1. Defend Democracy at Home
How to Run for Committeeperson
Stephanie Singer
City Commissioner
City Hall, Rm

2. Each Division has 4 Committeepeople
Major parties are Democrat and Republican.
In each division:
GOP voters elect 2 GOP Committeepeople
Dem voters elect 2 Dem Committeepeople
(Independents, other parties? None.)
4 year terms
Next election: May 20, 2014

4. Committeepeople are grouped into Ward Party Committees
About 70 wards in Philadelphia, each has Dem Ward Committee and GOP Ward Committee.
Each Committee:
usually divisions
40-80 CP slots in each Ward Committee
Ward Leader elected in June 2014 by elected CPs
(then WL can appoint CPs to vacancies)

6. How can the People get the Power to influence elected officials?
American People Hire High-Powered Lobbyist To Push Interests In Congress
Is this a joke, or is it a good idea – the People should have a lobbyist to make sure the People’s interests are represented in Congress?
How can the People get the Power to influence elected officials?

7. Votes are Power
Votes
Elected Officials
Local Leaders

8. So elected officials listen to what local leaders have to say.
The more votes a local leader can influence, the more influential the local leader is.

9. Ward Leaders are Leaders
Ward Leaders have influence

10. Party Committeepeople’s work empowers the Ward Leader

11. More Votes More Influence
2010 PA Governor Race
4,000,000 ballots cast
How we could have voted:
1,100,000 ballots
How we voted:
420,000 ballots

12. More Votes More Influence
2010 Governor’s Race won by
350,000
Over 500,000 Philadelphians stayed home.

13. More Votes More Influence
Pennsylvania:
Philadelphians 1.5M M
Gun Owners 4.4M
Women 6.5M
Which groups vote? Who can lead them?

14. CP Job Description Vote for Ward Leader Get votes for Party candidates
Make sure other side doesn’t cheat!
Anything else CP’s voters want
Pay: not guaranteed, typically at discretion of Ward Leader.

15. Who are your committeepeople?
Do you know them?
Can you reach them?
Do you like what they stand for?
If you don’t know, find out.
If you like what you find, help out.
If you don’t, step up.

16. Who can run for CP? Registered Voter in PA
Must be registered in a major party (Republican or Democratic) before circulating petitions.

17. Democracy is a garden
Let’s tend it for the next generation…

18. …so they don’t have to die for it.
(AFP Photo / Khaled Desouki)
…so they don’t have to die for it.

19. http://www. britannica
Bill Hudson/AP
Civil rights demonstrator attacked by a police dog on May 3, 1963, in Birmingham, Alabama.

20. Defend Democracy at Home
Run for Committeeperson
Stephanie Singer
City Commissioner
City Hall, Rm