Become A Precinct Committeeman
Are you a registered Libertarian in the state of Arizona? Do you want to help grow the Libertarian Party in the Grand Canyon State? The next easy step is for You to become a Precinct Committeeman! You can sign up today and represent Libertarians in your area!
What is a Precinct Committeeman
A Precinct Committeeman (PC) is the entry level position of being involved in your local party. PC’s attend meetings and help county parties to be more effective in reaching out to their neighborhoods.
Arizona Law defines a party’s neighborhood leaders as Precinct Committeemen, who are elected by voters, and have the responsibility to help Libertarians register to vote and vote on Election Day.
Each registered political party has a committee in each County or Legislative District, made up of Precinct Committeemen, directly elected, who get out the vote for their candidates and represent their neighbors within the party. Libertarian Precinct Committeemen are essentially the grassroots of the Libertarian Party in Arizona.
Being a PC is an elected office.
The office of Precinct Committeeman is defined in Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) Section 16, Chapter 5, Article 2. This makes a PC an elected official with responsibilities prescribed by the State and by their political party. Every recognized political party in Arizona has precinct committeemen.
Precinct committeemen are the members of each county party committee. In addition to fulfilling their responsibilities, they vote on the leadership of their county and it also makes them eligible for appointment to state committees and boards.
What does a PC Do?
Responsibilities include:
- Voting, in person or by proxy, at county party meetings and elections when qualified to do so. This allows you to elect who leads your county party.
- Assisting the Libertarian Party in voter registration.
- Assisting and encouraging Libertarian voters to vote on election days.
- Attending County and/or district meetings.
- Working within your elected precinct.
- Creating enthusiasm and support for the Libertarian Party.
- Helping elect Libertarian candidates.
- Encourage dedication to the Libertarian Party and promote its principles of Non-Aggression and Self-Ownership.
How Do I Become a PC?
Precinct committeemen are elected in each primary election and serve a two-year term. The next election is August 6, 2024, but many precincts are NOT filled. If a vacancy exists in your precinct after the 2022 primary election, you can be appointed to serve as a Precinct Committeeman until the next primary election. Appointed PCs function just like Elected PCs.
- Contact your County Party Chair or the State Party Secretary to see if your precinct is vacant.
If your precinct is vacant, your county chair can provide you with an appointment form. Simply fill it out and return it to them and they will submit it to your county’s election department.
If you live in a county that is still being organized, you can download the appointment form here. Simply fill out and submit to the state secretary. The state chair will submit it to your County Board of Supervisors for approval.
The remaining steps must be done by all appointed and elected PCMs between March 8th and April 8th, 2024
- Download and fill out the PC Nomination Paper (Affidavit of Qualification)
Simply fill in your address, legislative district, precinct, political party, and how you would like your name to appear on the ballot. It will need to be notarized by a notary public. A notary can usually be found in any nearby bank, but call ahead to be sure.
- Download and fill out the PC Petition (Partisan Nomination Petition)
You might already recognize this form. This petition is the form where you gather signatures. It is the same form you would use if you were gathering signatures to run for office. In most precincts, it only takes one nomination signature to qualify as a Precinct Committeeman, and this signature can be your own.
- Submit both forms to your local County Elections office.
If the info you provided is correct and up to date, you should be set to appear on the PC election ballot at the next primary election.
5.The last step is to vote for yourself on Primary Election day!
If nobody else runs for the same seat, you are “appointed as if elected”, and won’t have to worry about voting for yourself.
That’s it! You’re official. Make sure to attend your county meetings to stay up to date with what’s happening in your county!