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SECTIONS:

             Introduction
             Township Precinct Organization
             Organization of the Precinct Itself
             Canvassing the Precinct
             Township Endorsements and Precinct Responsibilities
             Literature Distribution
             Get Out The Vote (GOTV)
             Requirements for Election Judges and Poll Watchers
             How to Become a Deputy Registrar of Voters
             References


    Introduction:

Congratulations! You're a Precinct Captain!

"The whole state must be so well organized that every Whig can be brought to the polls. So divide the county into small districts and appoint in each a committee. Make a perfect list of the voters and ascertain with certainty for whom they will vote... Keep a constant watch on the doubtful voters and have them talked to by those in whom they have the most confidence... On Election Day see that every Whig is brought to the polls.
      --- Abraham Lincoln, Letter to a friend, 1840" (JCDP)

Governor Marc Raciot, the 2002 Chairman of the Republican National Committee, writes in the RNC's Precinct Organization:

"There is no doubt at all that Abraham Lincoln understood the role of the precinct leader. Although the techniques of communication and organization have changed since the 1840s, the job of the precinct leader has not.

"The task is still to identify our favorable voters, persuade the undecided, and make sure our supporters go to the polls on Election Day. Just as in Abe's time, the people who can best do this job of identification and persuasion are found at the local level - in the neighborhood.

"Since the beginning of the 1970's the Republican Party has relied more and more on sophisticated campaign technologies. Our campaigns have become exercises in centralized organizations and high technology. While these things are important, too often we have neglected the basic truth upon which precinct organizations are built - we may win thousands and even millions of votes for our candidates, but we must win our campaigns one vote at a time.

"Elections are won at the local level. That is where the hard work pays off.

"You are important.

"Your job as a Republican precinct leader is an extremely important one. In many respects, you are the Republican Party within your neighborhood. You represent Republican voters in your precinct. You play a pivotal role in selecting and electing Republican candidates for a wide variety of responsible positions, ranging from United States Congress to city council to school board. You are the first and, in many ways, the most important link in the chain which makes up our representative form of government.

"Touch the voter.

"All politics is personal. As the Party's most direct link with the voter, you are responsible for establishing a neighbor-to-neighbor rapport with the residents in your precinct. These people may often seek your counsel as they make election decisions. A good precinct leader will try to visit every home in the precinct. Always leave a calling card of some kind.

"You can make the difference.

"As a precinct leader, you have made a commitment to making a difference. You will share the joy of victory and the agony of defeat. Most important, you will share the final sense of accomplishment that comes with electing good public officials, with making government work effectively." (DCRP)

"Good campaigns focus on the future. They talk about where a community is and where it ought to go. Good campaigns don't use personal attacks as the main message." (ACDP)


    Township Precinct Organization:

The United States of America is divided into 50 states. Each State is divided into counties. Counties are further divided into townships, wards, and/or other similar divisions. These, in turn, are divided into precincts (sometimes called election districts).

Each precinct needs a group of workers headed by a Precinct Captain, and each township or ward needs to organize its precincts for effective canvassing and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) activities.

At the township or ward level, an ideal goal would be to organize the precincts according to the generally accepted management rule which says managers cannot effectively supervise more than seven immediate subordinates at once.

For example, Wheeling Township in Illinois has 142 precincts. Thus the goal would be to have a core Township Precinct Organization consisting of 165 workers. At the precinct level would be 142 Precinct Captains, one for each precinct.

The Township Precinct Organization would also include 21 Area Coordinators, each supervising six or seven Precinct Captains.

Next would be three Regional Coordinators, each supervising seven Area Coordinators.

Finally, there would be one Township Precinct Organization Coordinator, supervising the three Regional Coordinators and also associated headquarters staff.

Of course, it takes time to build (or rebuild) such an organization, and some Townships may never reach such a goal for one reason or another. But it's a target to strive for and every member should be encouraged to work towards whichever such goal is actually established for the Township.

The Township Committeeman appoints the Township Precinct Organization Coordinator who then recruits and trains the Regional Coordinators and associated staff (possibly also doing triple duty as a Regional Coordinator and as a Precinct Captain while building).

The Regional Coordinators recruit and train Area Coordinators, and the Area Coordinators recruit and train Precinct Captains, all doing double and triple duty until the roster is complete. During this period, some Precinct Captains may also serve more than one precinct. Whatever it takes.

But the ultimate goal is one precinct per Precinct Captain because each precinct has approximately the same number of voters and this level of coverage is what will allow the Precinct Captain to be most effective in getting our candidates elected. And that's why we're here.


    Organization of the Precinct Itself:

As a Precinct Captain, you also want to build your own organization within the precinct. There's much to be done. And "Many Hands Make Light Work" became a cliche because it is very true. Don't try to do it all yourself: you'll burn out.

This is a challenging task, but one with great rewards. "Alabama's John Grenier had registered as a Republican after reading the Democrats' liberal 1960 convention platform. At twenty-nine, he became the chairman of Birmingham's twelve-member Young Republicans chapter. Now, as part of Operation Dixie, he traveled the state five nights a week on the RNC dime -- conducting forty-four meetings in one forty-day stretch, sometimes in a town's general store. In South Carolina, colleague J. Drake Edens Jr. used the AFL-CIO manual How to Win to organize precincts. His rule was that a precinct had to have six members. He wouldn't give up until a county had three precincts. For some counties it took a dozen trips. 'We've got a product and a sales force, just like a business,' Grenier told Time. 'The product is conservatism.'" (DCRPY)

You need Block Captains in each block, neighborhood, and condominium or apartment complex. These volunteers are responsible for contacting their neighbors with campaign messages and literature, and for letting you know areas of need, such as for absentee ballots, potential voters who want to register etc. (Every Precinct Captain should take the short class required to become a Deputy Registrar of Voters).

You need volunteers to prepare Direct Mail communications and to serve on the phone banks as election day approaches.

You need volunteers to do door-to-door canvassing and literature distribution. You need others to deliver and set-up yard signs, and others to provide rides to the polls on election day.

You also need to recruit election judges and poll watchers for your precinct.

Use these six steps to build and coordinate an effective volunteer organization within your precinct (SLCD):

1. Be Prepared!

You will get volunteers, so have specific tasks in mind for them to accomplish. Develop a broad range of activities, from the simple (stuffing envelopes, data entry) to the more complex (leadership roles and community outreach).

Budget money for sodas, coffee, and other things for your volunteers to snack on. Set aside attractive workspaces for volunteers.

2. Recruit a Team to be Reckoned With!

Volunteers come from anywhere and everywhere, so always have a short recruiting pitch ready. If you meet somebody in line at the bank or the supermarket, have recruiting materials and contact information ready. Many people would love to help, but don't know where to start. Always be prepared to show them the first step.

Let past volunteers know how valuable they were and how much you need them now. Urge them to bring family and friends to help.

Contact young people through high schools and colleges. Young people have boundless time and energy to contribute, and their passion can be a valuable resource. Create internships that will dazzle the resumes of ambitious young people.

Contact senior citizens. They're an eager and able work force willing to dedicate considerable time to causes they believe in, and few places will welcome them as warmly as a campaign will.

Have current volunteers "pay it forward". Ask them to bring three friends to work with them on particularly busy days.

Keep your message flexible. Some people will want to help because they admire your candidate. Others will volunteer because they detest your candidate's opponent. And others will do it simply to support the Party. Most will be some combination of those three. Embrace with open arms anybody who seems committed to making a difference and fighting towards common goals.

All fliers, mailings, and media ads should have "Volunteers Needed" with the address of the headquarters, the telephone number to call, the web address, and the email address to contact.

3. Create a Volunteer Hierarchy Based on Experience and Skill!

Employ highly capable, returning volunteers to form a Volunteer Coordinating Committee.

Members of this committee should create a list of your volunteers and arrange brief meetings with each volunteer to learn what the volunteer's time commitment, capabilities, and overall attitudes are.

Work with the committee to create a realistic volunteer schedule that maximizes volunteer effectiveness. Most volunteers will only be available a few hours a week, so when they come in, they need to have immediate tasks.

Work with the committee to get the most out of your volunteers. Volunteers will possess all sorts of skills and can provide help unexpected ways. Don't have a highly skilled volunteer stuffing envelopes or answering the phone if there is another volunteer available.

4. Train Volunteer Staff to Win Campaigns!

Provide thorough instructions and detailed explanations to your volunteers for the tasks they will be doing. Give them dates for completion of their tasks and check in with them periodically. Have somebody readily available to answer the questions that will come up.
Make sure they know how their task fits into the campaign and how much time it will probably take to complete. Rehearse any tasks that use a script, such as telephone contacting or door-to-door canvassing.

5. Keep Morale High!

Say "Thank You!" until your lips are chapped. The power of this simple phrase can move mountains.

Let each volunteer know what they have accomplished and what is on the horizon. Let them know how much they have helped, and how much they will be needed in the near future.

Make it fun! Even the most repetitive job can be enjoyed if it's accompanied by music or humor. Keep things efficient, but not stiff.

Don't ever allow a volunteer to have nothing to do. They will feel unneeded and may not return. There is always another neighborhood that can be canvassed or phone calls that can be made.

Arrange for candidates to stop by the headquarters when volunteers are working on projects. Appreciation from a public figure can be very inspirational.

6. Maintain Your Volunteer Staff!

Volunteer visibility and activity is important to the credibility and success of the campaign. You will be amazed how seeing people work will motivate others to help. Don't hide volunteers in the back room.

Volunteer recruiting never ends. You must constantly replace and expand your campaign volunteer cadre. If you thank your volunteers immediately after the election, they will be more likely to volunteer for you again.

Organize volunteer social gatherings and parties to keep volunteers feeling a sense of community. If they feel they are part of something, they will be likely to lend continued support. At the same time, friendships formed among volunteers will make time spent in the effort more fulfilling for the volunteers.


    Canvassing the Precinct:


    Township Endorsements and Precinct Responsibilities:


    Literature Distribution:


    Get Out The Vote (GOTV):


    Requirements for Election Judges and Poll Watchers:


    How to Become a Deputy Registrar of Voters:


    References:

       Note: These references include books, articles, and internet URLs. As with any list of internet links, the URLs listed here may be out of date by the time you view this page.

       ACDP = "Mary Hynes' Tips for Smart Campaigning in Arlington", Arlington County Democratic News; http://www.arlingtondemocrats.org/docs/jan2003.pdf; Arlington County Democratic Party, 4620 Lee Highway, Suite 214, Arlington, VA 22207.

       AOPW = The Art of Political Warfare, by John J. Pitney, Jr.; published 2000 by The University of Oklahoma Press in Norman, OK; ISBN 0-8061-3382-1.

       BUCU = Buck Up, Suck Up... And Come Back When You Foul Up, by James Carville and Paul Begala; published 2002 by Simon & Schuster in New York; ISBN 0-7432-2422-1.

       DCRP = Precinct Organization; http://www.davidsongop.com/precinctorg.htm; Davidson County Republican Party, Davidson County, NC.

       DCRPY = Democrappy; http://democrappy.blogspot.com/2004_11_01_democrappy_archive.html.

       DFT = Precinct Organizing; http://www.democracyfortexas.org/img/Precinct-Organizing.pdf; Democracy for Texas (a Howard Dean site), P.O. Box 300981, Austin, TX 78703.

       HTWAE = How to Win an Election, by Paul Richards; published 2004 by Politico's Publishing in London, Great Britain; ISBN 1-84275-100-X.

       JCDP = Precinct Organization: A Manual for Precinct Chairs and Workers; http://www.jcdp-tx.org/precinctmanual.pdf; The Jefferson County Democratic Party, 1825 Calder Avenue, DBeaumont, TX 77701.

       LJMS = The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate, by Robert A. Caro; published 2002 by Alfred A. Knopf in New York; ISBN 0-394-52836-0.

       NATCA = Volunteer Guide for Campaign Action; http://www.natca.org/assets/documents/legislationcenter/campaignaction.pdf; National Air Traffic Controllers Association, 1150 17th Street NW, Suite 701, Washington, DC 20036.

       RFO = Running For Office, by Ronald A. Faucheux; published 2002 by M. Evans and Company in New York; ISBN 1-59077-010-2.

       RTP = Roots to Power: A Manual for Grassroots Organizing, Second Edition, by Lee Staples; published 2004 by Praeger Publishers in Westport, CT; ISBN 0-275-96998-3.

       SLCD = Precinct Training; http://www.stluciedemocrats.com/FDPPrecinctTraining.pdf; St. Lucie County Democrats, 6823 South U.S. Highway 1, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952.

       TCM = The Campaign Manual: A Definitive Study of the Modern Political Campaign Process, 6th Edition, by S.J. Guzzetta; published 2002 by American GOTV Enterprises and Political Publications in Flat Rock, NC; ISBN 0-942805-09-7.

       WE = Winning Elections: Political Campaign Management, Strategy & Tactics, Edited by Ronald A. Faucheux; published 2003 by M. Evans and Company in New York; ISBN 1-59077-026-9.

       WSRNHA = Precinct Committee Officer Manual; http://www.wrnha.org/Educational%20Resources/WSRPPCPmanual.pdf; Washington State Republican National Hispanic Assembly, P.O. Box 298, Redmond, WA 98073-0298.