Being a Precinct Committeeperson

 

Our Responsibilities

• To serve as a precinct representative of the Democratic Party of Illinois, the Kane County Democrats and all Democratic candidates. 

• To develop relationships with the voters in your precinct and learn what will persuade them to vote for Democratic candidates on Election Day.

• To register new voters, update precinct lists, assist those who vote-by-mail, and ensure voter registration transfers are completed successfully.

• To assist local candidates in door-to-door activities and supply information to voters that will encourage them to support Democratic candidates.

• To work with residents of the precinct to address the neighborhood’s concerns and needs to the best of your abilities. 

• To help with fundraising initiatives for the Kane County Democrats and Democratic candidates.

• To elect party Officers at the Kane County Democratic Convention every two years, following the Primary Election.

Our Goals​

Promote the Democratic Party

One of the main duties of a Democratic Precinct Committeeperson is to promote the Democratic Party. This includes supporting events for Democratic candidates at the local, state, and national level. Committee members also work together toward uniting the party to promote the party’s overall goals. You can do this by distributing election information, and arranging events where the public can meet Democratic candidates. Precinct Committeepersons also canvass neighborhoods, watch for new residents, and make sure people are registered to vote.

 

Listen to the Public

Another duty of a Precinct Committeeperson is to listen to and work with the public. Electing party leaders who represent their party is one of the duties of a Committeeperson. Precinct committee members also listen to residents’ concerns and take that feedback back to the Democratic Central Committee. They also assist in recruiting volunteers to perform such duties as making phone calls or going door to door.

 

Get Out the Vote (GOTV)

A very important duty for the Precinct Committeeperson is to attempt to register voters and get them out to vote on Election Day, either by Vote by Mail ballot, early voting or Election Day voting. The Democratic Party encourages voting by Vote by Mail ballot as well as early voting.

 

Voter Protection / Voter Suppression

The Precinct Committeeperson is the first line of defense to ensuring that votes are not suppressed. Voter suppression is a strategy to influence the outcome of an election by discouraging or preventing people from exercising the right to vote. It is distinguished from political campaigning in that campaigning attempts to change likely voting behavior by changing the opinions of potential voters through persuasion and organization. Voter suppression instead attempts to reduce the number of voters who might vote against the candidate or proposition advocated by the suppressors.

 

Connect

Precinct Committeepersons have the task of attending Precinct Committeeperson Meetings (Township Meetings or Kane Dem Meetings). At these meetings, they will be kept up-to-date on various candidates, upcoming events, elections and election strategies. Precinct Committeepersons should make sure that their Township Party Chair is kept up-to-date with your contact information (address, phone numbers, and email address). It’s important for the Township Party Chair to have multiple ways of connecting with you to keep you apprised of important information.

 

Voter Registration

Registering new voters is an important function of the precinct committee person. There are a number of methods to determine if new residents in your precinct are likely to vote Democrat.

 

What are the Voter Registration requirements?

• Must be a US citizen;

• Must be at least 18 years of age by Election Day; 17 years of age to vote in a General Primary if individual will be 18 as of the following General Election;

• Must have been a resident of the precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day.