The Lehigh County Democratic Committee is seeking interested and committed volunteers to become Precinct Committee Persons (or PCPs). PCPs are the lifeblood of our party in Lehigh County, and their efforts are the way we convert our substantial registration advantage over Republicans into electoral victories at the local, state and even national level.
Below is information for those who may consider taking on this essential role.
What is a PCP?
A Precinct Committee Person (PCP) is an official voting member of the LCDC, elected to represent the precinct* in which they live. They elect the county party’s leadership and representatives to the State Democratic Committee, and they decide the rules and procedures by which the county party conducts its business. According to the LCDC bylaws, PCPs are to meet once a quarter to take necessary actions and learn about election issues and candidate qualifications.
Informally, PCPs provide the connection between the county party and the registered Democratic voters in their precinct. They provide them information about the election process, and encourage those voters to vote for and support Democrats in all elections. They also serve as a liaison between the county and state parties and individual candidates running for office.
In short, the PCPs are the Democratic Party leaders for voters in their precincts, and a vital part of the Democratic efforts to ensure we choose the best people to serve us in elected office.
*Note: In some areas “precincts” are known as “Wards” and/or “Districts”
How do you find your precinct name and the area included in your precinct?
You can use the Lehigh County Polling Place Finder to view a map of your precinct area and additional information about the precinct. After inserting your address, you will see the location of your precinct polling place and an outline of your precinct on the map. On the left side of the page is an Information Tab that shows information about the precinct, including the Precinct Name.
How do you become a PCP?
The position of PCP is an elected office. PCPs are chosen in the Democratic primary election in the spring of the year of Pennsylvania’s governor election.
To run for the position of PCP, a person must be a registered Democrat living in the precinct they want to represent. As with all elected offices, they qualify to be put on the ballot by circulating and submitting nominating petitions signed by a specific number of voters. For PCP elections, would-be candidates must collect the signatures of at least ten registered Democratic voters who live in their precinct. PCP CANDIDATE PETITION INSTRUCTIONS
Voters in Lehigh County can elect up to two PCPs to represent their precinct, either by voting for candidates who are officially on the ballot or by writing in a candidate of their choice.
In some circumstances, individuals are appointed by the LCDC Executive Board to fill vacant positions or unexpired terms. Any registered Democrat residing in a precinct with an open PCP seat can apply to fill the seat. To apply for consideration, see the link below to fill out the application. A reply confirmation of the application will be sent. The PCP committee reviews all applications and submits recommendations to the Chair for approval. Upon final approval, the applicant will be notified of appointment via email. The appointments are valid until the next PCP election cycle. APPLY TO BE APPOINTED AS A PCP
How much of a time commitment is involved in being a PCP?
That depends on a number of factors:
- The makeup of your precinct — does it have a lot of Democratic voters? Then it may take more time and effort to reach out to them, but you can be assured that your efforts will have a greater impact on the election chances for our candidates.
- Geography — a larger/more sparsely populated rural district will require a different type of outreach than a tightly compact urban or suburban district. The time commitment may be different depending on the manner in which you contact and encourage your precinct’s voters.
- Volunteers — like the old saying, “Many hands make light work.” If you have a group of friends and supporters who can help you, you can reach out and engage with your voters more effectively.
- Events — In addition to the primary duty of voter contact, you should remember that PCPs will be asked to meet and attend events, especially as we get closer to elections and need to support our candidates in their voter outreach.
- Election Calendar — PCPs have more responsibilities in the run-up to Election Day — they have more contact with voters, volunteers, and candidates in the weeks before, and they arrange for coverage of their precinct’s polling place by volunteers throughout the actual Election Day. After the election is over, their responsibilities become much fewer (for example, during the summer months after the spring primary, or the holidays following the November general election).
We recognize that there will be differences in the amount of time and effort PCPs are able to provide, but it’s important for LCDC to have PCPs in as many of Lehigh County’s precincts as possible — and we’ll appreciate whatever time and effort you can give us!
Duties and Responsibilities of a PCP
What support does LCDC provide to PCPs?
LCDC understands that our party’s chances in elections depend greatly on the success of our PCPs in reaching and motivating our registered voter base. So the county committee is committed to supporting those efforts with:
- Data on voters in each precinct — PCPs are permitted to access the Votebuilder database, which contains a wide range of data on voters – including their voting history, the number of people in their household (and their registration status), whether they have signed up to vote by mail, etc. Once trained by LCDC, the PCP can sort the data in ways they need to facilitate their contact with voters, such as generating lists of voters to reach in specific neighborhoods (known as “walk lists” or “turfs”). If Votebuilder access is not desired by the PCP, LCDC can call on its data team volunteers to generate walk lists for their precinct as they need them.
- Collateral materials — for each election LCDC will generate sample ballot documents for PCPs to distribute to voters. These have proved to be very popular and extremely effective in helping convince our Democratic voter base to come out and support the candidates on our ticket. We provide both electronic and printed versions as you request. We also work to obtain campaign materials from individual candidates (including yard signs!) which we will distribute to PCPs. (In addition, LCDC often does county-wide outreach mailers and robocalls in support of our ticket, which enhance and support your specific precinct based efforts.
- Information and updates — The LCDC website (www.lehighdemocrats.org) is an unmatched resource for election information in Lehigh County, and our social media presence lets you know breaking news and developments that impact Democratic candidates and issues. LCDC’s PCP Express newsletter highlights key issues and needed actions throughout the election cycle.