How to Get Involved with Your Political Party
Stay after the polls close for your political party’s precinct convention.
These conventions are held by both the Democratic and Republican parties and begin after the
last voter has voted but no later than 9 p.m. at regular county election precincts on Primary
Election Day.
Precinct conventions adopt resolutions that help determine the party’s platform, which
is a public statement of a party’s beliefs and serves as a guiding document for the party. Also,
delegates are selected at these conventions to attend the county and senatorial conventions.
County and senatorial conventions are held the third Saturday after the primary
elections. At these conventions, delegates choose individuals to attend the biennial state
convention, adopt resolutions and conduct additional business. At each party’s state convention,
delegates elect state officers and adopt the party’s platform. In presidential election years,
some state convention delegates are elected to serve as delegates to each party’s national
convention. Resolutions that pass at the county level are considered for the state platform. This
process, though lengthy, provides concerned individuals an opportunity to help develop policy and
the party platform that will guide candidates on issues such as education, health and human
services, and taxes.
Study your party’s platform for positions that should be changed, added or deleted.
Review your party’s platform online at
www.txdemocrats.org or
www.texasgop.org.
Then, if you want to change it, file a resolution at the precinct convention; if it passes, your
resolution will be considered at the county or senatorial district conventions. An example of a
resolution is shown below. Contact
ATPE Governmental Relations if you would like help
formulating your own resolution.
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A Resolution to Oppose Private School Vouchers |
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Whereas, a
private school voucher program would weaken student
achievement progress and reverse the performance gains
achieved by Texas public schools through the withdrawal of
public education tax revenue to supplement the operations
of private schools, and
Whereas, the parents of public school students enjoy and are taking
advantage of numerous opportunities for their children to
enroll in the schools of their choice within a public
school system that, by the laws of the state of Texas, are
charged with fairly and equitably serving the academic
needs of all Texas youth, and
Whereas, a system of private school vouchers would lead to the
disintegration of student diversity in an education
setting common and accessible to all Texas citizens
thereby weakening a foundation of our American democratic
society, now
Therefore be it resolved that the _________________ Party of Texas
opposes the establishment of a private school voucher
program in Texas and commits to opposing any and all such
proposals introduced in the Texas Legislature. |
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