“
WE CANNOT ABDICATE
OUR PROFESSIONAL
RESPONSIBILITY TO BE
POLITICALLY INVOLVED.
”
GETTING EDUCATION
FRIENDLY CANDIDATES
ON THE BALLOT
•SIGNATURE GATHERING
•CAUCUS/DELEGATE SYSTEM
CANDIDATE
SIGNATURE GATHERING
•BEGIN IN JANUARY
• SPECIFIC NUMBER OF SIGNATURES IN THEIR PARTY
REQUIRED TO HAVE THE LT. GOVERNOR PLACE
NAME ON THE PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT:
GOVERNOR
28,000
LT. GOVERNOR
28,000
HOUSE
1,000
SENATE
2,000
•
•
•
•
HOW DO THEY
GATHER SIGNATURES?
•PAID SIGNATURE GATHERERS—
HIRED BY CANDIDATE TO GO DOOR-TO-DOOR
TO REGISTERED VOTERS
•CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS—
WORK TO GATHER THE SIGNATURES
SUBMIT PETITIONS
TO LT. GOVERNOR
•VERIFICATION—
VOTERS WILL BE VERIFIED BY COUNTY CLERKS OR THE
LT. GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
•QUALIFICATION—
MUST HAVE ENOUGH QUALIFIED SIGNATURES TO BE
PUT ON THE PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT
THE CAUCUS/DELEGATE
PROCESS
•CAUCUS MEETINGS—
ON MARCH 22, 2016 BOTH PARTIES HOLD CAUCUS MEETINGS
(MASS MEETINGS, PRECINCT MEETINGS) AT A LOCATION NEAR
WHERE YOU LIVE, MOST LIKELY A SCHOOL
• IN ORDER TO VOTE IN A REPUBLICAN CAUCUS MEETING, YOU
MUST BE REGISTERED AS A REPUBLICAN VOTER
• AT DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS MEETINGS YOU WILL SIGN IN, BUT YOU
DON’T NEED TO BE A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT TO VOTE
THE CAUCUS/DELEGATE
PROCESS
•DELEGATE ELECTIONS—
DELEGATES ARE ELECTED TO REPRESENT YOUR PRECINCT AT
BOTH COUNTY AND STATE CONVENTIONS
• YOU CAN BE ELECTED AS A STATE DELEGATE, A COUNTY
DELEGATE, OR BOTH
•CONVENTIONS—
DELEGATES AT CONVENTIONS DECIDE WHO IS ON THE BALLOT
• DELEGATES MUST COMMIT TO ATTEND THE CONVENTION(S)
WHERE YOUR VOTE
COUNTS MOST…
YOUR VOTE CARRIES MORE WEIGHT
AT A CAUCUS OR CONVENTION
THAN ON ELECTION NIGHT!
Party
Caucuses
• MARCH…10-30 NEIGHBORS
ELECT DELEGATES
Party
Conventions
Primary
Election
• APRIL/MAY…50-60
DELEGATES ELECT
CANDIDATES
(if necessary)
General
Election
• NOVEMBER…TENS OF
THOUSANDS VOTE
Legislative
Session
• JANUARY…RARE
OPPORTUNITIES TO
INFLUENCE LEGISLATORS
DELEGATES HAVE POWER!
•WHO GETS ON THE BALLOT—
DELEGATES NARROW THE BALLOT IN EVERY RACE IN UTAH — THEY HAVE
EXTRAORDINARY POWER TO INFLUENCE THE OUTCOME OF ELECTIONS
•ONE-PARTY STATE—
BECAUSE MANY RACES IN UTAH ARE DOMINATED BY ONE-PARTY, THOSE
ELECTED BY DELEGATES WILL LIKELY WIN IN THE GENERAL ELECTION
•AFTER THE ELECTION—
CANDIDATES LISTEN TO DELEGATES BECAUSE THEY KNOW DELEGATES HAVE
THE POWER TO ELECT AND KEEP THEM IN OFFICE – YOU CAN INFLUENCE THEIR
VIEWS, PARTICULARLY ON EDUCATION
HOW TO BECOME A DELEGATE
•ATTEND CAUCUS—
PARTICIPATE EVEN IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO RUN AS A DELEGATE
•BRING FRIENDS—
BRING FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN THE PRECINCT TO VOTE FOR YOU
•GET NOMINATED—
PLAN AHEAD TO BE NOMINATED BY A FRIEND OR NEIGHBOR
•PREPARE BRIEF REMARKS—
TALK ABOUT YOURSELF WHY YOU WANT TO BE A DELEGATE
WHAT’S AT STAKE THIS YEAR?
•SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION—
THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION WE DEMONSTRATE POLITICAL CLOUT,
STAND UP FOR EDUCATION AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR STUDENTS
•STOP EXTREMISTS—
IF EDUCATORS DON’T BECOME DELEGATES, EXTREMISTS WHO WANT TO
PRIVATIZE EDUCATION WILL
•DUAL BALLOT SYSTEMS—
BECAUSE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEW DUAL SYSTEMS FOR GETTING
ON THE BALLOT, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES MAY BE VULNERABLE IF
THEY HAVE AN OPPONENT IN THE CONVENTION
WHAT’S AT STAKE THIS YEAR?
•GOVERNOR GARY HERBERT—
THE GOVERNOR HAS ASKED FOR OUR
HELP IN HIS RACE AGAINST A
CANDIDATE WITH EXTREME VIEWS ON
PUBLIC EDUCATION
WHAT’S AT STAKE THIS YEAR?
Gary Herbert
• SUPPORTS LOCAL CONTROL
• MORE EDUCATION FUNDING (WPU)
• STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIP
WITH UEA
Jonathan Johnson
• BRING BACK VOUCHERS
• “FUNDING ISN’T THE PROBLEM”
• PARENTS VOTE ON TEACHER PAY
• ABOLISH EDUCATION LICENSURE
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR
MARCH 22 NEIGHBORHOOD CAUCUS NIGHT
BRING FRIENDS, FAMILY AND NEIGHBORS
BECOME A DELEGATE
STAND UP FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS!