An organized and active precinct/county means volunteers who live in your neighborhood are talking to friends and neighbors, encouraging them to vote, and giving them the information they need to make smart choices on Election Day. Getting involved locally is also an excellent way to dip your toe into the larger political scene, as precinct work feeds directly into the county, state, and national scene.
Precincts/Counties are busiest during election years, and mostly concern themselves with voter registration, get out the vote efforts, canvassing for candidates, distributing information, encouraging early voting, fundraising for the party, sending delegates to district and state conventions, and proposing resolutions that are important to their neighborhood, state, and nation.
On Election Day, they help people get to their polling place, hand out lists of Republican candidates, or make phone calls reminding people to vote.
Think of precinct members as politically engaged social butterflies. Some of the most important things they do are unofficial. Things like getting to know their neighbors, especially people who have just moved to the precinct, attending party meetings so they’re informed about local politics and can pass that information on to their community, and keeping track of issues that matter to those in their neighborhood, such as new construction, road quality, and crime rates. They’re the voice of their community, and that requires a good balance of listening and doing.
Each precinct elects a Chair, a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary/Treasurer, which are all volunteer positions. The Chair and Vice-Chair are responsible for organizing the annual precinct meetings and attending the Beaufort County Republican Party meetings, which are held monthly.
You don’t have to be an officer to be active and involved. Simply coming to the meetings, speaking your mind, and pitching in is a huge help. The more people who are involved, the bigger impact they’ll make.
North Carolina is still a swing state; therefore, active and engaged precincts are key to political victory. If you want to get more involved in local politics, then your precinct is an excellent place to start.