WHAT IS A DELEGATE?
Republican Delegates are registered Republican voters in your precinct who are elected to represent your precinct at county and/or state nominating and organizing conventions. Delegates are elected at neighborhood caucuses, which are held in even-numbered years (usually during the third week of March). Delegates serve 2-year terms. If you are interested in becoming a Delegate, attend your next neighborhood caucus! Republican delegates must be registered Republicans, or must be ‘unaffiliated’ and change their affiliation to ‘Republican’ at the caucus.
The position of Delegate is very important. Each Delegate represents around 300 precinct residents. A Delegate’s job is to research the field of candidates who have filed for a partisan office and to determine which candidates best represent their precinct’s values and ideals. Delegates then vote at conventions to choose which candidates will represent their party on November’s ballot. When Delegates cannot make a clear-cut decision (in the Republican Party, this happens when no one candidate garners at least 60% of the Delegate vote), then the two top candidates will go to a primary election where all registered Republicans can vote to choose which candidate ultimately ends up representing the Republican Party on November’s ballot.
HOW TO BE A GREAT DELEGATE
- A great Delegate takes the time to research each candidate who is running for the Party’s nomination. There are generally several campaign letters/emails to read, websites to visit, and debates and cottage meetings to attend.
- A great Delegate listens to other precinct residents’ views on various issues. Your precinct elected you because they 1) trust that you will make good judgments on their behalf in choosing candidates, and 2) trust that you will be open to political input from your neighborhood.
- A great Delegate shows up at convention! This is the most important responsibility of a Delegate. If a Delegate fails to attend conventions and vote, their precinct is not fully represented. If a Delegate has a conflict and absolutely cannot attend a convention, the best course of action is to contact the Precinct Chair and ask to be replaced.
(Note: Republican Precinct Officers and Delegates must be citizens of the USA, reside within the voting precinct, be registered Republican, and be 18 years of age before the November general election).
