Political Convention Process

• Republican Convention Process

• Democratic Convention Process

REPUBLICAN CONVENTION PROCESS 

Level One:            The Precinct Convention Process 

If you vote in the Republican primary election on March 4, during early voting or by mail you are eligible to attend your precinct convention after the polls close on Election Day.  

Your convention will take place at your precinct’s election day polling place within two hours after the polls close at 7:00 p.m.  The time and place of your precinct convention must be posted at each poll during primary election day. 

There are only two items of business for the precinct convention:

1.        Election of delegates and alternates to county or senatorial district conventions; and

2.        Approval of resolutions to be sent to these conventions. 

Each precinct is entitled to send to the county/senatorial district convention one delegate and one alternate for every 25 votes, or major fraction thereof, cast for Governor Rick Perry in that precinct in the 2006 general election.  In districts where the size of a convention is a problem, the ratio may be set at one delegate and alternate for every 40 votes.   

Level Two:             The County / Senatorial District Convention Process 

The County/SD District Convention will be held on March 29, 2008, at a time and place announced at the precinct convention.  

At the county/senatorial district convention, the formal business is the same as at the precinct convention:

1.        Elect delegates and alternates to the next higher-level convention; and

2.        Adopt resolutions for that convention’s consideration.  

If your convention has over 25 delegates, as most will, the temporary chairman shall appoint between five and fifteen members to the following committees to run the convention:

Credentials: hears disputes about contested delegates as well as deciding who shall be seated.

Rules: recommends supplementary rules for the convention.

Permanent Organization: recommends permanent officers of the convention.

Resolutions: recommends which resolutions should be approved.

Nominations: recommends a slate of delegates and alternates to the state convention. 

Each county/senatorial district convention is entitled to send one delegate and one alternate to the state convention for every 300 votes cast in your county/district for Governor Rick Perry in the 2006 general election. Each county in each senatorial district is guaranteed at least two delegates and two alternates. Alternates may only vote at the state convention when seated for an absent delegate.  

Level Three:         The State Convention Process 

The Republican State Convention will be held in Houston on June 12th, 13th and 14^th, 2008. 

The following business will occur:

1.        Elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas;

2.        Elect one male and one female member from each senatorial district to the

State Republican Executive Committee; and

3.        Adopt a state party platform. 

Each senate district is entitled to be represented by one member on the following committees: Credentials, Organization, Rules, and Platform and Resolutions. 

According to Republican National Committee rules, Texas will be allocated 140 delegates and 137 alternates to the 2008 convention in Minneapolis.  Forty-one (41) of these national convention delegates and alternates will be selected at-large at the state convention, according to how well presidential candidates do statewide.  Ninety-six (96) national convention delegates and alternates will be selected according to how well presidential candidates do within Texas’ 32 congressional districts. According to Republican National Committee rules, the remaining three delegate spots are automatically assigned to the Party Chairman, National Committeeman and National Committeewoman and are un-pledged delegates. 

For more information regarding how the delegates are allocated to each presidential candidate please visit the Republican Party of Texas website at www.texasgop.org. 

Level Four:           National Convention in Minneapolis, MN September 1-4, 2008 

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION PROCESS 

Level One:            The Precinct Convention Process 

If you vote in the Democratic primary election on March 4, during early voting or by mail you are eligible to attend your precinct convention on Election Day.  

Your convention will take place at your precinct’s election day polling place at 7:15 p.m. on March 4, 2008.  This information must be posted at each poll during primary election day but if you can’t find it you can ask your election clerk. 

There are four items of business for the precinct convention:

1.        Everyone must sign in and indicate the presidential candidate he or she supports; 

2.        The convention then elects a chair and secretary to run the convention;

3.        The chair announces: the number of delegates to the County/SD Convention the precinct will elect, the percent of people attending the precinct convention who support each candidate, and the number of delegates the supporters of each candidate are entitled to elect; and

4.        Supporters of each candidate elect delegates and alternates to the County/SD Convention. 

At the precinct convention, attendees may take positions on issues.   

Level Two:             The County / Senatorial District Convention Process 

The County/SD District Convention will be held on March 29, 2008, at a time and place announced at the precinct convention.  

At the county/senatorial district convention, the formal business will be conducted as follows:

1.        The County Chair will call the convention to order and will also call for a report of the credentials committee that will decide disputes over who has been elected a delegate or alternate;

2.        Delegates will elect a chair and Secretary to run the convention;

3.        A poll will be taken of all delegates to determine how many delegates of the convention support each candidate and the chair will announce the results; and

4.          Delegates in each precinct will gather to elect the delegates for the State Convention.  

All results are added together and given to the nominations committee.  This committee will then distribute the “at-large” delegates among each of the presidential candidates so that the county’s delegation reflects each candidate’s fair share of the convention.   

Level Three:         The State Convention Process 

The Democratic State Convention will be held in Austin on June 6^th and 7th, 2008. 

Each delegate will sign in and pick up credentials, and will also indicate his or her presidential preference at that time.  The sign-ins will be tallied and that total will be used by the nominations committee to distribute the pledged party and elected official delegates and the at-large delegates among the presidential candidates. 

The State Convention elects four types of delegates to the National Convention: 126 pledged senatorial district delegates and 21 alternates; 35 unpledged party and elected official delegates; 25 pledged party and elected official delegates and 5 alternates; and 42 at-large delegates and 6 alternates. 

For more information on how the delegates are allocated to presidential candidates please visit the Texas Democratic Party website at www.txdemocrats.org. 

Level Four:           National Convention in Denver, CO August 25-28, 2008