What Are the Duties of a Precinct Committeeman?

Precinct committeemen or women represent a political party to members of the public. They do this, in part, by relaying the wishes of the community on social and economic issues to those running for office. The Republican and Democratic parties employ these committee leaders as a way to build a relationship between those who hold public office and those who vote at the polls. Duties of a committee leader can include: promoting party views, marketing candidates, organizing meetings, and recruiting volunteers.

One of the main duties of a precinct committeeman or woman is to promote the party the committee person represents. This can be done a number of ways, including supporting either Republican or Democratic candidates, marketing party ideals and promoting events at the local and national levels. Committee members also work together toward uniting the party and promoting its overall goals. This can be done through distributing election information, as well as arranging events where the public can meet those running for office. Precinct committeemen and women also often canvass neighborhoods, watching for new residents and making sure people who have identified themselves as either Republican or Democrat are registered to vote. A precinct committeeman or woman serves as the face of the party and must work hard to develop a visible presence to voters.

Another duty of a precinct committeeman or woman is to listen to and work with the public. Electing party leaders who represent their communities is a duty of a committee person. It is important to spend time with voters in your jurisdiction and learn about their needs and interests. You can also encourage them to become involved. This may be done at organized events or with the help of volunteers. Volunteers can assist in recruiting others and make phone calls, door knock, and assist with creative, on-the-ground marketing strategies.

Precinct committeemen and women have the task of attending precinct meetings. At these meetings, they may be in charge of assisting other committee members with planning party strategies in their particular area. Maintaining the organization of the committee is another duty of committee members, with tasks including updating records, printing and dispersing voter registration forms and keeping a database of residents in the community registered to vote for that committee member's particular party. Surveying the landscape and developing a strategy for covering the entire community is an important task of this position.