Precinct committeeman
Encyclopedia
A Precinct Committeemen, or PC, (also known as a Precinct Committee Officer
(PCO) or Precinct Officer (PO), Precinct Delegates, Precinct Executive, ET AL) is the name for a office
and the name of the official
that organizes a voting precinct
for a political party
.
There are state, ward and township party organizations, but the basic unit of U.S. government
is the county
. In nearly every case, the party endorsements the primary voter sees are made by a county executive committee
. This executive committee is usually elected by the county's precinct committeemen. These committeemen are elected in the party primary from every precinct (The number of voters varies greatly from region to region) in the county.
Each state has slightly different rules for getting on the primary ballot for committeeman. For example, in Illinois
(outside Cook County) you must file the signatures of any 10 registered voters in your precinct 90 days before the primary. In Ohio
, you must file 5 signatures 75 days before the primary from voters who either voted in you party's primary or didn't vote in any primary in the last two years. Arizona
allows for a precinct committeeman to be appointed outside the election cycle, a non-voting office, then file 10 signatures 76 days before the primary from voters registered to same party. The rules (and the name of the office) may differ slightly from state to state.
Committee of Illinois in 1840 and and may have been an attempt to shore up the failed economic plan known as the American System
. It states in part:
, county committeeman, state committeemen, members of executive committee (chairman, executive director, treasure, etc.), members at large and district heads are some of the officers a committeeman may be asked to vote on.
An elected committeeman may also be asked to vote on changes to county and/or state to by-laws and to vote on which candidates the party backs in an election.
During an election cycle the precinct committeeman may campaign for candidates by walking door-to-door or on the telephone, put up and take down campaign signs. A precinct committeeman may be asked work in polling places and/or to check ballots.
States and counties vary widely on what is expected of both appointed and elected committeemen.
Precinct Committee Officer
A Precinct Committee Officer, or PCO, is the name for an office in the U.S. state of Washington that organizes a voting precinct for a political party. The PCO is one of the most grass-roots offices available. The PCO brings to the party organizations the concerns of the voters, and of the...
(PCO) or Precinct Officer (PO), Precinct Delegates, Precinct Executive, ET AL) is the name for a office
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
and the name of the official
Official
An official is someone who holds an office in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority .A government official or functionary is an official who is involved in public...
that organizes a voting precinct
Precinct
A precinct is a space enclosed by the walls or other boundaries of a particular place or building, or by an arbitrary and imaginary line drawn around it. The term has several different uses...
for a political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
There are state, ward and township party organizations, but the basic unit of U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
is the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
. In nearly every case, the party endorsements the primary voter sees are made by a county executive committee
Executive Committee
Executive Committee may refer to:* The Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland, a government body in the United Kingdom 1921–1972* The Northern Ireland Executive, a government body in the United Kingdom...
. This executive committee is usually elected by the county's precinct committeemen. These committeemen are elected in the party primary from every precinct (The number of voters varies greatly from region to region) in the county.
Each state has slightly different rules for getting on the primary ballot for committeeman. For example, in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
(outside Cook County) you must file the signatures of any 10 registered voters in your precinct 90 days before the primary. In Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, you must file 5 signatures 75 days before the primary from voters who either voted in you party's primary or didn't vote in any primary in the last two years. Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
allows for a precinct committeeman to be appointed outside the election cycle, a non-voting office, then file 10 signatures 76 days before the primary from voters registered to same party. The rules (and the name of the office) may differ slightly from state to state.
History
The first concept for Precinct Committeemen appears in a Circular From the WhigWhig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
Committee of Illinois in 1840 and and may have been an attempt to shore up the failed economic plan known as the American System
American System (economic plan)
The American System, originally called "The American Way", was a mercantilist economic plan that played a prominent role in American policy during the first half of the 19th century...
. It states in part:
Responsibilities
A precinct committeeman has many varied responsibilities. Elected committeeman (by ballot) are eligible to vote for official party officers at county and/or state functions where official balloting for officers takes place. Precinct captainPrecinct captain
A precinct captain is an individual who acts as the direct link between a political party organization and the voters in an election precinct...
, county committeeman, state committeemen, members of executive committee (chairman, executive director, treasure, etc.), members at large and district heads are some of the officers a committeeman may be asked to vote on.
An elected committeeman may also be asked to vote on changes to county and/or state to by-laws and to vote on which candidates the party backs in an election.
During an election cycle the precinct committeeman may campaign for candidates by walking door-to-door or on the telephone, put up and take down campaign signs. A precinct committeeman may be asked work in polling places and/or to check ballots.
States and counties vary widely on what is expected of both appointed and elected committeemen.
External links
- Category:Politics of the United States
- Category:American political terms