How to get Involved in the Delegate Process

Transcription

1 How to get Involved in the Delegate Process Information on Texas Delegate Process (2010) 1 P a g e

2 CONTENTS Five Steps to Freedom... 3 Step 1 - Register to Vote... 3 Step 2 - Get Aquatinted... 3 Step 3 - The Campaign... 4 Step 4 - The Primary... 5 Step 5 - Run For Office... 6 Outline for the Delegate Process... 8 PARTICIPATING IN THE CONVENTION PROCESS... 9 The Precinct Convention Process... 9 The County / Senatorial District Convention Process... 9 The State Convention Process Sample Script for Precinct Conventions Precinct Convention Consideration of Resolutions A sample resolution: SAMPLE MINUTES OF THE PARTY PRECINCT CONVENTION Call to Order Preparation of List of Participants Election of Permanent Officers Election of Delegates and Alternates to the County or State Senatorial Convention Resolutions Other Business Announcements Adjournment Exhibit A Exhibit D Exhibit E Contact Page ELECTION CALENDAR P a g e

3 Five Steps to Freedom Step 1 - Register to Vote Before you can have any input in the political process you must become a registered voter. Registering is easy and it is free. To qualify as a registered voter you must be18 years of age, a US citizen and a resident of the county in which you register. The Texas Election Code, Section (a)(4), allows that a convicted felon may petition for reinstatement of their voting rights 2 years after having satisfied their judgment to the court. Contact your voter registrar at your local courthouse or call the Secretary of State office for details You can pick up a voter registration card at any courthouse o post office in the state. Fill out all necessary information and drop into any mail box where mail is retrieved.(n~ postage necessary) You must be duly registered 30 days prior to an election to be eligible to vote in that election. Upon receipt of your voter card you will need 4 pieces of information. Your precinct number(which will be on the card). Each county is divided into voting precincts. The location for voting in each precinct will be published in your local paper or can be found at the local courthouse prior to each election. Except in special cases the location will generally remain the same. It is not necessary to re-register as long as you vote at least once each two years or don't move. The other three bits of information may or may not be on your voter certificate. The State of Texas is divided into 150 State Representative Districts,31 State Senatorial Districts~30 US Congressional Districts. if this information is not on your voter certificate, it can be found at your courthouse. Each state is also represented by 2 US Senators You must then learn the name, address and phone number(both local and capitol offices) of each of these p80ple. They are the ones to contact when you have any questions or requests concerning political happenings. They are the ones you will vote for or against each two or four years as the case may be. These four elected officials are the ones who will vote on issues for you personally. It is also a good idea to get the same information for the County and Precinct Chair of each Party. You are now a registered voter. You have all the necessary names, addresses and phone numbers of those people you must deal with in order to be politically effective. Congratulations, You have completed step 1. It has cost you very little time, no money and is probably one of the biggest decisions you have made during this lifetime. You are now in a position to truly have a say in the political future of your city, county, state and country. It is now imperative that you become familiar with the voting record of those 5 people who supposedly serve your needs at both the state and federal level. Thus begins step 2! Step 2 - Get Aquatinted It is now time to make use of the information you have gathered. Elected officials are normal people and can not be expected to have all the answers. They depend on their constituents to keep them informed. Today most of their information comes from paid lobbyist. You must change this situation. They will look more favorably on a friend than someone paid to influence their vote. Sit down and write a letter to each of the top 3 elected officials in your district. your letter should be hand written, no more than one page and cover only one subject. Pick any current subject in which you are interested. Identify yourself, explain how you feel about the issue and why. Ask how they see the issue and ask for a response. Example: Dear Senator Anyone; I am an avid motorcyclist but both my wife and I drive automobiles. I am quite disturbed by the current push for No-fault insurance in Texas. Everything I have been able to learn about this subject is negative. It appears to me, that drivers with 3 P a g e

4 good driving records and especially those who ride motorcycles would be unfairly treated under such a plan. Hawaii and Canada have both repealed their No-fault as being to costly. I would like to know how you feel on this issue and how you would vote on the issue should it come before you in the next session. If you support No-fault I would like to know your reason for doing so. I await your reply. Respectfully, John Doe VRN /9 (VRN is voter registration #) Since our interests are primarily motorcycle related it would be good to list any MC Club or Rights Organization to which you belong. This will establish your standing for the future. Each official should receive at least one letter per month. Comment on quotes they have made to the media or action taken on a specific issue. Watch for announced meetings the officials will attend and be there. Introduce yourself at the first meeting and make it a point to be certain they are aware of your presence at all future meetings. Don't miss an opportunity to praise any official when they have performed well. The best way to do this is thru the Letters to The Editor section of your local newspaper. These papers are read by the official or his staff each morning. You have now established yourself as a person who is knowledgeable, active in the political arena and a registered voter and are therefore seen as a constituent who deserves consideration. Officials are visited by paid lobbyists on a daily basis. They realize these people are not really interested in a piece of legislation except in how it affects their salary. It is refreshing to have someone who really cares about an issue to share information with them. Remember these are plain men and women, just like you. For the most part, they ran for office to make a difference. Having arrived in the capitol they came to realize things are not always as they seem. Change doesn t come easy when the status quo has been established for years. That is why we need more of us up there. Never lie to an official to make your case seem more solid. They have heard them all and you will only brand yourself as a phony. Don't offer a compromise you are not certain your Association will honor. Let the official realize you will always be above board on any issue. Treat each official with whom you come in contact with honesty and integrity as if dealing with a friend and you might just find you are. Always address only one issue per letter or visit unless requested to do otherwise. You have now established rapport with those elected officials in your District. They know you as an honest, caring person, interested in your community and registered to vote. You have taken Step 2 and passed with flying colors. Your new political future is moving closer to reality and all you had to do was take one more step. Pretty simple trip so far isn t it? NOW move your left foot back in Front and let's take Step 3. Step 3 - The Campaign Much has been written about how best to support a candidate of your choice. There are as many ways as there are candidates. All probably work equally well if done properly. Since Motorcycle Rights Organizations always suffer a shortage of funds, we will deal here with personal involvement. Your prior contact with the candidates has given you a choice as to whom you will support in the election and why. (This Association does not tell members how to vote but we do make recommendations based on past performance or information gathered). Personal involvement in a campaign is better and receives more notice, from a candidate or their staff, than a cash donation. Others may disagree and I won't argue with their views. This Association began on the assumption, a rider becoming educated in the process and getting personally involved can make a difference. This theory has been proven to be correct. Flyers are picked up at the campaign headquarters at a designated time and passed out on 4 P a g e

5 the street, in shopping malls or anywhere not prohibited by law. You may volunteer as often or as sparingly as you wish. Once or twice a week about 2 hours per day is generally sufficient. Stuffing envelopes is the best way to become familiar with other campaign workers, the candidate and their staff. You will meet with other workers to collate, fold and put campaign material into envelopes to be mailed later. This task gets your candidates message out and allows you time to interact with others who could be helpful to our cause in the legislative session. This is the perfect job for someone not adept at going out and talking to strangers but can be group friendly. The next form of service in a campaign is working on phone banks. For this task you will show up at a designated time and location which will have several phones installed. You will be given a list of names to call and to convince the person with whom you speak to not only vote but to vote for your candidate. 2-3 hours per evening, twice a week is considered sufficient but if you can give more time, do so. For this assignment you must have a strong clear voice and have no problem speaking with strangers. As a phone solicitor you won't have as much time to interact with other workers but your services won t go unnoticed. Putting up yard signs is the tried and true method of involvement in a campaign. Again you can do as much or as little as you choose. You will need a crew and a pickup for this job and it is normally done on weekends. If you choose to do the standard job, you will pick up assembled signs at a predesignated location. You will be given a list of specific area to cover and a list of addresses where the occupants have agreed to allow signs to be erected. It doesn't hurt if you can provide extra locations for this project. You will generally spend most of the day saturday and possibly sunday afternoons on this assignment. You will travel to each location and speak with the occupant if possible. Identify yourself and verify their willingness to allow the signs to be posted. Place the sign(s) in the location of their choice and move on to the next location. If you have the time and manpower and really want to get involved you can run the entire sign campaign. If this much involvement is possible it will really be beneficial to you in the future. Signs will be picked up unassembled and you will not only distribute them but assemble them as well. If your interest runs in this direction we will be more than happy to train you and your crew as to the best methods possible to conduct this very important undertaking. As you move on to Step 5 you will see why this is so important). This is the ultimate in volunteer duty. By accepting this much responsibility you show yourself as willing to go the extra mile. You also are freeing up other workers and cash to be used by the candidate elsewhere. The campaign is over and election day has arrived. Put your right foot forward one more time and take Step 4. Step 4 - The Primary You have worked hard and hopefully your candidate will be victorious. Win or lose you have made friends and proven yourself to be a hard worker and a staunch supporter of those who have the same feeling on the issues as you do. You have also seen how important citizen involvement is to the political scene. It is now time to put that knowledge to work and take advantage of the delegate process. 1. Get out and meet with your neighbors. a. There is a saying, (Good fences make good neighbors),open your gate and Bar-B-Que Pit and let your neighbor be your friend. Explain our goals and ask for their support to become a delegate. Offer transportation to the polls, even if it means using 4 wheels. 2. Vote in the primary of your choice: a. When you sign in to get your ballot ask for the time and place of the caucus meeting (they won't volunteer this information) b. If it is convenient, it is best to vote close to closing time so you won't have to return later. 3. The Caucus Meeting: a. Call to order at the appointed time by the precinct chair. b. Preparation of list of qualified participants in attendance. (only those who voted in the primary are qualified) 5 P a g e

6 c. Announcement of the Agenda and basic rules of procedure. d. Nomination and election of temporary officers of the Pct. meeting. This is where you need your friends! e. Announcement of time and location of county or district meetings and temporary committee meetings, if known. f. Nomination and election of delegates to the county or district convention, whichever the case may be in your precinct. 1. If the number present is less than the number of delegates and alternates needed, names can be picked from the list of those who voted. 2. The above is usually the case. That is why your participation is so important. Know which, if any, of your supporters voted but were unable to make the Caucus and get them appointed as delegates. 4. Resolutions: a. The caucus chair asks the floor for any resolutions to be considered for the county convention. (Our list of resolutions will be prepared in advance and you will have several copies) Raise your hand and say "Mr. Chairman, I have (how many) resolutions to be entered for our precinct. Each resolution will be read, seconded and voted. Our people will have the same resolutions in each precinct so don't panic if some don t pass. Note the source of opposition for future reference. After all resolutions are introduced and voted and all announcements made, the meeting will adjourn. (generally less than an hour). The County or district Convention is a miniature State Convention. The committees have been chosen and will do their work. The number of delegates from each precinct will be announced and the precinct delegates will each elect their delegates for the State Convention. The Resolutions passed at this Convention shall move forward to be considered at the State Convention. The State Convention is the culmination of this whole process. This will be three days of hard work and glorious pleasure as payment for going the distance. As we progress we can place enough members on each committee to truly affect our future. There are 254 counties in Texas. If we could get just 10 State Delegates from each county we could control either Party. Since we are not interested in control for it's own sake we can interact with others to form a party which is fair to all. Only by gaining support of others can we guarantee our right to ride free for years to come. This is just a simple outline of the process. If you have chosen to become involved we will provide workshops for more specific training prior to the actual Primary. Having taken these 4 steps you have moved into the realm of knowledge as to real workings of Texas politics. You are as adept at the process as any county chairman currently in office. It is now time to step completely into the arena. For years we have worked to put biker friendly people in office. Now it is time we reap the full benefit of our training and labor. Place your left foot forward again and take Step number 5. Step 5 - Run For Office Having taken the 1st 4 steps, as outlined, you have become well known to the movers and shakers in the local political arena. It is now time to toss your hat into the ring and become a candidate for public office. Again we shall outline how this can be accomplished with very little cash outlay by you. This step will in no way cover every aspect of this task. It simply gives the basics on how to start using the knowledge you have gained through the 1st 4 steps. Pick an office you would like to hold. It is generally wise to start with a local office, but not always necessary. Contact your county courthouse or office of Secretary of State and declare your intent to run. You will receive the necessary forms, which explain in detail the requirements to get on the ballot for the office you have chosen. There is generally a filing fee for most offices. These fees can, however, be waived by receiving enough signatures of registered voters. I recommend the petition because if you can't get the signatures (generally 500 or less) then you can't win an election anyway and it will have cost you nothing but time. Select your treasurer and campaign staff, get on the ballot and let the fun begin. You and your friends have already run campaigns for other candidates so this is just a matter of repeating the process but the rewards are much higher. Timing is a key ingredient for making your 1st campaign a success. If possible it is best to seek an office which has no incumbent. An incumbent always has the advantage over a challenger unless they have totally screwed up. Few people are really well informed during an election, relying completely on the media for their information. They will vote for an incumbent, thanks to the media, simply because they recognize the name. Sad but true. Also, anything an incumbent says 6 P a g e

7 or does is covered by the media news while you are ignored. A good way to overcome this bias is to have several of your friends write the Letters to The Editor section of the local papers on a daily basis. Have them tell what you are saying and doing and ask why there is no media coverage. This will get your name and message before the public at no cost If you must face an incumbent it is best to wage this campaign when a particular issue, which directly affects the office you have chosen, has galvanized the public to action. Study the issue from all angles. If your position is different from the incumbent and the voters are vocal, the time is right. Go for it!! Attend all meetings in your area and speak out. Talk to any group which will have you. Talk to individuals on the street, in stores or anywhere you encounter them. Set a goal to meet every voter in your district. You can t, of course, but don't stop trying. A few friends willing to use their phone to make calls to local voters will fill the need for a phone bank (no charge). Several can get together at each home or office and have fun while taking turns making calls. You will, of course, have to purchase signs and campaign literature. If you have a friend in the business, great. If not, these can be purchased from a mail-order house at reasonable rates. The rest is up to you. State your position honestly, forcefully and often. You must sell not only your ideas but yourself. Don't be afraid to say I don't know, but if you will tell me how to contact you I will find out and get back with you " then do it! Point out differences between you and your opponent but always do this in a positive manner. Never make negative remarks about your opponent. Instruct your campaign, workers that they are never to say anything negative about them. Stick to the issues. Get your views before all the voters possible. A good way to end each speech is to encourage people to vote. Example: "I want to thank each of your for attending this meeting and giving me the opportunity to express my views. It is extremely important that each of you vote in this election. I encourage each of you to vote, even if you choose to vote for my opponent. Only if you all vote can the winner truly be the choice of the people. If any of you are not registered to vote we have voter registration cards here which you can fill out tonight or take home with you. Don t use a prepared speech. Speak from the heart and you will probably touch hearts. Having won your 1st elective office you have realized the true American Dream. You have become someone who can make a difference using hard work and the help of friends, rather than money. The Five Steps are now complete but your journey has just begun. Congratulations - Good Luck - God Bless 7 P a g e

8 Outline for the Delegate Process 1. Register to vote 2. Vote 3. Show up at the polling place at 7:15pm on March 9 th for the Precinct Convention a. Everyone to the meeting will sign the sign in sheet and declare their Presidential Candidate (or undecided) b. If the Precinct chair is not present, then anyone can start the meeting as the temporary chair. c. Verify all those present have signed in and are eligible to be there (must have voted in precinct) d. Elect permanent Chair and Secretary for the meeting. e. After permanent Chair and Secretary have taken positions, calculate the number of delegates and alternates to go to the County / Senatorial convention. f. Nominate then elect persons for Delegate and Alternate positions to the County convention. g. Further business to include presenting and voting on resolutions to be sent to the County convention h. Conclusion of business, secretary completes filling out minutes of meeting, Chair and Secretary sign the forms and break them apart to be put in the correct envelops. i. Precinct Chair of the meeting will send the forms to the County chair within two days. Certified mail is preferred. 4. Sometime within the next week all delegates and alternates should receive info on where to meet for the County Convention. Normally the county will meet within 7 days to certify the results of the election. If possible try and make that meeting, you will get more info about the County convention there. Also if you wish to be on a committee you can express your wishes at that time. Phone calls are alright, but personal appearances show that you want to participate. 5. County Convention Much is the same at the County convention as is the Precinct convention. The difference is the amount of people and that committees are used to certify results and decide on party issues such as resolutions. The resolution committee will take all resolutions presented by each precinct and vote on whether to present them to the floor for voting or not. Resolution committee can modify the resolutions to make them more palatable or to combine several resolutions into one. a. Each Precinct will be told the actual number of people who will be able to be delegates or alternates to the State Convention. The Precincts will then be allowed time to gather and vote on which members will be submitted as delegates and alternates to the State convention. The County delegates will then vote to approve the list to be sent to the state. b. The County delegates will vote for or against on resolutions released by the resolutions committee to be sent to the State Convention. c. Once the business is concluded the meeting will adjourn. 6. If you were elected as a delegate or alternate to the State Convention, you will be required to fill out forms to state your desire to attend the National Convention. This will be done before the State Convention convens. 7. The State Convention is a much larger version of the County convention. This convention will take place over a couple of days. If you wish to serve on any committees you must attend your Senate District Caucus and be nominated and approved by the membership in order to serve. 8 P a g e

9 PARTICIPATING IN THE CONVENTION PROCESS The Precinct Convention Process The Party s primary election will be held on March 2, Those who vote in the primary will choose the candidates who will represent our Party in the November general election. Less well-known, but just as important, are the decisions that will be made after the polls close at precinct conventions a type of town hall meeting. Anyone who votes in the primary election (either in early voting, voting by mail, or at the polls on election day) is eligible to attend his or her precinct convention. Your convention will take place at your precinct s election day polling place within two hours after the polls close at 7:00 p.m. The time and place of your precinct convention must be posted at each poll during primary election day. Expect anywhere from one to well over 100 participants to attend. The precinct convention is called to order by the Precinct Chairman or a person acting in his stead. This person is the Temporary Precinct Convention Chairman. A Permanent Precinct Convention Chairman and Secretary are then elected by majority vote. The Convention Chairman may appoint a Sergeant-at-Arms and/or a Parliamentarian. There are only two items of business for the precinct convention: election of delegates and alternates to county or senatorial district conventions, and the approval of resolutions to be sent to these conventions. Each precinct is entitled to send to the county/senatorial district convention one delegate and one alternate for every 25 votes, or major fraction thereof, cast for Governor candidate of your party in that precinct in the 2006 general election. In districts where the size of a convention is a problem, the ratio may be set at one delegate and alternate for every 40 votes. At the precinct convention, attendees decide by majority vote who gets to be delegates and alternates to the county/senatorial district convention. Often, everyone who attends becomes a delegate to the next level. However, if a large number attend, decisions will need to be made as to who will be a delegate and who will be an alternate. The only requirement to be elected as a delegate or alternate to the county/senatorial district convention is to have voted in the 2010 primary election. It is not required to attend the precinct convention in order to be elected to the next higher level. Longtime Republicans often perform tasks for the party or candidates during Election Day, which prevents them from being able to attend. However, for those who are new to the party, attending the precinct convention will definitely increase the likelihood of being one of those elected. The County / Senatorial District Convention Process This convention is the next step up on the ladder of the party leadership and policy development. They must be held on March 20, 2010, at a time and place announced at the precinct convention. When your county is located completely within one state senate district, you will have a county convention. When your county is split into two or more senate districts, you must have senatorial district conventions. Both type conventions are identical in conduct of business. At the county/senatorial district convention, the formal business is the same as at the precinct convention: elect delegates and alternates to the next higher-level convention and adopt resolutions for that convention s 9 P a g e

10 consideration. The informality of the small precinct convention is replaced by a more formal agenda and parliamentary rules necessary for an orderly meeting. If your convention has over 25 delegates, as most will, the temporary chairman shall appoint between five and fifteen members to the following committees to run the convention: Credentials: hears disputes about contested delegates as well as deciding who shall be seated. Rules: recommends supplementary rules for the convention. Permanent Organization: recommends permanent officers of the convention. Resolutions: recommends which resolutions should be approved. Nominations: recommends a slate of delegates and alternates to the state convention. Because of the amount of work involved, the Temporary Nominations and Resolutions Committees usually meet at least once prior to the convention. Some committees may have several meeting and take testimony to help them make their reports. If you are interested in being a delegate or alternate to the state convention, call the temporary Nominations Committee Chairman, find out who is on the committee, when they will be meeting, and if you may appear to speak before the committee. Most important decisions are made in committees. Committee reports may be amended on the floor, but it is usually easier to get what you want in committee. If you are new to this process, do not be overwhelmed by the formality of the structure. Ask others who have been to conventions before to help guide you in understanding what to do. Your county/senatorial district convention is entitled to send one delegate and one alternate to the state convention for every 300 votes cast in your county/district for Governor candidate of your party in the 2006 general election. Each county in each senatorial district is guaranteed at least two delegates and two alternates. Alternates may only vote at the state convention when seated for an absent delegate. Each county/senatorial district convention determines the manner in which alternates are seated. The Temporary Nominations Committee proposes a slate of delegates and alternates to the state convention. They usually select experienced who have worked hard for the local party plus a few new activists. Becoming a state delegate or alternate is a great honor and must be earned. If you don t make it this time, redouble your efforts: increase your local involvement, attend meetings and volunteer to assist candidates. The State Convention Process Delegates and alternates will be mailed packets containing full information from state party headquarters a few weeks after the county/senatorial district convention. A large number of hotel rooms in various price ranges will be reserved for convention attendees. The packet will include a reservation form for attendees who want to stay in those particular hotels. Attendees may also select other area accommodations on their own, stay with friends or relatives, or stay in nearby cities. The business conducted at the state convention will be to elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Party of Texas, elect one male and one female member from your senatorial district to the State Executive Committee, and adopt a state party platform. Given the large size of the convention, strict rules are in place to regulate its conduct. There is a considerable reliance on the committee process in conducting business. Temporary committees members are appointed by the State Chairman on recommendation by the State Executive Committee. 10 P a g e

11 Each senate district is entitled to be represented by one member on the following committees: Credentials, Organization, Rules, and Platform and Resolutions. All of these temporary committees meet prior to the convening of the convention. All meeting are open to the public, and each will establish a time when interested persons like you may address the committee. Some committees will begin meeting a few days before the convention convenes. More than participating in the formal convention business, though, you will come into contact with those who run Texas government. Statewide officeholders, senators, congressmen, legislators, county officials, party leaders, as well as candidates for those offices are among those you will have the opportunity to meet and speak to personally. These are the people who are writing the future of Texas. By attending these conventions, you have the opportunity to be one of those leaders, too. We encourage you to take advantage of that opportunity! In presidential election years, on the last day of the state convention, the delegates will caucus according to congressional district. At this meeting, the delegates will vote for the National Committeeman and Committeewoman, who along with the State Chairman, represent the Party of Texas on the National Committee. During the congressional caucus, a person will be selected as a Presidential elector who will be a member of the electoral college. The congressional caucus is also where the delegate selection process begins for the national convention. 11 P a g e

12 Sample Script for Precinct Conventions in the Party in the State of Texas IMPORTANT NOTE TO TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: This script is intended to serve as a guide and can be read to assist the Temporary Chairman through a simple precinct convention. Read this entire sample script. You may fill in known items in the blank spaces before your precinct convention. This script is intended to conform to the Texas Election Code, the Rules of the Party and Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised, as required. This note and others shown are not intended to be part of the script but rather are provided as notes, suggestions, information, cautions or warnings. It is convenient when the temporary chair of the precinct convention is also the election judge, but if this is not the case in your precinct, then the temporary chair and the election judge should coordinate efforts for a successful precinct convention. The election judge is required to provide the temporary precinct convention chair a list of those who voted (TEC ). All Election Judges and Election Clerks who are in the precinct & who voted are permitted to participate in the precinct convention before returning ballots and election returns, and it makes no difference how long a precinct convention lasts (TEC ), with a few very rare exceptions (TEC ). If an elections administrator refuses to cooperate, as some have, then ask them how they justify keeping a person from voting in their Precinct Convention. This usually solves the problem. However, ballots and election returns must be returned to the general custodian of election records as soon as possible (TEC ). This does not preclude an election judge s legal responsibility to safeguard and protect voted ballots under his or her authority (TEC ). Be Careful, Be Right, and Be Legal! If any voice vote in your convention is close (or even seems close), you should call for a second vote by division (a standing vote). If your assembly is a large one, it is wise to ask for assistance in counting, such as a teller from each side (representing each major faction, if any) to assist you. A. CALL TO ORDER: The Convention of Precinct # will now come to order. It is now p.m., the time designated by the Executive Committee of the Party, to call our Precinct Convention to Order. My name is, the Temporary Chairman of the Convention. I have asked to serve as Temporary Secretary of the Convention and (if necessary) to serve as Temporary Assistant Secretary (ies) and to serve as Temporary Sergeant-at-Arms. B. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: We ask everyone to stand for the Invocation followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to our Flags. I have asked to lead us in the Invocation and to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag and to lead us in the Pledge to the Texas Flag. INFORMATION: The Invocation and Pledges are optional agenda items. They are not mandatory in the agenda for a precinct convention. Should you choose to include these items in your agenda, be sure you have prearranged with a person assigned to perform each function and that flags are present. The pledge to the U.S. Flag 12 P a g e

13 is: 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. The pledge of allegiance to the Texas Flag is: Honor the Texas flag - I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one and indivisible. C. PREPARATION OF A LIST OF QUALIFIED PARTICIPANTS: The next business in order is the preparation of a list of qualified participants. State law (TEC & ) and the Rules of the Party, require that only registered voters of this election precinct who voted in the current Primary Election either in person, early or by mail may participate in this precinct convention. Proxy voting is not permitted. Members of the media may remain and children may remain as long as they are quiet and not disruptive (TEC ). For all who are qualified to participate, we are circulating a list of those in attendance and we ask you to print legibly on this sheet rather than to sign it since it is easier to read when we prepare the minutes for this precinct convention (refer to the next suggestion). Please include your residence address and telephone number(s). When completed, we will ask the Secretary (ies) to confirm the list by comparing it to the list of those who voted or ask each of you to show evidence that you voted. SUGGESTION: You can save time if your Convention Secretary registers those persons who desire to participate in the Precinct Convention as they enter the meeting room beginning a few minutes before the precinct convention begins. Be careful not to interfere with any voters who may still be in line to vote. After you have prepared your list of participants, then proceed. The Secretary has confirmed that we have present and qualified to participate in this Precinct Convention. Are there any questions? If we have any late arrivals, we will add then to the list of participants after we confirm their eligibility to participate. Late arrivals will then be permitted to participate beginning with the vote following the one in progress (if any). If anyone is present other than minor children and the media who did not vote in the Primary Election in the Party in this voting precinct, we ask you not to participate (or sit in another area of the meeting room or leave the convention). This is not intended to be mean spirited it is a legal requirement. Are there any questions or is there any objection? Observing none, we will proceed. WARNING: Use good judgment in addressing the matter of qualifying participants. The intent is clearly to preclude non-qualified persons from participating and voting in your precinct convention. It is not uncommon to permit interested observers to remain if space permits and if they do not participate. If you find a conflict between your list of participants and your list of voters, address the matter carefully since a person may be registered to vote under a former name, hyphenated name, etc. If your election judge was less than cooperative and does not provide you with a list of those who voted, you must prove it by another method such a rubber stamp on the Voter Registration Certificate indicating Your Primary of Choice or a Certificate of Party Affiliation indicating the person voted in the primary election. Non-qualified persons must not participate it is illegal. Any violation of this could subject your precinct convention to a challenge. Be Careful, Be Right, and Be Legal. If an objection occurs, you may need to ask all persons except children (if quiet and not disruptive) 13 P a g e

14 and the media to leave the meeting room. If necessary, remind them, This is not intended to be mean spirited - it is a legal requirement. The media must be permitted to remain (TEC ). D. ANNOUNCEMENT OF AGENDA AND RULES OF PROCEDURE: The Rules of the Party provide that certain items must be included in the agenda for a Precinct Convention. Following the Call to Order and Preparation of a List of Qualified Participants, we will Elect Permanent Officers of this Convention, Announce the Time and Location of our County or Senatorial District Convention and the Time and Location of Temporary Committee Meetings (if known). After our preliminary work is done, we will address the main reasons for being here to elect Delegates and Alternates to the County or Senatorial District Convention, followed by addressing any resolutions that may come forth. This will be followed by other business including significant announcements, then Adjournment. This Precinct Convention must be conducted in accordance with the Texas Election Code (TEC), the Rules of the Party and Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR). Are there any comments or questions? (Pause and wait for any comments or questions, then proceed.) E. ELECTION OF PERMANENT OFFICERS: The next business in order is the election of permanent officers of this convention. Nominations for permanent officers are now in order. The Chair recognizes for the purpose of a nomination. SUGGESTION: Continue with nominations until all officers are elected. The election of officers will usually include the Chairman, the Secretary and the Sergeant-at-Arms. Other officers may be elected if the convention so chooses. It is not uncommon for a single motion to be made to nominate all temporary officers of the convention as permanent officers in a friendly convention. A motion such as this is acceptable, but should never be used to shut out further nominations. Nominating speeches are acceptable but are not common in Precinct Conventions. Continue with nominations until there are no further nominations. Do not close nominations, permit a motion to close nominations or accept a motion to elect by acclamation until adequate opportunity has occurred for nominations to be made. Such motions typically require a two-thirds vote for adoption. You must be flexible depending on the number of nominations made. At a precinct convention, it is wise to vote by division (standing) and to ask for two or more counters (one representing each major faction, if any). After the elections, the Permanent Chairman assumes the Chair and continues. This election is sometimes viewed as a test vote to see how future votes in the convention will go. Refer to the CAUTIONS following the ELECTION OF DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES and CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS. has/have been nominated for Chairman. If there is no objection, we will vote in the order nominated. All in favor of, please stand and remain standing until you are counted. All in favor of, please stand and remain standing until you are counted. The vote totals are for and for. Mr./Ms. has been elected Permanent Chairman of this Precinct Convention. WARNING: If the Temporary Chairman is seeking election to be the Permanent Chairman and is defeated, he/she should turn control of the Chair to the new Permanent Chairman. Do not be vindictive. Such conduct is 14 P a g e

15 unacceptable and may subject one to embarrassment, challenge and/or discipline. The Temporary Chairman should provide the Permanent Chairman all forms and official documents necessary for the proper conduct of the remainder of the precinct convention and the preparation of the minutes. Nominations continue for other officers in the same manner. It is not uncommon for one motion to be made to elect all temporary officers as permanent officers of the convention. However, if the convention chooses to elect each officer individually, then repeat this process for each officer. Nominations are now in order for permanent Secretary.... then Sergeant-at-Arms, etc. F. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE COUNTY OR SENATORIAL DISTRICT CONVENTION: We are in county or State Senatorial District # (The convention for our county/district will be on Saturday, April, 2 at. Registration will begin at a.m., and the Call to Order is scheduled at. If you are nominated and elected as a delegate or alternate, it is recommended that you allocate the entire day for the convention since the most important items of business at all conventions generally occur near the end of the convention. Our Precinct, Precinct #, has been allocated delegates and an equal number of alternates to our County/State Senatorial District Convention. This allocation is based on the Rules of the Party and in those precincts which had boundary changes since the last gubernatorial election, by an allocation method ratified by resolution at the statutory meeting of the Executive Committee of the Party. It may bear repeating that the only requirement to be a delegate or alternate is that a nominee must have voted in this precinct in this year s Primary election in the Party, in person, early or by mail and receive a majority vote of this precinct convention. Are there any questions? (Pause and wait for questions or comments before moving to the next item.) CAUTION: It is important that there be no questions. You are about to address the most important business of the convention. It is also very important that if anyone arrives at this point in the convention, they may participate provided that they meet all other qualifications. If a vote is pending, they may not vote on the pending question but may participate in subsequent votes. Under some circumstances a late comer will alter the outcome. If this happens, so be it; that s the way our system works. G. ELECTION OF DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES: The next business in order is the Election of Delegates and Alternates to the County/Senatorial District Convention of the Party. Nominations for Delegates and Alternates are now in order. Are there any nominations? The Chair recognizes for a nomination. CAUTION: All nominations are debatable, amendable and require a majority vote for adoption. It is suggested that you not limit debate or discussion on nominations. The use of motions to Close Nominations or Move the Previous Question are strongly discouraged as they can be used to thwart the intent of rules and frustrate the intent of the majority. Try to avoid these motions; however, if they are used, an affirmative vote of twothirds is typically required. Nominations can be made by slate, individually or a combination. If any voice vote is close, it is wise to have a second vote by division (standing) and to ask for two or more counters (one 15 P a g e

16 representing each major faction, if any). The illegal parliamentary method called railroading has no place in any convention or meeting of our Party. Persons guilty of this kind of conduct are subject to discipline under the Party Rules. The ends never justify the means, period. H. CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTIONS: The next business in order is the Consideration of Resolutions. Are there any Resolutions? The Chair recognizes for a motion. CAUTION: All resolutions are debatable, amendable and require a majority vote for adoption. It is suggested that debate and discussion on resolutions not be limited unless a previous motion to limit debate was adopted and such a motion is fair and consistent with Rules. Be careful! A motion to Table with the intent to kill a resolution or a motion to Refer without a vote on a Resolution are both out of order and must not be considered. A motion to Table or Lay on the Table a resolution at a Precinct Convention is almost always out of order. Try to avoid such potential problems in your convention. They just might create problems for you later. If any voice vote is close, it is wise to have a second vote by division (standing) and to ask for two or more counters (one representing each major faction, if any). There are no limitations on the number of resolutions that may be presented. (After discussion, debate, etc.) All in favor indicate by saying AYE, opposed NAY. The AYES have it (if they really do) and the resolution passes or the NAYS have it (if they really do) and the resolution fails adoption. I. OTHER BUSINESS: We have one important final announcement. Pursuant to the Rules of the Party, a copy of the written records of this convention will be available for copying by any participant in the Precinct Convention for a period of thirty (30) minutes immediately following adjournment and this record includes a list of Delegates and Alternates elected at this Convention (compliance with this is not optional, it s mandatory). Are there any questions?... Comments?... Any other business to come before this convention (pause... pause... pause... do not move too fast... if there is none... then move on)? OK J. ADJOURNMENT: The last item on our agenda is adjournment. Do we have a motion to adjourn? (A motion to adjourn must be made and seconded or it can be made by unanimous consent) All in favor indicate by saying AYE, those opposed say NAY or NO. The AYES have it and the 20 convention of this precinct is adjourned sine die. VERY IMPORTANT WARNING: This warning is intended to alarm you and is a must read. The most common grounds for a precinct convention challenge of credentials at the County or Senatorial District Convention is that minutes are late, incomplete, illegible or a combination of these. Two copies of the precinct convention minutes must be turned in to the County Chairman of the Party, not later than the third day after the date of the precinct convention. However, if they are mailed, they must be mailed not later than the second day after the date of the precinct convention. If mailed, it is always wise to send by certified mail, with a return receipt requested. There are no provisions for sending precinct convention minutes by facsimile or because original signatures are required. So, do not send by fax or . Be certain the minutes are legible, complete, signed with original signatures and all 16 P a g e

17 exhibits are attached. This means that the second copy must also be legible. If not, it is your responsibility to make copies so they are legible. The state party usually provides the county chairmen or state executive committee members with a minutes form. Included is usually an Exhibit A for the list of participants in your precinct convention; Exhibit B for the list of Delegates elected to your County or Senatorial District Convention; Exhibit C for the list of Alternates elected to your County or Senatorial District Convention; Exhibit D for the list of resolutions adopted by title, and Exhibit E for the list of resolutions that failed adoption by title. Exhibits A, B, and C must show the names, addresses and telephone numbers of those listed ( addresses are highly encouraged). After adjournment, discuss the minutes with your convention secretary. This is very important. If you err on this matter, you could be disciplined, challenged, embarrassed or a combination of these or the delegates and alternates elected at your convention may not be seated. Be Careful! 17 P a g e