PRECINCT DELEGATE Role in the Process

Represent Constituents and the Party:

Precinct delegates serve as a direct link between the political party and the residents of their precinct. They represent the interests and concerns of their fellow party members to the party organization.

Bay County precinct delegates have additional privileges over the paid members of the Bay County Republican Party. They decide who is on the party's Executive Committee and often fill those seats. The Executive Committee makes decisions about the party's direction and spending which impact our success.

Precinct delegates learn how the party and the party system work and help others effectively engage in the process.

Voter Outreach and Engagement:

Precinct delegates are often involved in voter outreach efforts within their precinct. This may include educating your neighbors, door-to-door canvassing, phone banking, or organizing events to encourage voter registration and participation.

Recruitment and Training:

Precinct delegates may also be responsible for recruiting new party members and potential candidates for local offices. They may provide guidance and training to new delegates and volunteers to ensure effective participation in party activities.

Promoting Party Platform and Candidates:

Precinct delegates help promote the party's platform and endorse candidates running for various offices within the precinct. They may distribute campaign materials, host candidate forums, or speak on behalf of candidates at local events.

Organizing Precinct Activities:

Precinct delegates play a role in organizing party activities within their precincts such as caucus meetings, voter education sessions, or social events to build camaraderie and community among party members.

They should be highly involved in their local Political Party, as general members and executive committee members, and participate in events and monthly meetings.

There are different levels of delegates. The precinct delegate (aka the county delegate) is a local party position. Precinct delegates elect state/district delegates to represent them at state/district conventions. Likewise state/district delegates elect national delegates to represent at the national convention.

Precinct delegate participation at county conventions is the gateway to all higher-level conventions. This is the entry point for the direction and operation of the Republican Party at all levels. At these conventions, delegates elect the leadership of the party at county, state, and national levels. They also vote for many of the republican seats on our ballots and in our elections. It is said, due to the voting and involvement, that precinct delegates hold the greatest power of influence!

At county conventions, precinct delegates elect delegates to state or district conventions and elect the members to the county executive committee.

Spring convention is typically held in February or early March of even years.
Fall convention is held in August of even years.
The county executive committee is elected in November of even years.
Winter convention is held in January of odd years.

What is the Difference between Delegates, Alternate Delegates & Delegates at Large?

When voting at certain county conventions, the precinct delegates will elect delegates and alternates to go to the district caucuses and state conventions. Alternate delegates are the backup for the Delegates. They replace a delegate if/when this individual is not able to attend or needs to leave the floor for the restroom, food, or for the day. There is a 1:1 ratio for these positions and both hold valuable involvement, as emergencies happen.
A delegate at large is an elected official who is an automatic delegate due to their position. They have the same voting rights and privileges as precinct delegates. At county conventions, those who won county and state level official, and live in the county, on the latest general election ballot are "At Large Delegates" at the convention. At state/district conventions, the same applies to district/state level office holders who live in the district.

What about costs?

Delegates of all levels fund their own convention related expenses (meals, transportation and hotel, if desired). It is not typical to have to pay for tickets to the event, but it can happen if state party funds are not available to cover the law-required convention venue. State conventions in the past have been coordinated in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit. National convention delegates can expect to pay thousands of dollars to cover their expenses.

How Many Precinct Delegates can attend the Conventions?

All of a county's delegates should attend the county convention. The number of precinct/county delegates is determined by each precinct's votes for the Secretary of State (SOS) or President in the prior election (MCL 168.623a).
The total number of delegates to state/district conventions is 2000 (plus 2000 Alternates). The number of delegates elected to attend state/district conventions are also calculated based on SOS or presidential votes from each county, in the previous election. Counties are allotted a percentage of delegates according to their percentage of votes for these offices. Over the past few terms, Bay County has had roughly 20-25 delegate seats and an equal number of alternates.

What if you're not a Precinct Delegate?

Hard Working Republicans (HWRs) are those who are highly involved in the party but who are not precinct delegates. This can happen for precincts with more involved members than allotments for delegates in their precinct. It can also happen when involved members join after the primary election. They can also be elected by the precinct delegates to fill any vacant delegate seats in their precincts at county conventions.

 County Conventions

The precinct delegates are elected at the August primary election, in even years. Delegates will be "called to convention" by the current chairman of the county political party. It is during these conventions that precinct delegates will elect the following:

Even Years

Fall

State convention delegates & alternate delegates will elect republican candidates for the general election positions that are not determined by the primary election

Winter

Executive committee for the county party

Spring

State/district convention delegates & alternate delegates who will elect national delegates from each district for the national convention

Odd Years

Spring

State/district delegates & alternate delegates who will elect the congressional district chairman and committee and the state party chairman and state central committee

 District Caucuses

Delegates elected from the county convention will attend the district caucus which may/may not be combined with the state convention. These delegates will vote for:

Even Years

District Republican National Committee delegates

Odd Years

Congressional district committee members
Michigan Republican Party Committee Members (State Central Committee)

 State Conventions

Delegates and alternate delegates are elected during their county conventions by precinct delegates to represent the county.

Even Years

Spring

Presidential candidate
National committeewoman
National committeeman

Fall

Board of education
State supreme court

Odd Years

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Board of education
State supreme court

 Republican National Convention (RNC)

Elected by delegates to the district caucuses and state convention, national convention delegates and the state party's national committeeman & committeewoman represent Michigan's republicans at the RNC's national event. They develop the national party platform, and they represent the presidential primary and district convention results in their votes for presidential candidate to officially elect a republican nominee for president. Our state committeewoman/man also raise funds and aide republican candidates with their campaigns.

The RNC is a several day event. Elected delegates and committeewoman/man fully fund their own expenses to attend.

Paid for with regulated funds by

The Bay County Republican Party
PO Box 426 Bay City, MI 48707

Not authorized by any candidate committee

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