What does a precinct committeeperson do?

When I became a precinct committeeperson, there was no training or much in the way of guidelines about what the job entailed. So I asked other people, I tried various things and came to a startling conclusion...It doesn't matter what you do as long as you show your neighbors how enthusiastic you are about the candidates you believe in.

People remember on Election Day when someone asks for their vote. Yale scholars Donald Green and Alan Gerber have shown that turnout rises significantly when voters are contacted before an election. I have personally discovered that Democratic votes rise even more when people who have pledged to vote for you are urged to vote on Election Day itself.

But what will you actually do before an election as a precinct committeeperson? I'll outline a good strategy here. But feel free to be creative. Some people have created donkey cookies for block parties or handed out literature when their kids went trick or treating.

Others have become the neighborhood experts in local government. (You have contact with high-level local officials as a precinct committeeperson Ð at Democratic party meetings.) Being helpful in this way means you'll be the "go-to" person for all kinds of questions about local government. And you have EDDI to turn to if you don't know the answer to any question you may be asked.

Strategy for being a good committeeperson:

Being a committeeperson is very much a part-time proposition. Most of it happens in the month or so before elections. But you can get started right now to prepare the way for success.

• Use the voter list you receive to contact all the Democrats in your precinct right away. (If you need a new voter list or never received one, tell us at illinoiseddi@hotmail.com) "Your" Democrats will be elated to hear from a Democrat who wants to get out the progressive vote in their areas. Many Democrats are still convinced that they are "the only one," although that misperception is becoming less common.
• Walk your precinct. Use your voter list to find all of the streets you're being asked to cover. (By year-end we will have maps of each precinct online. But in the meantime, if you want a map, you can request one from your county clerk.) Learn the characteristics of your precinct; stop and talk to a few people about their thoughts.
• Introduce yourself to voters. If you're in an election off-year, as we are now, find a reason to meet everyone in your neighborhood. Take the voter registration class offered by the county clerk, if you haven't done that already, and then walk a few streets on a sunny weekend. You'll probably find a number of qualified, unregistered voters, especially new residents and young people. Or, if you live in a very Republican area and don't want to register new Republicans, distribute something of community interest. EDDI will be conducting a food drive in the fall to make this easier if you want to participate.
• Get to know the candidates in your area. Before primaries and general elections, make it your business to get to know all the candidates running in your precinct, state, local and county. You will probably be invited to fundraisers and candidate events. Go. And if the candidates don't contact you, get in touch with them. All of them are busy and some of them are inexperienced. They will appreciate the fact that you reached out to them. And how do you find out who they are? By the end of December this year they will be posted at http://www.lakedems.org.
• Think about what you'll say. You won't want to stay at people's doors for longer than about three minutes. They'll run out of patience and you'll run out of time before the election. So think about what might persuade you to vote for your candidate(s)...or against the opponent...before you hit your first house. Most candidates will give you specific guidance on the message they want delivered if you ask.
• Before elections, find out who will likely vote for your candidates. Go door-to-door or call people (whichever you prefer) and talk about why you will be voting for these candidates...or a single candidate. Try to talk to every voter but don't avoid the Republicans. They can be especially easy to persuade since Republicans rarely bother to come to their doors. At the end of the conversation, always ask: "Can Ms. Candidate count on your vote on election day?" Record what the person says on your voter list with a + for yes, a - for no and a 0 for undecided. EDDI will coordinate a campaign on election day to get those + voters to the polls.
• You don't have to do it alone. Democrats are becoming so motivated that we now have two or more active people in some precincts. We will be recruiting "assistant precinct committeepeople" this year to help and will also have interns in 2006 who can help you cover your precinct. You can also ask your spouse, children or friends to pitch in. Amy Edwards, newly-elected trustee in Grayslake walked precincts with her husband and kids. Her daughter, especially, liked asking people to "Vote for my Mom!"
• Turn in your voter sheets and try to get Election Day off. If you tell us where your + voters are, we can make sure they get to the polls. But we need workers to make that effort a success, so we'll need both poll watchers and people to call the procrastinating voters. You can and should recruit your friends for this last minute push, too.

The next training for precinct committeepeople is scheduled for this fall. You'll learn techniques for communicating the progressive message quickly and practice in a nurturing environment. You'll also receive a training kit and materials you can use.