Precinct captain

A precinct captain, also known as a precinct chairman, precinct delegate, precinct committee officer or precinct committeeman, is an elected official in the <a href="/facts/Political_parties_in_the_United_States/N0SBY8ux">American political party system</a>. The captain establishes a direct link between a <a href="/facts/Political_party/IAKw7oEK">political party</a> and the <a href="/facts/Voters/jPVTljTJ">voters</a> in a local <a href="/facts/Electoral_precinct/v2rWP4Re">electoral precinct</a>. Their role is to build a relationship between those who hold public office and those who vote at the polls.
Election to the office is by <a href="/facts/Ballot/az9RdbTF">ballot</a> or by the <a href="/facts/Executive_committee/9RYq7ARm">county party executive committee</a>. Voters file their declaration of candidacy with their party in their voting district. If elected during the primary, the Precinct Captain shall serve as long as one remains eligible, or until seeking reelection in the subsequent district primary. Requirements vary among states and counties.
Responsibilities of the post include facilitating <a href="/facts/Voter_registration/3HtLevwR">voter registration</a> and <a href="/facts/Absentee_ballot/AUn1rB5W">absentee ballot</a> access; leading <a href="/facts/Get_out_the_vote/Dr83hyhx">get out the vote</a> outreach efforts; distributing <a href="/facts/Canvassing/7jEK3Pu4">campaign and party literature</a>; promoting the party; and addressing voter concerns. In many states Precinct Captains are also eligible to establish party unit committees for fundraising.
The concept of precinct leadership is to provide a <a href="/facts/Grassroots/GMw7sKCr">grassroots position</a> with officials generally serving as volunteers, though in some states they receive a <a href="/facts/Stipend/l9k8E9CA">stipend</a>. Positions of county captain have also been created, but are usually used for election campaigns rather than party organizing.
In <a href="/facts/Illinois/MuPb1Ctn">Illinois</a>, <a href="/facts/Michelle_Obama/W0shnydr">Michelle Obama</a> got her initial introduction to Democratic party politics when her father served as a Precinct Captain and the then-<a href="/facts/Michelle_Obama/W0shnydr">Michelle Robinson</a> accompanied the elder Robinson on his rounds through his precinct.
In Washington, in case of a vacancy in the <a href="/facts/Washington_State_Legislature/oaAnqzkz">state legislature</a>, the precinct committee officers will nominate candidates to fill the vacancy, which then need to be approved by the <a href="/facts/Washington_State_Democratic_Party/pf1XFvxk">county council</a>.

Precinct captain open-in-new

Precinct captain