Membership
Town Committee Membership
Local committees are the grassroots of the Democratic Party organization, the place where Democrats come together to discuss politics and work to elect Democratic officials. Committee members are elected to serve as a link between the Democrats in their political jurisdictions and their elected officials. They work to find candidates to carry out the Democratic mission and then to get them elected. They keep in touch with their elected officials and report back to them the things they are hearing from their constituents, the voters in their election district.
To carry out those objectives, committee members seek out and interview potential candidates for office, carry petitions to get them on the ballot, and then work to get them elected. Members participate in their Town committee meetings and are usually voting members of the County committee. The Brighton Democratic Committee is successful because of the work of its committee members as well as the many volunteers who work on campaigns.
Responsibilities
The Democratic Party provides an opportunity for committee members to influence governmental decision-making at the grassroots level. It also provides a structure through which representatives may be identified, supported, and kept accountable to the public. These functions of the party depend largely on Town committee members performing their duties. A committee person has five key responsibilities:
- Active participation on the committee and in the community
- Registration of voters and recruitment of new committee members and/or candidates
- Circulation of Democratic Party nominating petitions
- Involvement in campaign and Election Day turn-out activities
- Financial support of the Party and/or support of fundraising activities
Selection Process
Each Democratic committee member represents an election district, and can participate on the committees that include that district at the Town or County level. Each election district can elect one to four committee members.
The election process for committee members involves carrying petitions, following the same general process that candidates use to get on the ballot. The number of signatures required varies by election district. If more people submit valid petitions than there are committee seats for that election district, a primary election will be held to elect the committee members from that election district. Petitioning for committee seats is typically done at the same time as petitioning for candidates to get on the ballot.
In between primary elections, committee members may be appointed to vacancies initially by the Town committee, with the approval of the County committee, but must be elected every two (2) years. Frequently there are vacancies in the Town committee membership. These may be in the election district in which you live or in a nearby district. In between primary elections, committee members may be appointed to vacancies initially by the Town committee, with the approval of the County committee, but must be elected every two (2) years.
If you are interested in learning more about Democratic Party campaigns and joining the Brighton Democratic Committee, please contact us.
