Become a Precinct Chair

The precinct chair is a publicly elected party official and is elected by precinct voters in the Democratic Primary Election (or in the runoff election, if no candidate gets a majority in the first primary). The term of office for a precinct chair is two years, beginning on the 20th day following the Primary runoff election. The County Executive Committee fills vacancies for unexpired terms.

A precinct chair should be an outgoing, self-motivated person who likes people. To be eligible for the office of precinct chair, an individual must meet these requirements:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Be a qualified voter who has voted in the latest Democratic primary (not counting runoffs) in the voting year
• Be a resident of the precinct from which he or she is seeking election
• Not be a candidate for or holder of an elective office of the federal, state, or county government
• (Optional, but highly desirable) have Internet and e-mail capabilities and basic computer skills

Filing for Office

A qualified individual interested in running for precinct chair must do the following:

• Download the attached filing form
• Complete the application
• Submit the application in the period that begins in late October and ends at 6:00 PM on the first business day in January

Only contested candidates for Precinct chair appear on the Democratic Primary ballot. Write-in votes for precinct chair are permitted in the primary, whether or not there are other candidates on the ballot, but not in a runoff. Write-in candidates must have filed their write-in candidacies.