Are You An Election Worker For The March 2nd Primary?

If you are an Election Judge, Alternate Judge, or Clerk for either the Democratic Party Primary or Republican Party Primary it is mandatory by law that you attend an "Election Law" training class. It is also highly recommended that you attend a "Machine Training" class.

Machine Training will give you hands-on experience on the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) touch screen voting booth equipment and the ePollBook laptop computers being used for this election.
[Note: In addition to the DRE touch screen voting booth equipment used at every polling location, 50 polling locations will use ePollBook laptop computers, in place of the old-style printed paper Poll Book binders, to qualify and sign in voters. The remaining 15 polling locations will use the old-style printed paper Poll Book binders on March 2nd.]

Election Judges should contact each member of your polling place team and make sure they attend one of the schedule election training classes. Election Law and Machine Training dates and times are given below the fold click:

Election Law Training	Machine Training
Election Law Training offered by the Collin County Elections Office This is the preferred training, as some issues specific to Collin County are covered in this live class. Dates and times for these classes: Thursday, February 18th at 1:00pm Thursday, February 18th at 6:30pm Saturday, February 20th at 10:00am. Location for these classes: University Drive Courts Facility Central Jury Room 1800 North Graves Street McKinney, TX 75069 You must notify your Political Party's County Elections Administrator to confirm your training class attendance.	Machine Training Training offered by the Collin County Elections Office Dates and times for these classes: Saturday, February 13th at 2:00pm; Wednesday, February 17th at 2:00pm; Friday, February 19th at 9:00am; Saturday, February 20th at 2:00pm; Wednesday, February 24th at 2:00pm; Thursday, February 25th at 2:00pm; Friday, February 26th at 9:00am. Location for these classes: University Drive Courts Facility Central Jury Room 1800 North Graves Street McKinney, TX 75069
Online Election Law training available on the Texas Secretary of State website. This online Poll Worker Training provided by the Secretary of State can be accessed at www.texaspollworkertraining.com. To participate in the online training, just register yourself, create a password and begin the class. This training satisfies the legal Election Law training requirement for election workers. Once you have successfully completed the course and receive your online certificate of completion you must save or print your online certificate of completion and send a copy to your Political Party's County Elections Administrator either by mail or e-mail. The entire course takes about two hours to complete.
The Democratic Party of Collin County will also provide Election Law training during the last week of February, and we will announce the dates, times, and locations in the coming days. This training will also cover practical tips on setting up your polling location for optimal flow, and we will also try to make the practical tips available on the party's website at www.collindems.us.

Democratic Primary Election - March 2010

In the March 2010 primaries Texas voters will choose which candidates will represent their respective political party in the November general elections. Texas is somewhat unique in that the Democratic and Republican political party organizations in each county are in charge of running their own primary elections with funding from the Texas Secretary of State.

State of Texas residents vote in what is known as an open primary. This means that as long as a qualified Texas resident registers to vote at least 30 days prior to the date of the primary election day, that person will be allowed to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary election. The voter is then affiliated with the party they select for the primary and restricted from participating in events of other political parties for the remainder of the primary year.

• The March 2, 2010 Primary Election Voter Registration Deadline is Monday, February 1st. New voter registration applications must be postmarked by midnight of that date. Click here for the Texas Secretary of State's voter registration form web page.


• The March 2, 2010 Primary Election early voting days and times at the usual early voting polling places around Collin County will be as follows:
  
  • 8AM to 5PM Tuesday Feb. 16, 2010 through Friday Feb. 19, 2010
  • 7AM to 7PM Saturday Feb. 20, 2010
  • 1PM to 6PM Sunday Feb. 21, 2010
  • 7AM to 7PM Monday Feb. 22, 2010 through Friday Feb. 26, 2010
  • Click here for full details on dates, times and sample ballots
    


• Click here to see the Democratic Candidates that will appear on the Democratic Primary Ballot In Collin County.
  

Texas does not register by party, rather one becomes “affiliated” with a party by voting in the party’s primary election. That affiliation then lasts for that entire primary year. As an example, if a person voted in the March 2008 Democratic Primary or April 2008 Democratic Primary runoff, that person's affiliation with the Democratic party did not expire until December 31, 2008.

The affiliation means that the person may not vote in another party’s primary or primary runoff, or participate in another party’s precinct, county or state convention or sign a for another party's candidate if the candidate’s position appears on the primary ballot.

A person who votes in the 2010 Republican Primary is disqualified from participating in the Democratic party’s precinct, county and state conventions, and vice versa. The Republican affiliated voter is also restricted from participating in other local and state Democratic Party activities, including being nominated by the Democratic Party to serve as an Election Judge, Alternate Judge or Clerk.

Note: In the November General Election voters may vote for whomever they wish, regardless of how or whether they voted in the primary or runoff primary election. All candidates of all parties appear on the same November General Election ballot.

Democratic Precinct Convention


On the evening of the March 2nd Primary Election Day, after the last voter has voted and the polls close, Democratic primary voters throughout Texas will meet at their respective Election Day Neighborhood Precinct Polling Locations to hold a Precinct Convention to do the following:

1. Elect delegates and alternates to the Democratic Collin County Convention and from thence to the Democratic State Convention

   2010 Collin County Democratic Convention
   Saturday, March 20th, 10:30 a.m
   Plano Centre (Spring Creek Parkway & Jupiter Rd.)

2. Adopt resolutions that will be submitted to the Democratic Collin County Convention.

The precinct convention may seem complicated at first, but it is very easy and quick to conduct. Here are some links to find more information about the Democratic Precinct Convention:

• Conducting Your Democratic Pct Convention
• Steps To Conduct Your Precinct Convention
• Pct Convention Check List Summary
• Resolutions in the Democratic Pct Convention

If you did not receive a new Blue and White voter registration card during December 2009 or January 2010, it may indicate that you are no longer properly registered to vote. You should call the Registrar's office to ask why you did not receive your new Blue and White 2010-2011 voter registration card. (Check your registration status online here.)

VOTER REGISTRAR
800-687-8546 / 972-547-1990
2010 REDBUD BLVD., SUITE 102
MCKINNEY, TX 75069
www.collincountytx.gov/elections/

For more information on the new Blue and White 2010-2011 voter registration cards, click here.

Conducting Your March 2nd Democratic Precinct Convention

Primary voters throughout Collin County will go to their 2010 primary election day polling locations after the polls close on March 2, 2010 to hold precinct conventions to do the following:

1. Elect delegates and alternates to the 2010 Democratic Collin County Convention.
   
2. Adopt resolutions that will be submitted to the county convention.

Sign posted by Democratic Judge at polling location

The 2010 Collin County Democratic Convention Convenes on Saturday, March 20th, 10:30 a.m at the Plano Centre. (Spring Creek Parkway & Jupiter Rd.)

Collin County residents must have voted in the 2010 Democratic primary in order to sign into one of the 179 Democratic precinct conventions, which convene shortly after the polls close on March 2nd, at the 65 polling locations around Collin Co. Republican primary voters will also conduct their own precinct conventions at different locations within the same 2010 primary election day polling locations.

March 2nd polling locations will have one to several separately convened Republican and Democratic Party precinct conventions, in different locations around the polling places' gym, cafeteria, lobby and so forth. People must locate and attend their party's precinct convention for their home address voting precinct.

Each Primary Election Day Polling Place Democratic Election Judge will contact the Democratic chairs of precincts voting at his/her polling location before election day to coordinate the election evening precinct convention hand off. Otherwise, for any precinct without a chair, the Democratic Party of Collin County Primary Administrator will give a list of 2008 precinct convention delegates to the Democratic Election Judge to contact for election evening precinct convention hand off. The Precinct Chair typically serves as the temporary precinct convention chair to organize the precinct convention, but, in the absence of a Precinct Chair, anyone who votes in the party's 2010 primary may serve as temporary chair.

Anyone who wishes to help organize the election evening precinct convention for their home voting precinct should contact the Democratic Party of Collin County office at either 972-578-1483 or elections@collindems.us and ask for the Primary Administrator.

Precinct Conventions Are Quick And Easy

The precinct convention may seem complicated at first, but it is very easy and quick to conduct. Here are the two basic rules that you need to know:

1. Voters who VOTED in the Democratic primary (either early, or by mail, or on election day) can participate in the precinct convention for the precinct where they are registered to vote. You can find your precinct number on your Voter Registration Card in the box titled "Prec. No." You can see your Registration Card online by clicking here.
   


2. The Democratic Party Precinct Chair of your precinct has priority in terms of convening the precinct convention and is considered the temporary chair of the convention; however, any registered voter from the precinct who voted in the 2010 Democratic Primary can start the convention in the event the precinct chair does not attend the convention, or the precinct chair position is vacant.
   
   The precinct chair, or other person intending to serve as the temporary chair of the convention, inspects the polling location to determine a good location for the convention. A large sign is placed at the polling place telling exactly when and where the convention will be held. Each voter should also be provided the information verbally and given a hand-out reminder.
   
   The county party provides a convention packet with instructions, forms, and an easy to fill-in agenda/minutes. The packet is typically kept at the Primary Polling Place by the Election Judge for the election day polling location. The packets are handed off to the temporary chair at the time that the Election Judge declares the Election Day Polling Place closed or at 7:15 P.M., which ever is later.
   

Steps To Conduct Your Precinct Convention

The precinct convention may seem complicated at first, but it is very easy and quick to conduct. Here are the basic steps that you need to know:

Step 1: After the polls close and the last voter has voted, the precinct chair, who has the first right to serve as the convention's temporary chair, should obtain the precinct convention packet from the election judge. The 2010 Democratic precinct convention packet will includes the following items:

1. One letter from the State Party Chair
2. Convention Minutes Form
3. Convention Exhibit A Sign-in Form
4. Convention Exhibit G Delegate Form
5. Convention Exhibit H Alternate Form
6. Number of Delegates that may be elected
7. Texas Democratic Party Rules
8. Precinct Convention Instructions
9. Other forms and information

If the precinct chair does not claim the package within 15 minutes after the poll closes and the last voter in line has voted, any registered voter from the precinct who voted in the 2010 Democratic primary and is attending the precinct convention can serve as the temporary chair of the convention. The temporary chair, after obtaining the precinct convention packet from the election judge, convenes the convention for his/her precinct, and serve as the temporary chair to call for the election of the permanent convention chair. Most of the convention activity is set by state law, the Rules of the Texas Democratic Party, and Robert’s Rules of Order.

Step 2: The temporary chair asks people who enter the convention site:

1. If they are there to participate in the precinct convention,
2. Whether they voted in the 2010 Democratic Primary, and
3. In which precinct they are registered to vote.

If they did not vote in the Democratic primary, they are not eligible to participate in the convention, though they are welcome to attend and observe. If they did vote in the Democratic primary, direct them to the convention location for the precinct in which they are registered.

An effort will be made by the temporary precinct convention chair to confirm that each convention attendee voted in the Democratic primary and lives in the correct precinct by checking their stamped voter registration card, or primary voting verification receipt slip.

The blue 2010 voter registration card should be stamp "DEMOCRATIC" as show in the picture right. (click picture to enlarge)

• Note: not everyone who voted in the 2010 primary will have remembered to have their card stamped or request a voting verification receipt slip.

If the voter presents neither a “Democratic” stamped voter registration card nor a primary voting verification receipt slip, voting verification will be completed by checking the list of early voters for each election precinct provided to each Election Judge by the county election registrar, and the poll list of election day voters.

If people arriving for the convention do not have evidence that they voted in the 2010 primary, they must still be permitted to participate, so long as they state they did voted in the Democratic primary, though in this case, the County Convention Credentials Committee must later check and validate their eligibility status. This could change the results of delegate allocations, if individuals are later found ineligible to have voted in the precinct convention.

If the person voted in the Democratic primary and is in the correct precinct, their name, address, voter registration number and other information must be entered on the "exhibit A" sign in form.

In presidential election years, people must state their presidential preference when they sign in to participate in the precinct convention. Since 2010 is not a presidential year, convention participates will not state a presidential preference as they sign in to the convention.

Step 3: Once everyone is registered on the "Exhibit A" form, the temporary convention chair calls the convention to order and asks someone to serve as the temporary convention secretary, if a temporary secretary has not yet been appointed.

The first order of business called by the temporary convention chair is to elect a permanent precinct convention chair and a permanent precinct convention secretary. The temporary convention secretary must clearly print the minutes of this business on the official "Convention Minutes" carbon copy form. As soon the a permanent precinct convention chair and a permanent precinct convention secretary are elected they take over the convention and conduct business until the convention adjourns.

Step 4: The next orders of business called by the permanent precinct convention chair is for the nomination and election of delegates and alternates to the Collin County Convention.

The convention packet should include a form that gives the number of delegates that may be elected to represent the precinct at the county convention. Only people who are in attendance and entitled to participate in the convention, by having voted in the Democratic primary and signed in for the precinct convention.

Step 5: The precinct convention body, as a whole, will then ratify (vote for) the selection of delegates and alternates. The precinct convention as a whole will then elect a delegation chair for the Collin County convention. The convention chair then announces the delegation chair, the list of delegates and alternates, and the date, time and location of the county convention.

Step 6: The convention chair then ask for any proposed convention resolutions to be read aloud. Discuss each proposed convention resolutions and approve or discard them. After all resolutions have been dealt with, convention chair asks for if anyone would like to move and second the adjournment of the convention. If the a majority of the convention body votes for adjournment, the convention chair gavels the convention to close.

After the Convention:

1. The convention chair must complete the forms and have both the signatures of both the convention chair and the convention secretary sign them.
2. Deliver the Convention Minutes, Exhibit A sign-in sheets, and Exhibit G and H Delegate and Alternate forms to the Democratic Party of Collin County Office, 1:PM on Friday, March 5, 2010. If you mail them, they must be postmarked by Thursday, March 4. Actual delivery to the office as soon as possible, rather than mailing, is preferred. This is the official record for the county convention and delegate allocation

Precinct Convention Document (click image)

Letter

Minutes

Exhibit A

Exhibit G

Exhibit H

Delegates