2018 Republican Party Caucuses Precinct Host Instructional Guide and Script

Transcription

1 2018 Republican Party Caucuses Precinct Host Instructional Guide and Script This Instructional Guide supplements the caucus rules adopted by the State Central Committee and details the handling of events at the caucuses. It provides language to assist in running the meeting and covering the agenda items required under the State Party s governing documents. Please read through this entire guide prior to the meeting so you are comfortable with the procedure and are aware of the options available to you in running a more efficient meeting. We begin with the opening of the Caucus: Welcome Precinct Host: Welcome to the Utah State Republican Party Caucus for our neighborhood, Precinct. The boundaries for this precinct are shown on this map. Please check the map to be sure you are at the correct caucus. My name is and I will be your Precinct Host for this meeting. I will run the meeting according to the agenda from the state party, and am responsible for returning the pertinent information back to the party leadership. The newly elected Precinct Chair will take office after the close of this meeting as prescribed in our Country Bylaws. Qualified attendee card Those of you who were on the registered voter rolls as a Republican were issued a Qualified Attendee Card when you entered. For those who were not on the rolls, you may complete a voter registration form affiliating with the Republican Party. Once you have completed this form and returned it to me for filing with the clerk, I will issue you a voting card and you may fully participate in the caucus. Proof of residency will be necessary. Attendance Roll An attendance roll is being passed around that everyone should fill out. Please write legibly and note the box for sharing your address. By sharing this, you are giving permission to the state party to allow candidates to contact you directly about their issues and to keep you informed of candidate meetings and debates. If you become a delegate, I strongly urge you to share your on this form. It defrays the cost of mailing literature for candidates and saves a good many trees. Prayer We will start our meeting with a prayer. Is there a volunteer to offer the prayer? If no one volunteers, you may wish to offer the prayer yourself. Precinct Host: Thank you. will offer the prayer. Prayer is given.

2 Pledge of Allegiance Precinct Host: Thank you. Next we will pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States of America (make sure ahead of time you have an American Flag in your meeting). You may lead the attendees in the pledge or can ask for a volunteer. Please rise, salute, I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Reading of State or County Platform To aid the Precinct in reviewing the Party Platform, videos have been prepared that may be shown. Before the meeting take the time to review them and decide if you wish to use them in your Caucus meeting. These videos can be found on the State Party s facebook page or Youtube channel. Facebook: Youtube: Precinct Host: The next item on the agenda is the reading of either the State Party Platform or the County Party Platform. I will read from the Party Platform. Utah Republican State Party Platform (as ratified at the 2009 State Convention) Preamble We, the Republican Party of the Great State of Utah, affirm our belief in God and declare our support for government based upon a moral and spiritual foundation. We affirm freedom for every individual as expressed in the declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution. We believe that citizens needs are best met through free enterprise, private initiative, and volunteerism. We support the Rule of Law and believe in upholding the law of the land. The proper role of government We believe government properly exists by the consent of the governed and must be restrained from intruding into the freedom of its citizens. The function of government is not to grant rights, bu to protect the unalienable, God-given rights of life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. Private property We recognize the rights of the individual to own property. We resist and effort by government to take private property without an overwhelming need for public use. We strongly oppose the forfeiture of private property from innocent owners.

3 Reaffirmation of State s rights We oppose congressional, judicial, and executive abrogation of the principle that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. We oppose unreasonable and intrusive federal mandates. Ethics and standards We demand honesty, integrity, morality, and accountability of our public officials. We will work to expose and stop corruption. National security and public protection We support a military force of sufficient strength and readiness to deter any threat to our national sovereignty or to the safety and freedom of our citizens. We support the Constitutional Mandate to protect and secure our national borders. We oppose placement of United State troops under any foreign command, including the United Nations. We support lawful efforts of local law enforcement agencies to protect citizens in their homes and in their communities. We urge reform of the legal system to accomplish a swift and balanced administration of justice, including consideration of rights of the victim. We support capital punishment when appropriate. Self defense We support the individual constitutionally-protected right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes. We encourage personal responsibility for the care and use of these firearms. Freedom of religion We claim freedom of religion for every citizen and expect the protection of government in securing to us this unalienable right. We affirm the right to religious expression, including prayer, in both private and public. Family values We recognize the traditional family as the fundamental unit to society. We affirm that parents have the fundamental right and primary responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children and to provide nurturing care, discipline and training in moral values. Right to life We believe in the right to life for both the born and unborn. We strongly oppose abortion, except to preserve the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest. We believe the unborn child has the fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. We believe all human life is sacred regardless of age or infirmity, and therefore we oppose abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the public funding of any of these abhorrent practices.

4 Human services We believe that the primary responsibility for meeting basic human needs rests with the individual, the family, and the voluntary charitable organizations. We recognize, however, that there are special social needs which must be addressed through state human service programs. We support requiring welfare recipients to work towards self-sufficiency. Heritage We recognize the contributions made to our quality of life through ethnic diversity. Equal rights We believe that no individual is entitled to rights that exceed or supersede the God-given individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Utah. Education We believe that all children should have access to quality education. Parents have the primary right and responsibility to educate their children, and we support their right to choose public, private, or home education. We support incentives to promote competitive excellence. We encourage cooperative initiatives to help all Utahns become literate in English. We support the prudent and profitable use of school trust lands. We support all interest and dividends from the permanent State School Fund being distributed to each public and charter school to improve student academic performance. Taxation We accept the necessity for limited taxation in order for government to perform and administer those services which meet essential public needs. However, we recognize that the power to tax is also the power to control, and believe that the best way to control government is to strictly control the amount of taxes imposed on the people. We encourage further simplification of tax systems, the elimination of the estate tax, and broad-based rate reduction where possible. Regulation We recognize that government regulation can be a major impediment to productivity and competition. We must rely more on market forces and less on government. Regulatory power now exercised by the federal government must be eliminated or returned to state and local governments. Economic development We believe that a strong, diversified economy based on a positive work ethic, a well-trained and well educated workforce, a business-friendly environment, and safe workplace will help Utah

5 compete in a world marketplace. We believe that developing our human resources is essential to the future of Utah. We support the Utah Right to Work Law. End of Platform Contributions The next item on the agenda is contributions. I will pass around the contributions envelope. Additionally, you can donate directly to the Party via the website: Check-A-Buck Program Next I want to talk about the Check-a-Buck program. On your tax return, which you will file by April 15, there is a box that asks if you wish two dollars from the General Fund of the State of Utah to go to a political party of your choice. By checking this box, you are not charged two dollars. Instead, the State of Utah will take two dollars from the General Fund and send it to the State Party. This is a simple way that you can aid the State and County Parties in their mission to support Republican Candidates. Caucus rules and procedures Next we will review the rules and procedures for our meeting tonight Utah State Republican Party Caucus Rules In an effort to clarify and simplify the meeting process while affording all participants their right to speak and vote, the following rules have been prepared. The State Republican Party Constitution and Bylaws set forth some of the rules which we will follow. These rules, because they are contained in the Party s governing documents, cannot be suspended or changed at the caucus under any circumstances. The State Party Constitution states: Each individual caucus shall be open to any Utah citizen who resides in the precinct, who will be at least 18 by the time of that year s general election. The State Party, through its Bylaws, may restrict participation and voting in the precinct caucuses based on party affiliation. The State Party Bylaws state: Qualification and Disqualifications of State and County Delegates. Each individual caucus shall be open to the public. Each participant shall be: 1. A Utah citizen who resides in the precinct 2. Will be 18 by that year s general election 3. A registered Republican Party member as referred in Article I of the Party Constitution or who registers as a Republican at the individual caucus meeting. Each participant shall not be a simultaneous officer, delegate, candidate or registered affiliated voted of any other rival political party. (Voter registration materials shall be available at the meeting for those who wish to

6 affiliate that night as Republicans). For the purposes of this Bylaw, rival political party means any organization of registered voters currently qualified to fully participate in Utah elections as provided by Utah Code, which is not the Republican Party. Each caucus meeting should begin with a prayer, pledge of allegiance, and reading and discussion of the party platform. The county party shall choose whether to read the state or county platform. Precinct Hosts Each county party shall designate individuals to conduct its caucus meetings per its governing documents. This person may be called precinct host or caucus host. The newly elected Precinct Chair will take office at the conclusion of this meeting. The Precinct Host will be responsible for processing the results of the meeting in accordance with the instructions from the State Party. A copy of the attendance roll shall be given to the newly elected precinct chair. Caucus attendance Anyone may attend and observe the caucus meeting as long as they do not cause any disruptions, become a nuisance, or commit a breach of decorum. In the event one or more such instances occur, the individual may be asked to leave by the Precinct Host. Recognition to speak Those residents living within the precinct boundaries, who will be at least 18 by the time of the general election, and who are registered with the Republican Party including any residents affiliating (registering) that night, and properly credentialed may speak. Qualifications to vote Those residents living within the Precinct boundaries, who will be at least 18 by the time of the general election, and who are registered with the Republican Party including any residents affiliating (registering) that night, and properly credentialed may speak. Candidates for Precinct Offices and delegate positions qualifications Those residents living within the Precinct boundaries, who will be at least 18 by the time of the general election, and who are registered with the Republican Party including any residents affiliating (registering) that night, and properly credentialed may run for precinct offices and/or delegate positions. Affiliating caucus night

7 Those residents living within the Precinct boundaries who will be at least 18 by the time of the general election and not a registered Republican may complete the voter registration form and affiliate as a Republican the night of caucuses. The Precinct Host will collect the registration form and forward it to the County Party with the precinct packet at the conclusion of the meeting. Rules of Order The State Republican Party through its governing documents sets the rules for caucuses. The rules are designed to create a standardized procedure throughout the State and to ensure a fair and level playing field for all caucus attendees. These rules cannot be suspended in whole or in part. Robert s Rules of Order will not be utilized in the caucus meetings. It is important that our delegates and officers are elected by the majority of qualified participants and not by the fastest means possible. In addition to these caucus rules, the state party will provide a caucus packet for each precinct that includes all required materials and additional administrative instructions deemed necessary to facilitate a successful caucus meeting. Caucus meeting order of business The State Republican Party sets the agenda. The individual precincts do not adopt or amend the agenda. If multiple precincts meet in the same location they may complete all required business, as a group, prior to the Nominations and Elections section of the agenda. Only the business set forth in the agenda may be conducted at this meeting. Each caucus meeting will follow the following format: Registration of Attendees/Other Administrative Matters -Welcome/Introductions -Prayer -Pledge -Reading of the State or County Platform -Review of Rules, Procedures, Duties of Precinct and Delegate Positions -Nominations and Elections (County parties may change the order) for: -Precinct Chair -Precinct Vice Chair -Precinct Secretary and/or Treasurer -State Delegate -County Delegate -Other business as directed by State and/or County Parties -Select Election Judges -Adjournment of the meeting

8 Registration The State Party shall provide the county parties with either an electronic check-in system or the ability to check-in a participant on a pre-populated format that already includes the relevant voter information. This will ensure a prompt and efficient check-in process. While the State Party strongly recommend the electronic check-in method, a county party and/or individual participant can choose whether to participate. Blank forms will also be available for those participants who opt-out of the electronic check-in and are not included on the pre-populated form, for whatever reason. Rules for debate/speaking Every participant has an opportunity to speak to an issue once before anyone else can speak twice. If time limits on debate/speaking become necessary they can be imposed by a majority vote of the participants. Nominations Nominations for each office shall be take from the floor, in addition to those who pre-registered. Seconds are not necessary. Only participants may nominate. Only those qualified to participate may be nominated. A participant may self-nominate. A nominee need not be in attendance. The Precinct Host may close nominations for an office only when no further nominations are offered. Elections Candidate speeches for each office shall be limited to a total of three minutes per office or delegate seat, evenly divided among the candidates, whichever is greater, unless modified by a majority vote. Disclosures of candidates with regard to platform planks, employment, personal views, support for individual candidates, etc. are in order. Voting will be by secret ballot in contested races. In the event that three or more candidates are nominated for the same precinct office or the same delegate position, the caucus may use multiple ballots or preference voting to choose precinct officers or delegates. Election results can be declared by acclamation if only one nominee is submitted for any given office. One ballot shall be made available to each participant for contested races. The Precinct Host shall announce the vote counts. All elections shall be determined by majority vote. Ties shall be determined by a coin toss. Precinct Hosts shall designate two or more non-candidate ballot counters and inform each candidate they may provide a poll watcher. Violations of these procedural rules shall not be basis for challenging delegate credentials. This does not prohibit county parties from disciplining party officers for such violations. The State Party recommends each County have a voting method that is fast, fair, and representative of the precinct.

9 Alternate delegates may be elected if allowed by the respective county party s governing documents. If a small enough group: Before we take nominations for Precinct offices, I would like to introduce myself, as the Precinct Host. My name is, I work for, and I have these interests:. Let s go around the room and have everyone give us their name, occupation and something of interest about themselves. Nominations and elections After intros, move to the Nomination and Election process. The Qualified Attendees may vote to eliminate candidates in some method after the first round. A majority vote would be required to adopt a method of elimination. Instant Runoff Voting or Preferential Voting is not permitted in the caucuses. Next will be the elections of Precinct officers and delegates. We will distribute ballots to those with Qualified Attendee Cards. Please hold up your Card as we pass out the ballots. Thank you. Now we will open nominations for precinct officers followed by state and county delegates. We will vote on each office separately. This enables those who do not initially prevail to try for another position. The first office open for nominations is the Precinct Chair. You must be a resident of this precinct, be affiliated with the Republican Party, and be at least 18 years of age at the time of the general election which is November, You may nominate The Duties of the Precinct Officers are as follows: See document Precinct Officer Duties Election of Precinct Chair Are there any nominations for Precinct Chair? Write down the names on a chalk or whiteboard, or flip pad. You may record names below as well for your convenience. Are there any further nominations for Precinct Chair? If no further nominations are made, then state: Since there are no further nominations for Precinct Chair, without objection, nominations will close. The Nominee, as the only candidate will be declared Precinct Chair by acclamation. If there is more than one nomination, then state: We will now hear from each of the nominees as to why they should be elected to Precinct Chair. Since we have candidates, I propose that we allow minutes for each candidate s speech.

10 If other times are suggested, take a vote on each time. Everyone votes for only one time and the one with the majority of the votes wins. Is there a volunteer who will serve as timekeeper? Assign the timekeeper position. Thank you. We will hear from the candidates in the order they were nominated. We will begin with. We will now vote for Precinct Chair. Please write the names of your preferred candidate on the ballot provided. Write only one person s name. We will collect the ballots in this box, which is currently empty. Show them the box is empty. Please place your ballot in the box. We have qualified attendees who may vote tonight I have asked, and to count the ballots. They will do so at the table provided. While they are counting the ballots, we will do some housekeeping. Where is the attendance roll? Please be sure everyone fills out the attendance roll. When the results are ready, read each name in the order that they were nominated and the number of votes that they received. Then state the name of the winner. Election of Precinct Vice Chair Are there any nominations for Precinct Vice Chair? Write down the names on a chalk or whiteboard, or flip pad. You may record names below as well for your convenience. Are there any further nominations for Precinct Vice Chair? If no further nominations are made, then state: Since there are no further nominations for Precinct Vice Chair, without objection, nominations will close. The Nominee, as the only candidate will be declared Precinct Vice Chair by acclamation. If there is more than one nomination, then state: We will now hear from each of the nominees as to why they should be elected to Precinct Vice Chair. Since we have candidates, I propose that we allow minutes for each candidate s speech. If other times are suggested, take a vote on each time. Everyone votes for only one time and the one with the majority of the votes wins. We will hear from the candidates in the order they were nominated. We will begin with.

11 We will now vote for Precinct Vice Chair. Please write the name of your preferred candidate on the ballot provided. Write only one person s name. We will collect the ballots in this box, which is currently empty. Show them the box is empty. Please place your ballot in the box. While they are counting the ballots, we will do more housekeeping. Where is the attendance roll? Please be sure everyone fills out the attendance roll. Any more vote-by-mail forms? Does everyone understand the Check-A-Buck Program? When the results are ready, read each name in the order that they were nominated and the number of votes that they received. Then state the name of the winner. Election of Precinct Secretary Are there any nominations for Precinct Secretary? Write down the names on a chalk or whiteboard, or flip pad. You may record names below as well for your convenience. Are there any further nominations for Precinct Secretary? If no further nominations are made, then state: Since there are no further nominations for Precinct Secretary, without objections, nominations will close. The Nominee, as the only candidate will be declared Precinct Secretary by acclamation. If there is more than one nomination, then state: We will now hear from each of the nominees as to why they should be elected to Precinct Secretary. Since we have candidates, I propose that we allow minutes for each candidate s speech. If other times are suggested, take a vote on each time. Everyone votes for only one time and the one with the majority of the votes wins. We will hear from the candidates in the order they were nominated. We will begin with. We will now vote for Precinct Secretary. Please write the name of your preferred candidate on the ballot provided. Write only one person s name. We will collect the ballots in this box, which is currently empty. Show them the box is empty. Please place your ballot in the box.

12 While they are counting the ballots, we will do more housekeeping where is the attendance roll? Please be sure everyone fills out the attendance roll When the results are ready, read each name in the order that they were nominated and the number of votes that they received. Then state the name of the winner. Election of Precinct Treasurer Are there any nominations for Precinct Treasurer? Write down the names on a chalk or whiteboard, or flip pad. You may record names below as well for your convenience. Are there any further nominations for Precinct Treasurer? If no further nominations are made, then state: Since there are no further nominations for Precinct Treasurer, without objection, nominations will close. The Nominee, as the only candidate will be declared Precinct Treasurer by acclamation. If there is more than one nomination, then state: We will now hear from each of the nominees as to why the should be elected to Precinct Treasurer. Since we have candidates, I propose that we allow minutes for each candidate s speech. If other times are suggested, take a vote on each time. Everyone votes for only one time and the one with the majority of the votes wins. We will hear from the candidates in the order they were nominated. We will begin with. We will now vote for Precinct Treasurer. Please write the name of your preferred candidate on the ballot provided. Write only one person s name. We will collect the ballots in this box, which is currently empty. Show them the box is empty. Please place your ballot in the box. While they are counting the ballots, we will do more housekeeping. Where is the attendance roll? Please be sure everyone fills out the attendance roll. Inform attendees that candidates have provided literature for them to read. When the results are ready, read each name in the order that they were nominated and the number of votes that they received. The state then name of the winner. Election of State Delegate(s)

13 The Duties of the State Delegate(s) are as follows: See sheet titled: State Delegate Duties and Responsibilities The State Convention will be held at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, on Saturday, April Registration usually opens at 8:00 am and you should plan on a full day of attendance. So check your calendars and be sure you are available for this commitment. Now we will open nominations for State Delegate(s). We have State Delegate position(s) to fill. We can take nominations for all State Delegate positions at once. You may not vote for more candidates than we have positions to fill. You can vote for up to candidates. You may not vote for a candidate more than one time on the ballot. You do not have to vote for all of the positions available. Are there any nominations for State Delegate? Write down the names on a chalk or whiteboard or flip pad. You may record names below as well for your convenience. Are there any further nominations for State Delegate? If no further nominations are made, then state: Since there are no further nominations for State Delegate, without objection, nominations will close. We will now hear from each of the nominees as to why they should be elected to State Delegate. Since we have candidates, I propose that we allow minutes for each candidate s speech. If other times are suggested, take vote on each time. Everyone votes for only one time and the one with the majority of the votes wins. We will hear from the candidates in the order they were nominated. We will begin with. We will now vote for State Delegate(s). Please write the name of your preferred candidate on the ballot provided, or if there is more than one State Delegate position, write up to names on the ballot. Again, do not write one candidate s name more than once. Do not list more than names. A majority is required to win. Anything more than half of the ballots cast is a majority. Additional rounds may be necessary. We will collect the ballots in this box, which is currently empty. Show them the box is empty. Please place your ballot in the box. While they are counting the ballots, we will do more housekeeping. Where is the attendance roll? Please be sure everyone fills out the attendance roll.

14 When the results are ready, read each name in the order that they were nominated and the number of votes that they received. Then state the name of the winner(s). Election of County Delegate(s) The duties of the County Delegate(s) are as follows: INSERT DUTIES and INFORMATION PROVIDED BY YOUR COUNTY PARTY The County Convention will be held at, on at. So check your calendars and be sure you are available for this commitment. Now we will open nominations for County Delegate(s). We have County Delegate positions to fill. We can take nominations for all County Delegate positions at once. You may not vote for more candidates than we have positions to fill. You can vote for up to candidates. You may not vote for a candidate more than one time on the ballot. You do not have to vote for all of the positions available. Are there any nominations for County Delegate? Write down the names on a chalk or whiteboard or flip pad. You may record names below as well for your convenience. Are there any further nominations for County Delegate? If no further nominations are made, then state: Since there are no further nominations for County Delegate, without objection nominations, will close. We will now hear from each of the nominees as to why they should be elected to County Delegate. Since we have candidates, I propose that we allow minutes for each candidate s speech. If other times are suggested, take a vote on each time. Everyone votes for only one time and the one with the majority of the votes wins. We will hear from the candidates in the order they were nominated. We will begin with. We will now vote for County Delegate(s). Please write the name of your preferred candidate on the ballot provided, or if there is more than one County Delegate position, write up to names on the ballot. Again, do not write one candidate s name more than once. Do not list more than names. A majority is required to win. Anything more than half of the ballots cast is a majority. Additional rounds may be necessary. We will collect the ballots in the box, which is currently empty. Show them the box is empty. Please place your ballot in the box.

15 While they are counting the ballots, we will do more housekeeping. Where is the attendance roll? Please be sure everyone fills out the attendance roll. When the results are ready, read each name in the order that they were nominated and the number of votes that they received. Then state the name of the winner(s). OTHER BUSINESS AS DIRECTED BY STATE AND/OR COUNTY PARTIES At this time, there are a few announcements (Lincoln Day, County events, Candidate events, etc.) SELECTION OF ELECTION JUDGES Each precinct has the duty to provide election judges from both parties to work at the polling places on Election Day. These volunteers are trained and paid by the respective County Governments. They usually need to be at the polls from open until close, check off voters in the official record log and assist with technical voting questions. Are there any volunteers/ Please give me your name. On the Attendance roll, mark the box next to the name(s) of the volunteers. ADJOURNMENT No other business can be brought to a Precinct Caucus meeting as it is a special Mass Meeting with a specific course of action assigned by the State Party. If anyone wants to adopt a Resolution or have the Precinct vote on an issue, the newly elected Precinct Chair can have a discussion after the adjournment of the Caucus. The Precinct Chair can then take his Precinct s issues to the respective meeting held by the County for action. This concludes the business of our Precinct Caucus! Without object, the meeting stands adjourned. If someone objects, put it to a vote. A majority vote is required. Thank you all for coming tonight and participating in our Party Caucus system. Please feel free to mingle and socialize. We have a pm exit time, so please be considerate of those who must close down the facility. Take the Attendance Roll and Donations Envelope to the appointed County representative, as instructed by your County Party, immediately so all date can be entered into Caucus Tracker. Thank you for your willingness to serve and to promote the Republican Party of the State of Utah!