Help Your Party!
Become a Precinct Committeeman and Committeewoman
What is a Precinct Committeewoman/man?
A Precinct Committeewoman/man is an elected position and represents the Sheridan County Democratic Party on behalf of their specific precinct and serves on the Sheridan County Democratic Party’s Central Committee.
Why become a Democratic Committeewoman/man?
Are you interested in making a real change in your community? Do you want your voice and the voices of your neighbors heard? Are you tired of complaining and want to actually DO something? Do you believe that our democracy is worth preserving? If the answer to these questions is “Yes!” you owe it to yourself and to your country to become a Democratic Committeewoman/man. In turn, you will receive the satisfaction of knowing that you made a contribution that will impact your life and the lives of everyone around you.
Responsibilities of a Democratic Committeewoman/man
Committeewomen/men represent the Sheridan County Democratic Party within their voting precincts—and represent the concerns of their neighbors to the Democratic Party. This grassroots representation is at the heart of our democracy and the basis for all other elected positions. Therefore, it is very important that Committeewomen/men take their responsibilities seriously and serve their party and their community to the best of their ability.
Of course, not all Committeewomen/men will be able to bring the same level of time and energy to the position, and it’s clearly better to have someone doing half a job than to have no one filling the position at all. However, the following list of duties represents the role of the Committeewoman/man at its very best: as an active participant in County politics and a dedicated public servant within his or her community.
As a grassroots organizer for the Sheridan County Democratic Party, the Committeewoman/man is expected to:
- attend meetings and trainings
- assist candidates with Get out the Vote (GOTV) activities, such as door to door canvassing and phone banking
- organize and assist with the placement of candidate signs throughout the precinct
- help with Party marketing or outreach efforts into the precinct
- actively support endorsed Democratic candidates.
Responsibilities to the voters in his/her precinct. As a representative of the Democratic voters in his/her precinct, the Committeewoman/man is expected to:
- actively seek out and register new voters within the precinct
- stay in touch with constituents in any way possible; listen to their concerns and bring these concerns back to the FCDP.
- strategize with the County Committee to Get Out the Vote on Election Days; recruit and organize volunteers to help cover the polls, canvass the streets, and assist Democrats in getting to the polls.
How does a person become a Committeewoman/man? To qualify as a Democratic Committee Person, the individual must first be a registered Democrat.
Precinct committeemen and committeewomen are elected at the regular biennial primary election. To be placed on the ballot to run for Precinct Committeewoman/man you need only to file the Application for Election by Party Primary. This can be done at the County Courthouse and the application is available there or online at: soswy.state.wy.us/Forms/Elections/Apps/Precinct.
If you win the Primary election, you will become the Democratic Committeewoman/man for your precinct!
The second way to become a Committeewoman/man occurs if there is a failure to elect a precinct Committeewoman/man in the primary election. In this instance the County Central Committee shall elect a Democrat registered and residing in the precinct to fill the vacancy. The County Chair, with the approval of the County Central Committee, may appoint a Democrat registered and residing in the precinct to fill the vacancy if the Primary has passed with no Democrat asking to be placed on the ballot to represent a certain precinct. At that time, the Chairperson of the County Democratic Party can appoint a registered Democrat to serve as Committeewoman/man for the remainder of the term.
Consider turning your concerns into action.