Precincts

A Precinct Chair is the most important leadership role in the Duplin County Republican Party. Simply put, a Precinct Chair is the central manager for the smallest unit in the party. Although the precinct chair is a volunteer position, they have roles and responsibilities in and to the party. They also have a lot of fun and meet a lot of people in their community! Precinct Chairs are boots on the ground that have day-to-day interaction with the voters in their area. Each County is divided into precincts; there are currently 17 precincts in Duplin County:

• Albertson
• Beulaville
• Calypso
• Cedar Fork
• Charity
• Chinquapin
• Cypress Creek
• Faison
• Glisson
• Hallsville
• Kenansville
• Magnolia
• Rose Hill
• Smith Cabin
• Wallace
• Warsaw
• Wolfscape

What is a Precinct Organization?

You are not alone! Precinct Chairs are often members of your County Executive Committee. Each individual voting precinct is often represented by one Precinct Chair on the Executive Committee. A Precinct Committee works with the County Executive Committee in all elections and Party activities, provides the County Chair with a list of Party Members within the Precinct suitable for appointment as Election Officials, and builds a team of volunteers to accomplish the objectives of the Party within the Precinct. (See State POO Art. II. Precinct Organization)

Keep in mind your Precinct Chairs are the face of the Republican Party in their Precincts. They will have neighbors and friends ask whom they should vote for. People will drive by their houses to see which signs are in their yards. In some areas, Precinct Chairs may be the only Republicans their neighbors know. They are the first contact most people in each precinct have with the Republican party, so it is important that Precinct Chairs be trained and knowledgeable.

Training Precinct Chairs will strengthen your County Party thoroughly, providing them with information on political events, equipping them with the tools to expand our Party, and involving them in the decision-making process of the Party. No County Chair alone can do the job of growing the Party and delivering our message. Listen to, recruit, train, and utilize Precinct Chairs to share the workload – then watch your efforts to grow the Party multiply!

You have a responsibility to lead the Precinct Chairs as head of your County Party. By supporting your Precinct Chairs, you can work to ensure that you establish a permanent political infrastructure that is not just active in election years, but provides around-the-clock coverage of your County. In doing so, you can ensure that Republicans will continue to thrive in your community and build relationships that will help make your life easier!

Roles And Responsibilities

A Precinct Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and as many Members-At-Large as deemed necessary to conduct the business of the Precinct per the Party Plan of Organizations.

● Chairman: with the advice and consent of the Precinct Committee, has general supervision of the affairs of the Party within the Precinct, presides at all meetings of the Precinct, and performs other duties as may be prescribed by the Precinct Committee or the County Executive Committee

● Vice-Chairman: Shall function as the Chairman in the absence of the Chairman

● Secretary: Shall keep all minutes and records as well as maintain a list of registered Republican voters and workers within the Precinct, unless otherwise provided by the Precinct Committee or County Executive Committee

Training

For successful Precinct Organization, training cannot be a one-time thing; consistent and continuous training is important. With such training, Precinct Chairs will be knowledgeable about the happenings of the County Party in their precinct as well as the County as a whole. They will become better equipped to expand our Party from the Precinct level and become more involved in the decision-making process of the Party. Involving Precinct Chairs to grow our Party and deliver our message will spread the workload and create steady and even growth throughout the county. Listen to, recruit, train, and utilize Precinct Chairs to share the workload – then watch your efforts to grow the Party.

There is training available through the NCGOP for Precinct Chairs and their organization. Keep an eye out for the list of trainings. Publicize it and encourage your Precinct Committee Chair to take advantage of it. The more organized your Precincts are, the more effective and successful you will be in turning out Republican voters in your County. Better training and organization in your Precincts will also minimize the number of ineffective Precinct Chairs that County Chairs may encounter.

In addition to training, your Precinct Organizations need to be equipped with the proper tools to be successful. It is your duty as County Chair to see to it that your Precinct Chairs are provided with the following resources:

● Republican National Committee Platform

● NCGOP Plan of Organization

● NCGOP Platform

● County Executive Committee bylaws

● County Executive Committee roster (know their fellow Precinct Chairs)

● Map of the precinct boundaries and all districts affecting the precincts

● Lists of all registered voters in the precinct, past Republican Primary and General Election voters (these can be accessed via GOP Data Center)

● List of all Republican officeholders with contact information

● List of any candidates in upcoming elections with contact information

● List of local volunteers and/or Precinct Convention attendees

● Historical election results for that precinct (last 4 election cycles minimum)

● Voter registration forms

● Typical polling location(s) for the precinct and county. (Your County Board of Elections should have this).

Goal Of The Precinct Chair

The primary goal of each Precinct Chair must be to build and grow the Republican Party in his or her neighborhood. Each Precinct Chair needs to become a subject matter expert on his/her area and what it will take for Republican candidates to win there. The job is year in and year out – the job cannot be done successfully in just the months preceding an election. Precinct Chairs who are doing an effective job will produce:

● An increase in the precinct’s turnout in the Republican primary

● An increase in the number of straight ticket Republican votes cast in that precinct in the General Election

● Deliver our message to non-active and non-traditional Republican voters

Function Of The Precinct Chair

The functions/duties of the Precinct Chair are to:

Recruit and Retain Volunteers. A Precinct Chair’s most vital function is to recruit, train, activate, and encourage a team of Neighborhood Coordinators and Block Walk Captains. The most important role of a Precinct Chair is to recruit and activate volunteers to Get Out The Vote. Following recruiting and activating Volunteers, Precinct Chairs need to retain those helping in their precincts. Using events such as Team Meetings and Social Events to recap the work done throughout the last month and reward volunteers is as important as activating them to begin with. This will help avoid one-time volunteering.

Coordinate Activities. The Precinct Chair serves as a critical link in the communication chain between grassroots voters in the precinct and elected officeholders, the Republican Party, and Republican candidates.

Get Out The Vote. The objective of precinct work is to help provide a winning margin for Republican candidates by:

● Identifying voters by going door to door with the North Carolina Victory team on their state-of-the-art mobile door-to-door application. Input data into this application to track voter responses.

● Contacting unregistered potential Republican voters and registering them to vote at their current address

● Turning out Republican-favorable voters in the early voting period

● Making the maximum effort to get Republican-favorable voters to the polls by assisting them in any way possible

● Making sure Republican-favorable voters have established a plan for how and when they will vote.

● Educating voters through literature distribution and personal contacts, which advocate support for Republican candidates.

● Maintain Records. Precinct Chairs should maintain records of their precinct’s volunteers, contributors, voting history, and Republican AND Democratic primary voters. Whenever a Precinct Chair leaves office, those records should be immediately turned over to the new Precinct Chair or the County Chair.

Poll Workers. Precinct Chairs are not allowed to serve as Election Judges in the Republican Primary, Runoff, and the General Election while a Precinct Chair. In order to serve as a Judge, the Precinct Chair must resign from their position. If they decide to remain as Precinct Chair, they should help recruit someone to perform that duty. However, as a Precinct Chair, you are legally allowed to work outside of the Polls on Election Day. Serving in this capacity will familiarize the Precinct Chair with the great amount of work that goes into conducting an election and also establish recognition as a political leader by voters in the community.

Chief Judges. The Chief Judge serves as the head official at each polling place, ensuring that voting is conducted fairly, impartially, and by state laws. Appointed by the County Board of Elections, the Chief Judge oversees the entire election process within their precinct, including setting up the polling location, managing election day operations, and supervising other precinct officials. They are responsible for maintaining order at the polling site, verifying voter registration, addressing challenges to voter eligibility, and ensuring accurate vote counting and reporting. After the polls close, the Chief Judge ensures that all election materials and results are properly secured and returned to the County Board of Elections. Their leadership is crucial to upholding the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process in their precinct.

Poll Greeters. A Poll Greeter is a vital volunteer role that serves as the friendly, welcoming face of the Republican Party at polling locations during Early Voting and on Election Day. Positioned outside the legal buffer zone, poll greeters distribute sample ballots and GOP literature, answer basic questions, and encourage voter support for Republican candidates—all while maintaining a positive and professional demeanor. This role requires reliability, good communication skills, and a commitment to engaging voters respectfully without discussing controversial issues. Poll greeters must be comfortable standing outdoors for extended periods and are expected to follow all election laws and campaign guidelines. Flexible shifts are available, and even a few hours of your time can make a big difference in turning out the vote. They also play an important role in Election Integrity by ensuring that poll workers and other volunteers are abiding by the rules outside of the polling site and curbside voting.