Precinct work is the grassroots of politics.  It is the precinct level – in people’s neighborhoods – where elections are won or lost.  The precinct convention is where the maneuvering begins, and it is where Republicans must begin to defend the right of the voter to decide who will be their candidates.

Purpose

·         To elect delegates and alternates to the County / Senatorial District Conventions.

·         To pass resolutions to begin the process of setting policy for the platform of the party.

Scheduling and Notices

·         Place and time set by the County Executive Committee at January statutory meeting.

·         Held on election day and at place of polling if possible.

·         Must convene between 7:00 p.m. but only after the last voter has voted.

·         Notice of time and place of convention must be posted at polling place.

·         Notice must be posted on commissioner’s court notice board for ten days prior.

·         Notice must be given to county clerk ten days prior.

√    Precinct Chairman may send invitations or distribute fliers to voters about convention.

Preparations

·         County Chairman must order Precinct Convention kit (agenda, minutes) for each Precinct from Republican Party of Texas.  Training would be helpful for Precinct Chairman.

·         RPT will provide RPT Rules for Convention and a copy of current Platform for each precinct.

·         County Chairman must determine delegate strength for each Precinct (one delegate / alternate for each 25 votes or major fraction the Republican candidate received in the previous gubernatorial election: at least one delegate / alternate per precinct).

·         Election Judge at the end of voting gives second certified list of voters with Republican voters stamped or marked to Temporary Chairman of Convention.

·         Precinct Chairman is designated Temporary Chairman of the Precinct Convention.

·         If Precinct chairman cannot act, County Chairman appoints a substitute.

·         If no temporary chairman convenes the meting at the appointed time, any primary voter may convene the meeting.

√   Plan for seating, refreshments and flags if you plan to pledge.

Agenda

·         Agenda is provided by Republican Party of Texas.

·         Minutes are “Fill in the blanks” and also from RPT.

·         Everyone who voted in the Republican Primary (absentee, early or on primary day) are eligible to attend.

·         Delegates to County Convention are not required to be present at Precinct Convention, but must be primary voters.

√  All delegate positions don’t have to be filled.  The delegation to the County / Senatorial Convention will vote to full strength of the Pct.

Procedure

·         See nest pages, information on county Conventions.

Follow – up

·         Secretary delivers minutes to County Chairman within three days.  This includes resolutions and lists of delegates and alternates with addresses and phone numbers.

·         Chairman of meeting, if not the Precinct Chairman, delivers copies of minutes and voter registration lists to Precinct Chairman.

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues of supporting it.

Patriot Thomas Paine  

Purpose

·         To elect delegates and alternates to the State Convention.

·         To pass resolutions to continue the process of setting policy for the platform of the Party.

Scheduling and Notices

·         County Executive Committee at January statutory meeting sets time and place:  Texas election Code sets date for third Saturday after Primary election.

·         County convention time and place should have been announced at Precinct Conventions.

√   Nice to do:  send reminder notices of convention to all delegates and alternates, with details.

Preparations

·         County Executive Committee determines delegate strength for the county / Senatorial Districts. (One delegate and one alternate for each 300 votes or major fraction thereof  (151) cast in the county in the last gubernatorial election.

·         County Chairman shall appoint temporary committees and name temporary chairman for preliminary work before convention.  Appoint committees of delegates ASAP after Precinct convention.

a.       Credentials

b.       Rules

c.       Permanent Organization    (For details on committees, see next page)

d.       Resolutions

e.       Nominations

·         An Arrangements Committee may be appointed to prepare refreshments, set up meeting room, act as greeters, etc.

·         Invite media representative.

·         Invite officeholders, candidate to speak during recesses.

Agenda

·         County chairman must order from Republican Party of Texas

·         Minutes from RPT are “fill in the blanks”.  Very easy to follow.

Procedure

·         Constitution and Texas Law

·         Republican Party of Texas rules.

·         Parliamentary Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

·         Courtesy and respect.

Follow – up

·         Secretary prepares minutes and lists of delegates / alternates: but County Chairman has the responsibility to see that it is done and mailed to State party Chairman within five days.

·         Minutes are signed by County Chairman and attested by Secretary of the Convention.

·         All convention records are treated as public records and shall be available for inspection and copying.

·         County Chairman can provide information about State Convention to the delegates: but official information is mailed by RPT.  County Chair is expected to know the process and be able to answer questions such as how caucuses function, what are qualifications for persons seeking election to Party positions.

·         County Chairman and county Party may not instruct delegates how to vote at State Convention.  Delegates do not vote as a body.   Delegates present do vote the full strength of the delegation.

Committee on Arrangements (optional)

·         Location is set by Executive Committee.  Public buildings, roomy, and comfortable.

·         Arrangements chairman can coordinate building, space, setup, key to open, security.

·         Provide podium and mic, good lighting, flags to pledge, notepads, pencils.

·         Section of chairs should be labeled “delegates” and “alternates and quests”.

·         Name tags can be made by this committee or by credentials committee.

√    Food and drink can be elaborate or simple.

√    Greeters and hosts contribute to a more pleasant ambiance.

Temporary Committee on Credentials

·        Hears disputes on contested delegates and makes recommendations to the convention body.

·        If disputes are not in the picture, the County Chair may ask this committee to prepare Temporary Roll of delegates and to make name tags and perhaps register attendees.

Temporary Committee on Rules

·         Recommends supplementary rules for the convention which do not conflict with TEC, RPT.

·         Makes report to full convention.

Temporary Committee on Permanent Organization

·         Recommends the permanent officer:  Chairman, Secretary, Sergeant - at - Arms.

·         Makes report to full convention.

Temporary Committee on Resolutions / Permanent Committee

·         Gives adequate notice of committee meetings prior to convention.

·         Considers all resolutions from the precinct conventions and combines those on the same subject.

·         May group resolutions fro efficiency and fair consideration by the convention.

·         Makes report to Permanent Resolution Committee.

·         Permanent Resolutions Committee reviews the work, then considers resolutions filed with Secretary of Convention within 30 minutes of the Permanent Committee appointment.

·         May want to hear testimony on any or all reports to full convention.

·         Voting can be for total platform, by planks, or individually.

Temporary Committee on Nominations / Permanent Committee

·         Gives adequate notice of committee meetings prior to convention.  Important

·         Takes applications or interviews voters who wish to be delegates / alternates.  Attendance at conventions not a prerequisite; only that they be Republican primary voters in that election cycle.

·         Recommends whether to elect delegates by precinct or at-large, or in combination.  (See Rule 31 regarding larger counties of over 500,000 population).

·         Makes recommendations for both delegates and alternates to the Permanent Committee on Nominations, not to whole convention.

·         Permanent Committee on Nominations accepts or rejects the report and makes its own recommendation to the convention.

·         Voting on delegates:  If full slate is recommended by Nominations Committee, the slate can be changed only by “striking and inserting” the name of an individual or by substituting a new slate for all or part of the recommended slate.  If less than a full slate is recommended, the report can be amended by nominations from the floor, adding names in the vacant slots.  Debate may not be shut off until ample time for debate is allowed.

·         Convention votes on final report as amended, from the Nominations Committee.

Purpose

• To elect a State Chairman and Vice Chairman.
• To adopt Party Rules.
• To adopt State Platform.
• To elect State Republican Executive Committeeman and Committeewoman at Senate District Caucus.
• To elect Permanent members of the Rules, Organization and Platform Committees at Senatorial Caucuses.
• During Presidential election years:

a.       To elect slate of National Delegates and Alternates for each Congressional District from a list provided by the Entitled Presidential Candidates District Nominating Committee meeting.

b.       To elect National Committeeman and Committeewoman by Congressional Caucuses.

c.       Ratify at-large delegates and alternates by the convention body.

d.       Ratify Presidential Electors by congressional caucuses.

      Scheduling and Notices

·         The State Executive Committee shall select the time and place.

• State Chairman shall include this information along with the date and place of temporary committee  meetings in the call to the convention to each delegate and alternate on the temporary roll.

·         State convention time and place should have been announced at County Conventions.

Preparations

• The two SREC members representing each Senatorial District shall recommend to the State Chairman one representative from among their districts delegates to each of the state convention temporary committees, within twenty (20) days following the county / senatorial district conventions.

• The State Chairman shall appoint one delegate from each Senatorial District to each of these committees from among these recommendations.  In addition to these members, the State Chairman shall appoint the Chairman for each temporary committee.  The temporary committees are:

a.       Credentials.  This committee shall hear any disputes concerning contested delegates and alternates, shall hear all challenges forwarded, plus any challenges under appeal and recommend the resolution thereof to the State convention.

b.      Rules.    This committee shall recommend the supplementary rules for the convention to the State Executive Committee and may recommend changes in these rules.

c.       Platform and Resolutions.  This committee shall conduct the preliminary deliberations for the purpose of making recommendations to the Permanent Committee on Platform and Resolutions.

d.      Organization.  This committee recommends the temporary organization of the convention to the SREC.  The State Chairman shall be the temporary chairman of the Biennial State Convention.

• At each Biennial State Convention, the membership of each permanent committee listed below shall be composed of one delegate from each senatorial district, to be elected by caucus of the delegates in each such district, plus the chairman thereof, to be appointed by the Temporary Chairman of the Convention.  Permanent committees shall be as follows:

1.       Credentials.  This committee shall recommend to the convention the permanent roll of the convention.

2.       Rules.  This committee shall recommend to the convention supplementary rules, any amendments to these Rules and Order of business.

3.       Platform and Resolutions.  This committee shall recommend to the convention the permanent platform.

4.       Organization.  This committee shall recommend to the convention the permanent organization.

5.       Nominations.  This committee shall report to the convention nominations for state positions to be filled by the convention.

• At the Biennial State Convention in presidential election years, there shall also be a permanent National Nominations Committee composed of one delegate from each congressional district, to be elected by caucus of the delegates.  This committee shall report to the conventions nominations for National Delegates and Alternates, Presidential Electors, and National Committeeman and National Committeewoman, which nominations have previously been made.  Additionally, the committee will select nominees for all At-Large Delegates and Alternates.  These nominees will be reported to the State convention.  This report will either be confirmed or rejected.  If the report is rejected it shall be immediately returned to the Committee for revision and the resubmitted until the report is confirmed. 

• Three (3) districts delegates from each Congressional district and three (3) alternates shall be elected at the State Convention in accordance with the Texas Election Code at Congressional District Caucus.

• Prior to each state convention in Presidential election years the chairman of the SREC shall appoint the temporary chairman of each Congressional District Caucus.

• Prior to each state convention, the two members from each Senatorial District of the SREC shall appoint one representative from among their Senatorial District’s delegates to the temporary chairman of the Senatorial District Caucus.

Procedure

• Constitution and Texas law.
• Republican Party of Texas rules.
• Rules of the national Republican Party
• Parliamentary Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Purpose

·         To elect Presidential and Vice –Presidential Nominees

·         To adopt the National Platform

·         To adopt the Rules of the Party

References

1.       Texas Election Code, Sec 174. Conventions,  Sec 161 and 162.  Party Affiliation.

2.       Republican Party of Texas Rules

3.       A Guide for Republican Precinct Leaders, undated.  A publication of the Republican Party of Texas.

4.       Precinct Training Manual, undated.  A publication of the Republican Party of Texas.

5.       Precinct Conventions and County/District Conventions, pamphlet, undated, prepared by Becky Farrar, former SREC and County Chairman.

6.       HOW TO BECOME A DELEGATE, Article, undated Quarterly Report, RPT.

STRUCTURE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY VOTERS

• Elect Republican general election candidates
• Elect County Chairman
• Elect their Precinct Chairman
• Participate in the Precinct Convention after the polls close on primary day

REPUBLICAN PRECINCT CONVENTION DELEGATES

• Elect officers of the convention
• Elect delegates to attend the County of Senatorial district conventions
• Consider resolutions to build Party platforms

REPUBLICAN COUNTY OR SENATE CONVENTION DELEGATES

• Elect officers of the convention
• Elect delegates to attend the State convention
• Consider resolutions to build Party platforms

REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION DELEGATES

• Caucus by Senate District to:

• Elect State Republican Executive Committeeman and Committeewoman
• Elect the permanent members of the Rules, Organization and Platform Committees
• Caucus by Congressional District in Presidential years to:

o       Elect a slate of National Delegates and Alternates for each Congressional District from a list provided by the Entitled presidential Candidates District Nomination Committee meeting

o       Select a Presidential Elector from each Congressional District

• Meet in general convention to:

o       Elect a State Chairman and Vice-Chairman (every two years)

o       Adopt Party Rules (every two years)

o       Adopt State Platform (every two years)

• Elect National Committeeman and Committeewoman (Presidential election years only)
• Elect a slate of national Delegates and Alternates for each Congressional District (Pres.yr)
• Ratify at-large delegates and alternates (Presidential years only)
• Ratify Presidential Electors  (Presidential years only)

STATE REPUBLICAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

• Conduct and approve state Party business at quarterly meetings
• Can make temporary Party rule changes, which will either be ratified or rejected at next convention
• Oversee funding of state and local candidates
• Serve as advisors to County Chairman in their district

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION DELEGATES

• Elect Presidential and Vice Presidential Nominees
• Adopt the National Platform
• Adopt the Rules of the Party