Political Reform at the Grassroots Level Starts With You 🙋🏽
What to Expect During This Sat., 4/26 Precinct Committee Person + Intro to Running for Office Info Session
We’re building political power in Indiana and our neighborhoods and this Precinct Committee Person + Intro to Running for Office Info Session is the start of that!
📅 Saturday, April 26 | ⏰ 10AM–12:30PM |📍 IBEW Local 481, 1828 N Meridian St, STE 205, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Want to join the growing movement of voices pushing back against the current political trajectory and systems working against us? There is still time to sign up!
As coalitions continue to organize and resist, we’re excited to welcome so many young, progressive, Latino, allies and diverse individuals to join the Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus (INLDC), the Indiana African American Caucus (IDAAC), and the Indiana Young Democrats (IYD) in finding our roles to shift the current political trajectory.
Here are some of the themes we’ll cover during Saturday’s informative session:
✅ Becoming a Precinct Committee Person,
✅ Running for office, and
✅ Joining impactful local organizations
But what is a PC?
Precinct Committee Person (PC): “The lowest level of elected office, representing a precinct, the smallest political unit.”
Historically, a “PC” has been a little-known role within political systems, and because of the political power the role yields, the process to become one has been shrouded in secrecy. Our hope is to change that.
🙋🏽 As a PC, you are an elected (or appointed) representative of your neighborhood, or your precinct.
🏠 A precinct is the smallest political unit, and often, it’s your neighborhood.
One becomes a PC through an election or through an appointment.
🗳️ ELECTION - PCs are elected in the primary elections every four years by filing the required paperwork;
📋 APPOINTMENT - PCs are appointed to PC vacancies by the Democratic Party Chair
Because the process hasn’t been widely known, many PC positions have remained vacant – leading to the stacking of these vacancies with party-insiders who, historically, have been expected to do the party’s bidding.
This in turn, has created a system that does not reflect the will of the people. In this article titled '”Room for Mischief': Inside the secretive process to fill vacant seats without elections,” from October 2021, the IndyStar gives insight into the process, highlighting obstacles faced around accessing information and the lack of transparency.
And while the tide is turning, meaningful change within these systems will only come from sustained and intentional involvement, which is why YOU need to run to be a PC.
Together, we can use this as a tool to change the system from the inside.
🏃🏽Running For Office
Running for public office is another way you can influence political change right here in Indiana.
If you’ve ever considered taking this route, becoming a PC may be the first step. This chart covers some of the general similarities and differences between the two roles – something we’ll discuss in greater detail during the event.
🫱🏽🫲🏻Joining an Organization
One of the best ways to continue sustained engagement is by connecting with active organizations, as such, we encourage you to establish a relationship with one (or all!) of the hosting organizations:
⭐ The Indiana Latino Democratic Caucus – Website
⭐ The Indiana Democrat African American Caucus - Website and
⭐ The Indiana Young Democrats – Facebook Page
Through these organizations, you can join the hundreds of thousands of people have come together to vocalize dissent and to publicly reject this hateful, oppressive, and vengeful presidential administration, and the states following suit.
As a Republican-dominated state, Hoosiers witnessed firsthand the direction the current leadership is taking our country, which in turn propelled many of us into action — which is why our involvement is needed more than ever.
You can also visit this site to find your democratic county party.
💃🏽 Open To All
We understand that the political process can feel intimidating, and you might not know where to begin.
No matter your current understanding of politics, if you're ready to be more active in supporting democracy, this is the place for you: this informative session is designed to meet everyone where they are on their journey. Our goal is to engage new voices – by making these systems available and accessible to all so they benefit us all – not just party-insiders and those with self-enriching agendas.
Our power to choose leaders who will help us, instead of installing party insiders who will harm us, is much bigger than you think (this is particularly true of local elections).
However, achieving this goal requires informed and deliberate action on our part, beginning with an understanding of the different ways we can participate in our local and state political systems, including registering to vote, becoming a PC in your neighborhood, running for office and engaging with active organizations.
Can’t make this info session?
No problem! Connect with one of the hosting organizations to learn about future opportunities, including similar info sessions.
If you have any questions about this event, please contact us at info@inlatinodems.com (INLDC) or info@idaac.org (IDAAC).
Thank you! 💙
Hello! Are there any online/zoom options to attend this?