Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Getting Started........................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Plan of Organization Precinct Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 3
Reporting Your Meeting.......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Precinct Officers ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Chair ................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Vice Chair ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Secretary/Treasurer ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
Precinct Committee Member ......................................................................................................................................... 4
1.03 Composition of Precinct Committee (PoO, p. 2) ........................................................................................................ 5
1.05 Precinct Meetings (PoO, p. 4) .................................................................................................................................... 5
1.06 Quorum (PoO, p. 6) .................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.07 Voting at Precinct Meetings (PoO, p. 6) ..................................................................................................................... 5
1.08 Representation at County Convention and on County Executive Committee (PoO, p. 6) ........................................ 5
1.10 Delegates to the County Convention (PoO, p. 5) ....................................................................................................... 5
Responsibilities of Precinct Chairs ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Agenda .................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Overview ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
Sustaining Fund Requirement ............................................................................................................................................. 9
Meeting the Goal .............................................................................................................................................................. 10
When to begin: ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Sustaining Fund Chair........................................................................................................................................................ 10
Reporting Your Meeting in Votebuilder................................................................................................................................ 11
Pre-Printed Reporting Forms from VoteBuilder: (Recommended Method) .................................................................... 11
Blank Reporting Forms ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Precinct Meeting Data Entry ................................................................................................................................................. 15
Adding Activist Codes to Precinct Meeting Attendees and Officers ................................................................................. 15
Pre-Print List Data Entry.................................................................................................................................................... 17
Meeting Organizer ........................................................................................................................................................ 21
Meeting Details ............................................................................................................................................................. 21
Definition and Requirements ............................................................................................................................................ 22
Submission of Resolutions and Platforms ......................................................................................................................... 22
Structure of Resolutions ................................................................................................................................................... 23
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Precinct Meeting Checklist
Did you call, e-mail or send a notice in the mail about the meeting time, and location?
Have you sent a press release to local news sources?
Have you developed and printed an agenda?
Have you placed adequate signage at the meeting location?
Have you printed sign in sheets?
Do you have a quorum for a meeting?
Have you asked for sustaining funds from your precinct?
Precinct:
# of Convention Votes:
Your precinct has this many votes at the County Convention. If you elect less than this number of
delegates your precinct will have the same number of votes as delegates. You may also elect up to twice
as many delegates who will share these votes.
Sustaining Fund Goal:
Meeting Location:
The annual precinct meetings shall be held at the polling place of each precinct or other facility deemed appropriate
by the precinct chair. If a meeting facility other than the precinct polling place is used, it must be approved in
advance by the county chair and publicly announced seven (7) calendar days in advance of the meeting. The
precinct chair shall also post notice of the meeting location at the regular polling place. In any case, the precinct
meeting must be held in a public facility accessible to all
Registered Democrats residing in the precinct, except that when the county chair certifies that no public facility is
available in the precinct, the precinct meeting may be held in a non-public facility accessible to all registered
Democrats residing in the precinct.
§ 163-99.
The governing authority having control over schools or other public buildings which have facilities for group
meetings, or where polling places are located, is hereby authorized and directed to permit the use of such buildings
without charge, except custodial and utility fees, by political parties, as defined in G.S. 163-96, for the express
purpose of annual or biennial precinct meetings and county and district conventions. Provided, that the use of such
buildings by political parties shall not be permitted at times when school is in session or which would interfere with
normal school activities or functions normally carried on in such school buildings, and such use shall be subject to
reasonable rules and regulations of the school boards and other governing authorities. (1975, c. 465; 1983, c. 519,
ss. 1, 2.)
The State Board of Elections interprets this statute as applying only to public buildings that are subject to polling
place use by demand upon the county Board of Elections under the provisions of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163-129.
Consequently, the agency interprets this statute to apply only to non-federal public buildings which are supported
in whole or in part by public tax funds. The agency does not interpret this statute to apply to private facilities used
as polling places.
3
C o m pl ete al l th e i nfo r ma tio n fo r e ve ry o ne – em ai l, and Sus t ai ni ng Fu nd co n tr ibu tio n i f a ppl i ca ble !
Be sure to indicate who attended this year and whether they have been elected to serve as a County
Convention Delegate
The vice chair must be of the opposite gender of the chair and should, where possible, be of a race other than that
of the chair. No officers of the precinct committee shall be from the same immediate family residing in the same
household.
Chair . The duties of the precinct chair shall include:
Preside at precinct meetings;
Establish reasonable political goals for the precinct;
Organize and execute a voter organizing plan;
Attend meetings of the county executive committee;
Recommend names of persons to serve as precinct elections officials;
Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the precinct or county executive committees;
Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.
Vice Chair . The duties of the precinct vice chair shall include:
Preside at precinct meeting in the absence of the chair;
Serve as the publicity chair for the precinct utilizing local newspapers, door-to-door leaflets, etc. to
announce political activities and/or accomplishments to voters in the precinct;
Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the county executive committee;
Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.
Secretary/Treasurer . The duties of the precinct secretary/treasurer shall include:
Keep all records of the precinct committee;
Issue all meeting notices within the timeframe outlined in this Plan of Organization;
When there is a precinct treasury, maintain it at a chartered financial institution;
Provide assistance to the county party treasurer in fundraising efforts;
Prepare and file reports as may be required by law and/or by the county executive committee;
Preside at precinct meetings in the absence of the chair and vice chair;
Transmit all records pertaining to the office to successor within ten (10) days of vacating office.
Precinct Committee Member (at least 2). The duties of the precinct committee members shall be assigned by
the precinct chair.
Add it io n al No tes : Pr ec i nc t o f fi ce rs ma y no t h o ld o ffi c e a nd s e r ve as a pr ec in c t o ff i ci al ( m e ani ng yo u
ca n't be an o ff ic er o f t he P art y an d wo r k f o r the Bo ar d o f E le ct io ns ) .
4
A precinct committee is composed of at least five (5) registered Democrats who reside in the precinct.
The officers of the precinct committee include a Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary/Treasurer. The
committee should resemble the demographics of active Democrats in the precinct in terms of gender,
age, race, ethnic background, and geography. The Vice Chair must be of the opposite gender and where
possible be of a race other than that of the chair. All Democratic elected officials who reside in the
precinct are ex-officio, non-voting members of the committee.
Precinct meetings are held on a date set by the County Chair that is within the two (2) week period
designated by the state chair at the polling location. Weekday meetings must begin between 6pm and
7:30pm and weekend meetings must begin between 10am and 7pm. If the polling location is not
available, an alternative location within the precinct must be approved by the County Chair seven (7) days
prior to the meeting and notice must be placed at the polling location. If the location does not allow
posting, contact the County Chair so a remedy can be found in a timely manner.
Multiple precincts meeting at one location, also known as cluster precinct meetings, are an option if
approved by the County Chair and Precinct Chairs with enough time to provide seven (7) days’ notice.
Any precinct meeting location must be accessible to any Democrat in the precinct. If precinct meetings
are conducted as a cluster, individual precincts must be afforded “breakout” sessions to elect precinct
officers and committee members and the 5 registered Democrats rule still applies.
If a precinct is unorganized, then the County Chair can appoint an acting precinct chair for the sole
purpose of calling, noticing, and conducting a special meeting to organize the precinct.
Quorum for precinct meetings is at least 5 registered Democrats residing in the precinct unless the
precinct has 100 or less registered Democrats. In that case quorum is 5% of the number of registered
Democrats in the precinct. In precincts having one hundred (100) or fewer registered Democrats, five
percent (5%) of the number of registered Democrats can constitute a quorum
Each registered Democrat residing in a precinct can attend and vote at a precinct meeting.
Only precincts that have met with a quorum and elected officers no less than two (2) weeks prior to the
county convention are entitled send delegates.
Each precinct shall elect at least one, but no more than two per vote to which it is entitled. If the precinct
elects less than one delegate for each vote, then the vote at the County Convention is limited to the
number of delegates selected.
5
In the North Carolina Democratic Party, the precinct has traditionally been the key to political victory. It is
the cornerstone of all plans for the Party. As Democrats move forward in 2017, the precinct will continue
to be the basic unit of organization. The precinct chair’s vigorous pursuit of victory will determine the
progress of North Carolina in the years ahead.
Obtain materials for precinct organizing: maps, voter lists, and party workers.
Begin regular precinct meetings. Plan a calendar of precinct campaign activities and assign specific
responsibilities to precinct committee members.
Expand the precinct committee, bringing in workers from all areas of the precinct. Try to involve
newcomers in the area.
Coordinate precinct activities with the county party. Attend county executive meetings and county
or district workshops bringing information from these meetings back to precinct workers.
Work with the county voter registration coordinator to arrange special registration events or doorto- door registration in the precinct.
Oversee improvement of voter lists: adding of phone numbers and voter history, deleting of
voters who have died, noting those who have moved so they can be contacted in their new
location.
Arrange for the distribution of literature and campaign materials in precinct.
Work with the precinct treasurer in preparing a budget to support county operations and to cover
precinct committee expenses such as mailings, materials for workers, and neighborhood fliers.
Assist in fundraising for county and state parties: selling tickets, promoting Sustaining Fund, etc.
Encourage strong participation in precinct meetings and in the county convention.
Oversee activities of the coordinated campaign as they are carried out in the precinct.
Work with GOTV coordinator to plan precinct’s role in GOTV program: staffing county phone bank,
home phoning, etc.
Obtain street canvass lists from GOTV phoning and make certain undecided or ticket-splitting
voters are visited.
Coordinate poll watching for Early Vote sites near your precinct, and poll watching at your
precinct’s polling place on Election Day.
6
Know the boundaries, the number of houses and apartment houses, the churches, the businesses, the
schools, and the polling place. Make a map of the area and study it. Get to know the people in your
precinct: the economic makeup, number of union members, veterans, students of voting age, total
Democratic population, and various ethnic groups. You may obtain this information by canvassing your
precinct and by checking voter registration lists which may be obtained from your state party or local
board of elections.
Get acquainted with people in your precinct, meet their families and learn their interests, their political
leanings, their problems. Know which people will be away from home, who is homebound and who will
need special assistance to vote. Keep track of young people who will be 18 years old before Election Day
and get them registered to vote.
Keep the dates for registering for Primary and General elections. Keep informed on laws concerning poll
workers, vote counting and electioneering. Know the facts about city elections, school board elections
and bond elections.
Read your local paper to learn the major concerns of the people in your precinct. Know the issues that
concern your community, and how most people in your precinct feel about those issues. Find out what
the Democratic Party positions are on issues that concern your state.
As a Precinct Leader, you know your constituency. You are the precinct opinion maker. This means that
neighbors and elected officials come to rely on you for information, advice and help in solving public
problems.
The best way to accomplish this is to know your neighbors and their needs. Canvassing accomplishes
these goals. A canvass is walking door to door and getting to know the people in your precinct. Find out
what the Democrats in your precinct need. Are they registered to vote? Will they vote by mail? Will they
vote early?
Be sure to write down all this information on a canvassing form or our walking lists. Follow through on all
requests for help. If you don’t know the answers to the questions say that you don’t know, but you’ll look
in to it.
As a Precinct Leader, you are the grassroots movement that influences elections. The best way to
encourage others to become engaged is to have specific tasks which will enable volunteers and potential
volunteers to get involved.
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2017 Precinct Meeting for ________________________ County Precinct Name ________________________________
Meeting Location ________________________________ at __________ am/pm on ____________________, 2017
1. Welcome and Call to Order
(Announce a Quorum if 5 Active Democrats residing in the Precinct are present)
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Message from the State Party
4. Elections of Precinct Officers
(One Chair, One Vice Chair, One Secretary/Treasurer, Two Precinct Committee Members)
5. Elections of Delegates to the County Convention
(See Delegate Allocation sheet)
6. Resolutions
(See Resolutions Style Guide)
7. Sustaining Fund
a.
b.
c.
Collect donations to the party from those present. Be sure to record the amount of their donation on the
Precinct Meeting Report.
Checks should be made payable to your County Party and all funds should be turned in with your report.
Complete Precinct Meeting Report using the forms provided, ask that previous attendees verify their
information and have new attendees complete the form. Complete ALL Information.
8. Other Precinct Business
9. Announcements
a.
Sustaining Membership Program
b.
Passport Patron Program
c.
County Convention: April 1st - April 8th
d.
District Convention: May 20th
e.
Sanford-Hunt Frye Dinner, TBA
f.
The State Unity Dinner (Formerly known as the Jefferson Jackson Dinner) Raleigh TBA
g.
Western Gala Dinner, Asheville
10. Adjournment
** R e me m ber to r ec o r d al l a tte nd an ce o n t h e Pr e cin c t R epo rt ing F o rm an d tu rn in t o yo u r C o un t y
C hai r. Re po r t mus t be s ub mi tt ed w ith in 5 da y s o f yo ur m eet ing ! **
8
The 2017 Sustaining Fund fee structure is based on a calculation of $0.02 per registered voter in each
county, with a minimum county buy-in of $250 and a maximum not to exceed $5000. For the majority of
counties this fee structure significantly reduces the financial burden on the local party, while still
providing the North Carolina Democratic Party with the funds necessary to support and grow our statewide infrastructure.At the June 2012 State Convention, the following resolution was approved:
RESOLVED, Increase the sustaining fund requirement by 20%, allocating 10% to the counties and 10% to
the districts.
Counties continue to pay their Sustaining Fund TO THE STATE PARTY. The State Party will keep a record of
counties that meet their goal and will distribute checks quarterly to Counties and Districts.
Your efforts to help us meet the 2017 Sustaining Fund goals are critical to our efforts. Thank you to those
counties that consistently meet their goal and to those who will make an extra effort in 2016. The
Sustaining Fund truly lives up to its name because it is the money that keeps our party functioning. A
brief list of some of the services provided to county parties by these funds are:
Provide VoteBuilder to County Parties
Maintenance and Updating of Party’s Website
Organize and Conduct Training For Party Officers and Activists
Develop Literature On Democratic Issues and Message
Provide Materials for Precinct Meetings and County and District Conventions
Mailing of Meeting Notices and Other Important Party Information
Rental of Facilities for Executive Committee Meetings
Rental of Facilities for State Convention
Establishing and Maintaining Relationship With Constituency Organizations
This program gives the party the ability build a grassroots organization, disseminate information, recruit
and train candidates, employ staff and volunteers, maintain a voter file, support and advise Democratic
elected officials and party officers at all levels.
Contributions are not tax deductible for federal income tax purposes. Federally permissible contributions
to the North Carolina Democratic Party will be used in connection with federal elections and is subject to
the limitations and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act. Federal and state law requires us
to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of
employer of individuals whose contributions aggregate in excess of $50 per year to the Party’s NonFederal accounts and/or $200 per year to the Party’s Federal account.
As we enter into the 2017 your support of the Sustaining Fund is crucial to our success. For the party to
accomplish its goals, it must have the proper tools to better serve and aid you.
9
County parties meeting their goals is key to the success of the Sustaining Fund program. There are two
different methods a county may use to accomplish that task.
The county party may write a check directly to the North Carolina Democratic Party for the full
amount of their pre-established dollar figure.
Individual members of a county may donate to the State Party on behalf of their county’s goal.
The best time to begin raising money to meet your sustaining fund goal is at the annual precinct
meetings. Below are instructions on what to do when you receive money at these meetings.
If a contribution is written to your county party, this must be reported on your campaign finance
reports. You must submit the name, address, employer, occupation, and amount. Be sure to
capture all necessary information when you accept the contribution.
If a contribution is written to the NCDP, mail the check along with employer and occupation of the
contributor to NCDP at PO Box 1926, Raleigh, NC 27603
If cash is received, (cash contributions up to $50 are permitted. $51 or more must be contributed
by check or credit card), make sure you capture all information, name, address, employer,
occupation and cash amount. You can mail cash to NCDP or preferably get a money order or
deposit into County Party bank account and write a check to the NCDP.
I m p o r ta n t N o t e : I f y o u d e p o s i t f u n d s t o y o u r c o u n t y p a r ty a c c o u n t, th i s m u s t b e r e p o r te d o n y o u r
c a m p a i g n f i n a n c e r e p o r ts , e v e n i f y o u i n tu r n w r i te a c h e c k t o th e N C D P f o r t h e s a m e a m o u n t.
Purpose: To provide leadership in organizing a strong and effective Sustaining Fund Program that meets
the county’s sustaining Fund goal.
Objective: To establish a successful fundraising program to meet the Sustaining Fund Goal. The
program should identify and solicit potential contributors to the party through special events, direct mail,
telephone solicitation and personal contact.
Responsibilities of the County Sustaining Fund Chair:
Meet with the county chair and treasurer to discuss the Sustaining Fund program.
Formulate a county plan for the Sustaining Fund or implement the plan provided by the State
Party. (State Headquarters can provide sample letters, phone scripts, follow-up techniques and
event ideas.) However, the sustaining fund chair and county chair may develop a plan for their
county.
Promote the Sustaining Fund at all county meetings.
Provide a positive and energetic attitude in the county party’s fundraising efforts.
Commit the necessary time toward the program. (It is imperative that the Sustaining Fund Chair is
successful.)
Please give whatever you can today, or contact your county chair for more information on how to help
your county meet its goal!
10
The following is a guide to help you when you are preparing for your County’s 2017 Precinct Meetings.
You will need to provide each Precinct with sign-in sheets so we can gather the information and record it
in VoteBuilder.
Important: To have delegates properly prepared for County Conventions, all data will need to be entered
no later than March 15th, 2017 after this date, you will not be able to report in VoteBuilder.
You can choose one of two Methods:
Pre-Printed Forms are easy to print from VoteBuilder and include people who have attended past
precinct meetings as well as potential recruits who have been involved in Democratic Campaigns in the
past few years. These forms will be organized by precinct and printed in alphabetical order for easy
distribution. Data entry is a breeze as you can pull these lists up in VoteBuilder exactly the way you
printed them. Instructions on how to print these are below.
: There is one copy of this form in your packet; produce copies to provide to
your
Precinct Chairs for sign-in sheets. People will fill in their information including name, address, phone
number, email address, etc. If you decide to use Blank Forms it is important that people print clearly,
provide their full Legal Name, and Voting Address. Nicknames and Mailing
Addresses should not be reported. If this information is not provided, it is very difficult to find these
people in VoteBuilder and report their attendance.
Note: While providing Blank Forms is faster on the front end, it will take more time in the long run when
doing your Data Entry after Precinct Meetings have ended.
Creating your Pre-Printed Reporting Forms from VoteBuilder
1. Log in to VoteBuilder and make sure you are under the My
Voters Tab.
2. From the Main Menu, choose Create a New List
3. Under Targets, you can choose one or both precinct
organization universes to create your list.
a. 2017 Precinct Organization: Past Party Activists:
Democratic voters who are identified as having
attended a precinct meeting in the past 5 years.
b. 2017 Precinct Organization: Precinct Meeting Prospects: Democratic voters who have
been identified as volunteers for the Democratic Party and its candidates.
c. If you choose both options, you will be able to differentiate between the two once you have
printed your lists. This will allow you to message correctly when calling them about
attending your Precinct Meeting.
4. Once you have chosen your Target Options, open the section called Suppressions by clicking on
the > next to Suppressions.
11
a. Click on “Remove All
Suppressions.”: In most cases,
you’ll want to change “Include
Deceased” back to “Exclude
Deceased”, if certain precinct
attendees have been incorrectly
marked as deceased you can
correct that on a case by case
basis
5. Then go to the right hand column,
and click Run Search.
6. To print this list off into a useable
format, click on the box, Print.
7. Make sure your Printing Setting
match exactly as the image below
paying close attention to each place
the arrows are pointing.
a. “Report Format” is set to:
2017 Precinct Meeting Reporting Form
b. “Contacted How” is set to: Phone
c. Enter an updated title for your List
d. “Sort Order 1” is set to: Precinct
e. “Page Breaks” for “Sort Order 1” is set to: Checked
f. “Sort Order 2” is set to: Name
8. Then click the “Next” button at the bottom right of the screen
9. A PDF is created for you to save and print. To get to your PDF Files, click My PDF Files
10. From this page, you will be able to download your PDF by clicking Download File.
11. Once you have downloaded your list, you can open it. Your list is organized by Precincts (there are
page breaks after each Precinct) so you can provide each Precinct with their specific list. You then
have each Precinct List listed in Alphabetical order. Solid lines indicate a change in household. If a
dotted line occurs, it means those two people live at the same address. On the next page is a key
to let you know exactly what each section on this Pre-Printed Reporting Form stands for. When
someone checks into their Precinct Meeting, please verify that all their information is correct and
update accordingly. If someone does not appear on this sign in sheet, have a Blank Reporting
Form available for them to sign in.
12
Print Settings Graphics
13
The individual’s name: Last, First, Middle Initial
The Precinct in which this individual lives.
Source: This tells you what “Target” this person belongs to. If the person has attended Precinct
Meetings in the past, it will say “Past Attendee.” If they were a Volunteer, they will show up as “Past
Volunteer.” If someone fell into both categories of a Past Attendee and a Past Volunteer, they will
appear as a “Past Attendee.”
VANID is the unique number assigned to this voter in VoteBuilder.
This is the Street or Voting address of the individual.
This is the individuals Phone Number. Please verify the information is correct. If it is not, please
mark through it and provide their updated Phone Number. If this section is blank, it means we do
not have a phone number on record for this person, please request one.
This is the individuals Email Address. Please verify the information is correct. If it is not, please
mark through it and provide their updated Email Address. If this section is blank, it means we do
not have an email address on record for this person, please request one.
This is to note whether or not the individual gives to the Sustaining Fund, please write “Yes” or
“No” next to Sustaining Fund.
If they give to the Sustaining Fund, please provide how much they donated
If they give to the Sustaining Fund, we are required by law to know the individuals Employer and
Occupation are. Please enter that information here. If they are unemployed, write “Unemployed.”
If they are retired, write “Retired” but have them note their previous occupation. 11. If the
individual attended the precinct meeting, please check the appropriate box.
If the individual was elected as a Delegate to the County Convention, check the appropriate box.
If the individual was elected as Precinct Chair, check the appropriate box. (Only one person from
each precinct should be marked as Chair)
If the individual was elected as Precinct Vice-Chair, check the appropriate box. (Only one person
from each precinct should be marked as Vice-Chair)
If the individual was elected as Precinct Secretary & Treasurer, check the appropriate box.
14
The following is a guide to help you to properly enter the data for your County’s 2017 Precinct
Meetings. After Precinct meetings have concluded, gather all Reporting Documents from your
precincts.
Note: While you recorded information on Sustaining Fund Donations, this information is not
recorded in VoteBuilder. For information on how to report this correctly, please see the section of
your packet on Sustaining Fund.
You will enter your data directly into VoteBuilder and then send all reporting information to the
NCDP for filing purposes. All data must be submitted to the State Party no later than March
15th, 2017. After this date, the activist codes will be turned off in VoteBuilder and you will no
longer be able to report.
Mailing Address: NCDP
c/o Precinct Reporting
P.O. Box 1926
Raleigh, NC 27602-1926
Finding Attendees in Votebuilder
Some individuals go by their middle name or do not spell very clearly on the sign in sheets. It will
save you time if you insist people sign in legibly and with their full legal name, voting address, and
phone number. If you are unable to find someone in VoteBuilder, please confirm their name and
address by calling them to get more information.
Remember: Anyone can attend a Precinct Meeting, but you must be a registered Democrat to be
elected for anything! If you are still unable to find them, please send an email to NCDP requesting
additional assistance.
1. Log in to Votebuilder and make sure you are under the My
Voters Tab. From the Main Menu, choose Quick Lookup
2. Find the first person on the printed list that was marked as
either attending or being elected to an office. If you created
your pre-printed report, the last line on the first column of
the page will say VANID followed by
15
3. If you did not create a pre-printed report, you will need to look people up using their name and/or
address. Type in the First and Last Name of the Individual from the precinct meeting forms. If the
Individual has a common name, you might want to add their address or phone number to narrow
your search. However, it is best to start by entering less information rather than more. Then click
the Search button.
4. Select the correct
individual that signed
the precinct sheet
using their phone
number and/or
address, etc. Correct or
add any changes to
their phone or email
address. Please ensure
you are updating info
for the correct
Democratic voter.
Select the correct
Activist Code from the
drop-down menu. Be
sure to click save now
with each change so
you do not lose your
progress.
Activist Code Key
Precinct Chair: Party Officials: 17-19 Precinct Chair (Public)
Precinct Vice Chair: Party Officials: 17-19 Precinct Vice (Public)
Precinct Secretary/Treasurer: Party Officials: 17-19 Precinct S/T (Public)
Attended Precinct Meeting: Events: 2017 Precinct Mtg (Public)
County Convention Delegate: Party Officials: 2017 County Conv Del (Public)
16
Click “Grid View” on the right side of the main menu on Votebuilder
List Number: Found on the bottom right corner of your list
Script Name: 2017 Precinct Meeting
Canvasser Info: Your Last Name, Your First Name -or- Meeting, Precinct if you’re not found in the
system
Contacted How: Phone
Before getting started. Make sure your printed list is in order--e.g Page 1, 2, 3, 4,........13, 14, 15
Grid View Setup Screen
Select Grid View from the Main Menu
Enter your List Number and Click Next. You can find the 11-digit list number in the footer of
printed PDF reports.
Select your Script.
Enter the Canvasser and Date Canvassed fields. Add new Canvasser, if needed.
Select Contacted How
If needed, include the Event Scheduler, Notes, and/or Follow Ups
Click Next
Do not touch the default sort order. If you don't have a reason why they should change, leave
them alone.
NOTE: You cannot data enter lists that are more than 30 days old. The list number expires. If your list is
more than 30 days old, talk to your admin about another data entry solution.
Data Entry Screen
You will enter the data entry screen on Page 1 of your list.
Navigate to the first record on your list.
Start entering results.
Save your page every few minutes. If your screen times out and you have not saved, you will have
to re-enter the data.
In Grid View you can continue a previous session by selecting Continue my work. When you click next,
you will be taken to the beginning of the most recent list you loaded into Grid View.
Keep in mind that the page numbers on screen DO NOT necessarily match the page numbers on printed
reports. If you need to jump to another record on the list, use the person's VANID and click Go. If your list
doesn't have a VANID for each person, talk to your administrator about adding it to report formats and
scroll through the list to find your voter.
More Information
Grid View displays dropdown menus to enter data about the Canvass Responses, Survey Questions, and
Activist Codes defined on a Script. Grid View can thus create an electronic version of [[Report Formats |
Report]] printed out from VAN. Each Report printed from VAN has a List Number at the bottom of each
page. You can enter this number into Grid View to automatically pull up the exact same List and data
fields you see on paper.
The major advantage of using Grid View is that a user can save data for many voters at once, rather than
saving this information one record at a time.
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Ple as e pr int c le arl y fo r dat a en tr y a nd re co r d ke ep ing pur po s es
Precinct______________________________________
County_________________________________________________
Full Name (on Voter Registration)________________________________________________________________
Voter Registration Address
Street________________________________________________________________________________________________
City___________________________________________
Zip Code __________________________________
Email________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________
Sustaining Fund______________________________
☐ Attended Meeting
☐ Chair
Employer/Occupation____________________________
☐ Vice Chair
☐ Sec/Treas
☐ Elected Cty Conv Delegate
Full Name (on Voter Registration)________________________________________________________________
Voter Registration Address
Street________________________________________________________________________________________________
City___________________________________________
Zip Code __________________________________
Email________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________
Sustaining Fund______________________________
☐ Attended Meeting
☐ Chair
Employer/Occupation____________________________
☐ Vice Chair
☐ Sec/Treas
☐ Elected Cty Conv Delegate
Full Name (on Voter Registration)________________________________________________________________
Voter Registration Address
Street________________________________________________________________________________________________
City___________________________________________
Zip Code __________________________________
Email________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________
Sustaining Fund______________________________
☐ Attended Meeting
☐ Chair
Employer/Occupation____________________________
☐ Vice Chair
☐ Sec/Treas
☐ Elected Cty Conv Delegate
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Full Name (on Voter Registration)________________________________________________________________
Voter Registration Address
Street________________________________________________________________________________________________
City___________________________________________
Zip Code __________________________________
Email________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________
Sustaining Fund______________________________
☐ Attended Meeting
☐ Chair
Employer/Occupation____________________________
☐ Vice Chair
☐ Sec/Treas
☐ Elected Cty Conv Delegate
Full Name (on Voter Registration)________________________________________________________________
Voter Registration Address
Street________________________________________________________________________________________________
City___________________________________________
Zip Code __________________________________
Email________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________
Sustaining Fund______________________________
☐ Attended Meeting
☐ Chair
Employer/Occupation____________________________
☐ Vice Chair
☐ Sec/Treas
☐ Elected Cty Conv Delegate
Full Name (on Voter Registration)________________________________________________________________
Voter Registration Address
Street________________________________________________________________________________________________
City___________________________________________
Zip Code __________________________________
Email________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________
Sustaining Fund______________________________
☐ Attended Meeting
☐ Chair
Employer/Occupation____________________________
☐ Vice Chair
☐ Sec/Treas
☐ Elected Cty Conv Delegate
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Democratic Party
Precinct Meeting For
(name and number of precinct)
Will be held at ____ pm
On ____________________________
At _____________________________
(name of facility)
Located at _____________________
(street address)
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Th is form must be re cei v ed along with meeting repo rt ing forms in o rde r fo r the pre c in ct to be co ns id er ed
o rgan iz ed
County________________________________________
Precinct_______________________________________
Meeting Organizer
Name________________________________________
Phone_______________________________________
Email________________________________________
Meeting Details
Date Held____________________________________
Time Held____________________________________
Location_____________________________________
Precinct Chair________________________________
Signature_______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Ann o un c ing Pr ec in c t M eet ings
DATELINE – The North Carolina Democratic Party will hold annual precinct organizational
meetings in XXX County
Meetings will be held at the following locations: Precinct Location
Time
Meetings are free and open to any registered Democrat residing in the precinct. Attendees will
be electing delegates to the XXXX County Convention on April ____ at (insert date, time, and
place).
“Precincts are the building blocks of a strong and vibrant Democratic Party,” said Name, Chair of
the XXXX County Party. “We need robust precincts to help move our county, our state, and our
country forward. Only through your work, will we elect Democrats who will provide educational
opportunities for our children, help for our seniors and disabled, and create jobs.”
For more information contact, NAME at PHONE NUMBER and E-MAIL ADDRESS.
A resolution is a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent by an official body or assembled group; a
declaration submitted to an assembly for adoption. All NCDP resolutions must be in writing, preferably in
electronic form as a Microsoft Word document. Handwritten or verbal resolutions will not be accepted
for consideration.
At the precinct meetings, Resolutions will be proposed, considered, and adopted. Once they are adopted,
the Precinct Secretary will pass them onto the County Secretary.
The County Secretary is to report the approved resolutions from all precincts, in the county, to the
County Convention. The delegates are to vote on the Resolutions and are to be prioritized at the County
Convention. The County Secretary is to certify and submit the Resolutions to the appropriate District
Secretary(ies) within ten (10) days. The Resolutions from the counties that are not prioritized are to be
passed on to the State Resolution and Platform Committee.
The District Secretaries are to report all the Resolutions from the counties to the District Convention. The
delegates are to vote on the Resolutions and are to be prioritized at the District Convention. The District
Secretary is to report them to the State Chair in five (5) days and the State Resolutions and Platform
committee in ten (10) days.
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A resolution usually is written in four parts: a succinct title, a preamble, a resolving clause (or clauses),
and a submission statement.
Title
A succinct title reflecting the content of the resolution should appear centered and in capital letters. The
resolution title should begin with the words “A RESOLUTION …”
Example
“A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR A STYLE GUIDE FOR FUTURE RESOLUTIONS”
Preamble
A preamble is a brief statement of background or rationale coming before the resolving clause(s). The
purpose of a preamble is to provide information without which the point or the merits of a resolution are
likely to be poorly understood, or where unusual importance is attached to making certain reasons for an
action a matter of record, or the like.
Although it is not mandatory to include a preamble with every resolution, the inclusion of such
information usually strengthens the understanding and importance of the resolution. However, a
preamble generally should contain no more clauses than are strictly necessary. Too many clauses often
detract from the force of the resolution.
Each clause in a preamble is written as a separate paragraph. It begins with the word "WHEREAS"
followed by a comma, with the next word beginning with a capital letter. The preamble, regardless of how
many paragraphs it has, should never contain a period. Each clause ends with a semicolon.
The last paragraph of the preamble should close with a semicolon, after which the connecting expression
"now, therefore, be it" is added.
Structure
WHEREAS, The ... (text of the first preamble clause); and WHEREAS, ... (text of the next to the last
preamble clause); and WHEREAS, ... (text of the last preamble clause); now, therefore, be it
Example
WHEREAS, Resolutions are an important part of the North Carolina Democratic Party and its proceedings;
and
WHEREAS, The process for writing a resolution for consideration by the North Carolina Democratic Party
is unclear; and
WHEREAS, Members of the North Carolina Democratic Party would find a guide to writing resolutions
useful in their activism; now, therefore, be it
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Resolving clauses
A resolving clause indicates what action(s) is to be taken given the "WHEREAS" clause(s) in the preamble.
Each resolving clause, written as a separate paragraph, begins with the word "RESOLVED" followed by a
comma and the word "that" with a capital "T." If there is more than one resolving clause, each of them
should begin with the words "RESOLVED, that" just as in the first resolving clause. However the final
resolved clause can begin with “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That, “ but this is optional
Structure
RESOLVED, That ... (stating action to be taken); RESOLVED, That ... (stating further action to be taken); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That ... (stating the last action to be taken).
Example
RESOLVED That the North Carolina Democratic Party staff will consult Roberts Rules o Order and other
documents to gain an understanding of the resolution-writing process; and
RESOLVED, That the State Party staff will produce a style guide to writing resolutions to be considered by
the precinct, county, district, and State Executive Committees; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we Democrats commit our actions, time, ideas, energy, treasury and
prayers toward ensuring electoral success for Democrats up and down the ballot henceforth and
forevermore.
Submission statement
At the end of the resolution, the following submission statement must be included to clarify who is
submitting the resolution and to which body it is being submitted:
Structure
Submitted to the [name of Party Entity] by
[Person(s) submitting the resolution and county] [Date]
Example
Submitted to the Fourth Congressional District Executive Committee by Mr. John Democrat, Donkey
County
March 12, 2017
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A R ES O L U T IO N CA L L I N G FO R A S T Y LE G U ID E FO R F U T U RE R ES O L UT IONS
WHEREAS, Resolutions are an important part of the North Carolina Democratic Party and its proceedings;
and
WHEREAS, There are various templates used to write resolutions in state, local and international
government; and
WHEREAS, The process for writing a resolution for consideration by the North Carolina Democratic Party
is unclear; and
WHEREAS, Members of the North Carolina Democratic Party would find a guide to writing resolutions
useful in their activism; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED That the North Carolina will consult Roberts’ Rules of Order and other documents to gain an
understanding of the resolution-writing process; and
RESOLVED, That the State Party staff will produce a style guide to writing resolutions to be considered by
the precinct, county, district, and State Executive Committees; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we Democrats commit our actions, time, ideas, energy, treasury and
prayers toward ensuring electoral success for Democrats up and down the ballot henceforth and
forevermore.
Submitted to the Fourth Congressional District Executive Committee by Mr. John Democrat, Donkey
County
March 12, 2015
Informative Sources
Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised http://www.robertsrules.org/
Texas Library Association http://www.txla.org/
NCDP Plan of Organization http://www.ncdp.org/sites/ncdems/files/PlanOfOrganization2015.pdf
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