanding and promoting our Party’s message and utilizing the tools the County and State Democratic Parties provide you to organize your precinct and educate the voters. It involves a consistent commitment. Being active in and out of season contributes to our having a powerful, focused, determined, centralized, and organized Party.

• The Party’s basic organization, from local to state level, is:
• Precinct Committee
  • precinct president,
  • 1st vice president,
  • 2nd vice president
  • secretary,
  • treasure
  • district council representative
• District Council
• County Executive Committee
• County Democratic Party (this should include auxiliary groups)
• State Executive Committee
• State Executive Council
  

How do I become a Precinct President?
Precinct Presidents are elected by ballot election or appointment by the county executive committee. Any Democratic voter is eligible to become a Precinct President and serve as a precinct officer in the precinct in which she or he lives. Elected and appointed Precinct Presidents have the same duties and responsibilities as well as the same power and authority.

Precinct President Term of Office
Each Precinct President serves a two-year term.

What are the statutory duties and restrictions of being a Precinct President?
Following are the main duties for Precinct Presidents:

• Assist in registering Democratic voters
• Canvass and campaign in your precinct on behalf of all Democratic candidates
• Assist with Get Out The Vote (GOTV) projects
• Work with absentee and early voting
• On Election Day, assist in turning out a maximum Democratic vote
  Like precinct, county, and state party officers, Precinct Presidents may always vote for anyone they wish, but may not publicly support a candidate from another party by:
  • Having the Precinct President’s name on the candidate’s literature, campaign committee, or publicity
  • Speaking on the candidate’s behalf at public meetings
  • Putting another party’s sign in their lawn
  • Handing out another party’s campaign literature.

How To Be An Effective Precinct President

• Know your precinct: Know the boundaries, the number of households and apartment complexes, the religious centers, schools and businesses. Obtain a map of the area and study it.
• Get to know the people in your precinct: The economic and cultural makeup, number of union members, veterans, teachers, students of voting age, total Democratic population, seniors, etc. You will obtain this information by canvassing your precinct and by checking the voter file, which can be provided by the County and/or State Party.
• Know your neighbors: Get acquainted with the Democrats and Independents in your precinct. Learn their interests and concerns. Get to know them on a personal level as much as possible and make sure they know you are a resource for them. Make sure that in households with at least one registered voter, that person is a Democrat. Ask all the other adults if they, too, would like to register to vote and be a Democrat. Keep track of young people who will be turning 18 before Election Day and get them registered to vote.
• Know your election laws: Keep informed on election laws and other rules concerning poll mangers and poll workers. Know the facts about state and city elections, school board elections, and bond elections. Build a relationship with the election commission.
• Know your elected officials: Keep an accurate list of local, state, and federal officials. Know when their term ends, be aware of their public forums, and have their contact information handy. For non-Democratic officials, seek possible opponents and get them involved early.
• Know the issues: Read the newspapers to stay abreast about the major concerns affecting your city, county, and state. Know the prevalent issues in your community and how people in your precinct feel about them. Stay informed by visiting your County Party’s Web site, group’s Web site, and the State Party’s Web site. Have groups attend city, council council, school board, and commission meetings. Sign up on our Web site to get the weekly email newsletter and encourage others to do the same. For those with no access to computers, provide them with the information in a printed form in your County Party newsletters.
• Know the Party organization: Get acquainted with your Precinct and County Party Officers and State Party staff. Your Regional Field Organizer is a great resource for you. Keep up-to-date on Party activities. Support activities of your county organizations and the State Party.

What are the Responsibilities of a Precinct President?
As Precinct President, your responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Recruit 10 to 25 volunteers and assign them roles.
• Recruiting as many Neighborhood Headquarters as possible.
• Hosting a house party, neighborhood cookout, and other social events. Inviting local elected officials.
• Keeping your County and the State Parties abreast of your activities.
• Canvassing the neighborhood by phone and door-to-door. Updating the Voter File with new data through your Regional Field Organizer.
• Persuading voters to vote Democrat based on issues and our position
• Promoting Early and Absentee Voting
• Get Out The Vote (GOTV) on Election Day in conjunction with your County Party.
• Recommending Poll Managers and Poll Workers to your County Chair
• Attending training workshops offered by the County and State Parties
• Creating a precinct welcome package for those who move into the neighborhood
• Having fun and realizing you are the reason we get Democrats elected!

Precinct Presidents should always have a supply of voter registration forms. Make sure forms are available in key areas in your precinct: Leave a point-of-contact flyer next to the registration forms. A business owner might also provide a registration site on a regular basis (do this only in areas where most people are Democrats). This approach is especially good in rural areas where precincts are large and spread out. Precinct Presidents must carefully plan not only how to register voters but also where.

When walking door-to-door, leave a handwritten or printed note on the door when no one is home. This lets people know the Democratic Party is active in their neighborhood. Include your name, email address, and phone number on the note so they can contact you. Once you’ve completed a canvass, you must get your annotated walking list back to your County Chair, so they can update the system and you can update yours, if applicable.

Voter registration is the foundation on which you build the Democratic Party in your precinct. Have voter registration at your functions. Also, look for locations where large groups of Democrats gather, and work with your local Party leadership to see that forms are readily available in those locations.

If there is a day center or senior care center in your precinct, arrange for a “Voter Contact Day.” Ask an elected official to join you, and distribute and collect the registration forms. Be creative. This is an ongoing process that will pay off immensely.

Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
Many people think getting out the vote is a one-day affair – Election Day. The most important single day of a GOTV drive is Election Day. However, your preparation must begin in advance. Absentee voting is strongly encouraged for college students and our seniors. Get with your local election commission on the rules. We need to tell them these rules – they’ll never go after them. Like voter registration and voter canvassing, an Election Day GOTV drive is service oriented. You are servicing the needs of Democratic voters who support our Party and our candidates. You are providing the voter with information on their polling locations, hours they are open, a slate card listing all Democratic candidates and any recommendations the Party has made on referenda.

Helping people get to the polls by providing transportation is also a key service and should be coordinated with your County Party. It is important to remember that our GOTV drive is aimed specifically at people we know will vote Democratic when they get in the voting booth. Concentrate your GOTV efforts on those Democrats you have identified as most likely to vote Democratic. The voter file is the key tool for this information.

• Utilize your County Party’s list of local volunteers. Refer to the Neighborhood Headquarters list and seek out college students and other civic organizations. Begin calling all volunteers and getting specific time commitments for the final four days.
  
• Meet with the Neighborhood HQ managers and other volunteers in your precinct to discuss the GOTV plan for your area. Keep in mind the State Party will inform the County Party of the overall strategic GOTV plan.
• Select an office or a home that can be used as a staging area. This will be a hub of activity in the final four days of the campaign. Ideally, it should be located near the center of the precinct, have at least three (3) computers online with at least one printer, easy parking, and a kitchen if possible. Make this place as comfortable as possible.
  
• Regular canvasses will be departing from the staging area throughout the final four days until polls close on Election Day. Canvassers will be distributing literature and making sure the remaining voters who we know are supporters, vote. Campaign managers should have a system in place to contact those individuals.
• Set up a regular phone bank at your staging area unless there is one at County Headquarters. Volunteers should call every likely supporter to remind them to vote.
  
• Precinct Presidents have the responsibility of coordinating the activities in the GOTV plan at the precinct level.
  
• This effort will be a County and State plan of action. We all must realize that this is a team effort. It is imperative for all of us at each level to communicate with each other and be on one accord in order to prevent confusion and wasting resources, time, and energy.
• Finally, be sure all volunteers and workers are thanked and invited to celebrate in the victory!

Proper Use of Walk and Call List
Walking or call lists are to be used only for political purposes. NEVER use a walk or call list for personal business or for any other nonpolitical purpose. Using walking or call lists for anything but political purposes for the Maui Democratic Party is illegal.

Support a Permanent Party Organization
It is very important to work within your County Party organization. Attend the meetings, help staff your County Party’s events and support fundraisers. The same is asked by the State Party. By being active in and out of campaign season, our Party structure will remain focused and we will become a more centralized organization.
Committees and Opportunities.

• Voter Registration. Represents the County Registration Committee and develops and coordinates plans with other volunteers to register more Democrats.
  
• Volunteer Coordination. Works closely with County Chair or Vice Chair in training and communicating with Precinct Committees and other volunteers, and encourages greater participation. Recruitment is everyone’s job.
  
• Get Out the Vote. Acts as liaison between the county and State Party, to organize and implement GOTV, absentee voting, and rides to the poll. Your Regional Field Organizer is a contact for this.
  Communications /Education. Coordinates with County and State Parties to receive information for proper implementation communications strategies, including letter-writing campaigns, press releases, and press-related events. This group can also attend the various city, county, school board, and commission meetings. The State Party Communication and Research Assistant is a point of contact for this.
  
• Record Keeping/Data. Coordinates data management efforts utilizing the Voter File, working closely with the County Party to maintain both volunteer, walk, and call lists. The Director of Party Organization can conduct voter file training in your area if need be.
  
• College and Young Democrats. Works closely with College Dems and Young Democrats. Acts as liaison with County Party volunteers to help accomplish College Dems and YD goals. The State Third Vice Chair can be a point of contact for this.
  
• Fundraising. Assist the County Party and State Party with raising money. Developing a fundraising kit of things to sell, with example, such as T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, lapel pins, etc. The State Finance Director can be a point of contact for this.
  
• Coalition Building. Works to establish and maintain relationships with like-minded community leaders to promote the Democratic Party message and create opportunities for mutual benefit. The Democratic Women’s Council of South Carolina and the Director of Party Organization are resources for this.
  Phone Tree. Responsible for ensuring that all County Party members are notified regarding upcoming events by sending out names and numbers to volunteers who are available to make calls. This includes emailing.
  
• Newsletter. Organizes monthly newsletter or e-newsletter for distribution within the County Party. This includes writing letters to the editor.
  

A Precinct President is Called Upon To:

Educate.
Hold a training session, call a meeting, and invite all potential Party activists from every section of your precinct. Coordinate your event with an elected official, party leader, or Democratic Party event. Explain the election laws and special aspects of your precinct, and outline tasks that need to be done. Educate people about the Democratic Party, our candidates, and issues of importance.

Motivate.
Keep in touch with the people in your precinct who have shown an interest in becoming involved. Mailings or other regular communications with Democrats at the precinct level will uncover many people who have never become involved in the Party because no one has asked them. Giving them an opportunity to get involved will often bring new activists to the Party. Make sure these potential activists understand the importance of their involvement. Invite them to County Party meetings and functions. Sign them up on our State Party email newsletter list. Be innovative, and communicate via email, organize a telephone tree, produce a precinct flyer, newspaper press release, etc.

Lead.
Keep all volunteers on one accord. Keep your eyes on the prize. Take responsibility to make sure all volunteers are invited to monthly meetings and special events in the county.

Inspire.
Help activists see themselves as political experts in the community to whom others turn for guidance. You are the direct link between the Democratic Party and the voter.

Organize.
Start a voter contact program. Maintain good records, and stay focused.

Canvassing Your Precinct
Your canvass will prove invaluable in your role as an activist. You will learn about the economic make-up of your precinct, what issues are important, what messages they are receiving from our candidates, and how they feel about the Party.

The best way to accomplish this task is to get to know your neighbors and their needs. Walking lists are available from the State Party and through your County Chair.

Make sure you follow through on all request for help. If you don’t know the answer to a question, say, "I don’t know, but I will find out and get back to you."

While you are canvassing, you will meet people who want to participate in the Democratic Party.
Talk to people about being a volunteer, but do not overwhelm them. Ideally, as you find others in your precinct that wish to assist Democrats, you can make them Neighborhood Headquarters Managers.

Neighborhood HQ managers are responsible for the two- or three-square-block area surrounding their homes. They assist in voter registration when new people move into the neighborhood. They can also circulate petitions and work on absentee voting. Consider Neighborhood Associations as a start to get support.

"Service" is the key word to remember in neighborhood canvassing. When you service the needs of the people in your precinct, they will come to rely on you and the Democratic Party for answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. Once you have registered Democrats and persuaded them to vote Democratic, the election is half won. We must help people so they will help us. Help people learn how to write a resume, find a job, interview for a job, rebuild their credit, buy a home, invest, etc. By providing this service, people will see us providing a need to others without talking politics. Adopting a school or providing materials to teachers and mentors or back-to-school items to students can speak volumes for our party commitment to service.

Goals and Tips While Canvassing

• Let them know there are Democrats in the area who agree with their views.
  
• Ask them what issues are important to them and share the Democratic principles that mean the most to you.
  
• Keep the conversation more on the Democratic values and principles of this state; don’t get bogged down debating particular issues. Stay on the message.
  
• NEVER try to convince someone that you are right and they are wrong. We’ll never gain support trying to convince people they are wrong.
  
• NEVER argue.
  
• Let them know you’re a Democratic resource for them, and that there are Democratic activities they can be involved with, and candidates they can vote for who share their values.
  
• Verify that people you know voted in past Democratic primaries still self-identify as Democrats.
  
• Identify people who do not vote in primaries but support Democrats in general elections.
  
• Identify people who are not registered but would probably support Democrats.
  
• Update your list by correcting or adding voter information.

• Clipboard
• Precinct map
• Walking List (obtained by County Chair)
• Pen/Pencil
• Voter Registration Forms
• Talking points
• Campaign or issue information
• County and State Party point of contact information
• Absentee Voting information
• Name tags
• Polling location (make note of change)
• Have a partner`

Things to look for to give you more insight

• Bumper stickers or window decals
  
• What issues are brought up? Do they indicate issue preferences such as education, crime, or environment? Do they indicate particular values such as their faith?
  
• Religious items: Do they have any religious items out in view? What can you tell by the nature of their open display of faith?
  
• Family: What type of family do they have? For example, if they have small or school-age children, are they married? Childcare, education, and the future of our economy may be important to them. If they are elderly, health care issues may be important.
  
• Job: What does the person do for a living? For example, if he is a teacher, what might that indicate about his values and daily concerns? What about a banker, doctor, lawyer, longshoreman, or police officer?
  
• Something to compliment: Find something to compliment them on when you are about to leave.

Sample Phone Script
Hello is ______________ home?

Hi, my name is_________________ and I’m the Democratic Precinct President for Precinct _______________.

I live in/near your neighborhood.

(Option 1)
I just wanted to let you know that there are lots of Democrats in the area, and that our County is holding a meeting/event on_________ at ________________________. I wanted to encourage you to attend.
(Option 2)
Local Democrats are trying to decide what issues we should address. I was hoping that you could tell me about some issues that are important to you (Write down their response, and tell them that other Democrats agree with their issues) This can be used to center around issues for local elections to get people involve. This information is something our candidates can use.

Thanks for your time. Let me give you the County Party’s phone number and email address in case we can answer any questions or do anything to help you.

It’s ________________.

I hope to talk with you again and perhaps meet you soon. A hui hou.

Sample Letter to Neighbors
Postcards or flyers should be left at doors when canvassing. Consider leaving a Neighborhood Headquarters form. Drop these only at houses in predominantly Democratic neighborhoods. Refer to the inactive voter list for your area. See your Regional Field Organizer for that list.

You may be willing and able to send a letter or postcard to every Democrat in your precinct or you may be limited in time or money and can only send 50 to 100 letters per mailing.

Put an ad in the local newspapers and community newsletters. Maybe you can send a different letter regarding a County or State Party event every few months, but each time you do a mailing, select a different small group of voters in your precinct. Thus, over the course of the year, everyone gets one written notice from you. That may be a lot easier for your schedule and your budget.

Try to send a letter or postcard to Democrats in your precinct at least once a year during off election years and at least twice during election years. Again, putting ads in the local papers and community newsletters, and posting flyers also will attract people to attend your meeting, event, and be active.

Never miss an opportunity to promote what is going on in your community. This provides access to the Democratic Party and gives us more credibility. Even if the people you write to in your precinct never attend a meeting, your letter demonstrates that Democrats are proud and active. Consider conducting an auto-call with a feedback option so you can contact those that want to get involve.

Keep in mind that personal contact between the Party and individuals is important. If you offer to do something, make sure you follow up. That will be greatly appreciated.

Letters to the Editor
The State Party will provide talking points regarding our position on issues. The State Democratic Senate and House delegation will have joint proposed legislation each year while in session. Talking points and the propositions will be provided at the State Party Headquarters. It will be emailed in our weekly e-newsletter and it will be on our Web site.

Using this information to write letters to the editor will help get our message out. Place them on flyers, in community newsletters, and post them in attractive public places. It is at the precinct level that you can assure and push for this information to get printed.

County-Level Officers
The officers chosen on the county level represent both a larger geographical area and a broader mix of political philosophies. It is important that these persons be actively concerned with the Democratic Party and its betterment, and willing and able to devote time and energy to Party activities.

Chair. This is the central figure in the County Democratic Party. This person must have considerable organizational skills and be respected by Party members. The Chair presides at meetings of the County Executive Committee and calls such meetings. The Chair is responsible for arrangements for Party primaries, the County Convention and the election of all Democratic candidates who run in the county. The Chair is responsible for communicating information from the State Party to the County Party officers and membership.

Vice Chair. This person assumes the role of Chair when Chair is unavailable.

Secretary. The County Secretary keeps the minutes of meetings of the County Officers, Executive Committee, and County Convention. It is the Secretary's duty to inform Democrats within the county of meetings and activities. The Secretary must file with the State Party an accurate list of the executive committee and precinct captains to include point of contact information and must also keep abreast of current Party Rules and procedures.

Treasurer. The Treasurer oversees the financial affairs of the County Party. This individual must prepare a budget that mirrors Party needs and assist in raising funds. The Treasurer keeps records on Party monies garnered from fundraising activities and filing fees.

County Finance Director. The County Finance Director assists the State Party Treasurer with fundraising and in the solicitation of contributions for the County and State Parties.

Executive Committeeperson. The County Executive Committeeperson represents the County Party on the State Democratic Executive Committee. This Committeeperson transmits the thoughts of the County Party on matters concerning the County and State Parties. The State Executive Committee adopts the procedures and policies of the South Carolina Democratic Party and sees that its directions are followed.

Alternate Executive Committeeperson(s). Each County Party may elect one or more Alternate Executive Committeeperson(s) to represent the county on the State Executive Committee when the Executive Committeeperson cannot attend the meeting. Should the Executive Committeeperson be unable to fill the duties of office due to resignation, death, or disability, the Alternate Executive Committeeperson assumes the office.

What Is A Strong County Party?
A strong County Party has:

• Officers and volunteers who give enough time and effort to build a real organization
  
• A telephone number where the Chair and other leaders can be reached or get messages
  
• Lists – in a computer – of voters, workers, precinct officers, and elected officials. This includes phone numbers, email, and mailing address.
  
• A telephone tree or other means of contacting a number of people quickly
  
• Regular communication with Democrats, through a newsletter, email, or other means
  
• Access to email and a fax machine
  
• Regular opportunities — breakfasts, lunches, forums, or other occasions — for Democrats to get together
  
• Information to provide candidates: returns from previous elections, lists of community organizations, precinct and district maps, etc.
  
• At least one person in every precinct who can be counted on to maintain a precinct organization — and regular contacts from the Party with those precinct organizers
  
• A system for getting news coverage in the local media
  
• A volunteer attorney who knows election law
  
• Information that voters request: names and addresses of candidates and Democratic elected officials, voter registration forms, etc.
  
• Leaders who take time to learn — and teach — campaign and organizational skills
  
• Regular fundraisers and enough money to help elect Democrats. A few hundred dollars spent properly can change the outcome of an election!
  
• A core group of volunteers who can get a task done on short notice
  
• The ability to use bulk mail
  
• Access to telephones for a phone bank, and volunteers willing to staff it
  
• An outreach program to bring new Democrats into the organization
  Enthusiasm, energy, and a desire to build a stronger Democratic Party

Does Your County Democratic Party Measure Up?
The County Chair is urged to use this manual to write a strategic plan of action for your county and implement that plan in order to build the County Party and thus the Hawai'i Democratic Party. Your Regional Field Organizer can assist you with this. This is how we maintain VICTORY!!!