Be a part of the team!
In Oregon, there is a representative position known as the Precinct Committee Person (PCP). The PCP is a large driving force in the organization of local parties. Precinct Committee Persons (or PCPs) are the entry-level officials of the Oregon Republican Party (ORP.) They represent the people that live within their precinct to their county Republican Party.
Each PCP is a voting member of the Central Committee in their county party, and the Central Committee in each county is authorized to make all decisions relating to its county party. As a Republican PCP, you will be voting on official Party business such as your county bylaws, resolutions, as well as electing county Party leadership and Platform Convention delegates.
How does it work?
A precinct is the smallest political unit in the country; it cannot be divided by a legislative, congressional, or supervisorial boundary. A PCP is a representative of the party within the precinct in which he or she resides (a PCP may also serve an adjacent precinct).
PCPs represent their neighbors while they debate and vote on the issues that come before the Central Committee. These issues may include resolutions, rule changes, platform planks and legislative agenda priorities. All PCPs may vote to elect the people that will, in turn, represent them as members of the ORP State Central Committee. ElectedPCPs may also vote to elect the officers of the in your county party at their biennial reorganizational meeting (in November of even years). AppointedPCPs are not allowed to vote during the reorganizational meeting.
Oregon’s election law authorizes one PCP for every 250 voters from each major political party for every precinct, depending on the size of the precinct. There is one PCP for every 250 voters, with a minimum of 2 PCPs per precinct. Party members may file for election as PCPs in May primary elections or may run as write-in candidates. Vacancies may be filled by appointment between elections at Central Committee Meetings.
Precinct Committee Person opportunities
- Vote at your county Central Committee Meetings
- Nominate candidates for Republican vacancies in the state legislature or county commission
- Participate in ORP Platform Conventions
- Elect County Central Committee Officers (elected PCPs only)
- Elect delegates to the State Central Committee
- Participate in the Local Leaders Program and other Get-Out-The-Vote activities
Other important things PCPs can do
- Lobby elected officials
- Recruit volunteers
- Solicit small donations
- Act as a resource whom voters in your precinct can contact for assistance
- Build community
At important times, PCPs should contact the voters in their assigned precinct, by phone or door to door. They should establish a personal relationship with the voters in their precinct, provide these voters with information on the Republican Party and its candidates, and provide the Party and candidates with feedback from the voters.
How to Become a PCP
Eligibility: To be eligible for the office of PCP, you must have a current, active voter registration in the State of Oregon, and you must have been a registered Republican for at least 180 days in any state (with exceptions for voters who are applying within 180 days of their 18th birthday). Your County Elections Office will review and certify the eligibility of all persons seeking the role of PCP.
To have your name appear on the ballot, you must submit the completed SEL 105 form for precinct committeeperson by March 12, 2024.
If the deadline has passed, it’s still not too late to become an elected PCP.
After the deadline, you can be a write-in candidate by filling out the write-in candidacy form SEL 105d and submitting it to your county elections office by 8pm on Election Day, May 21, 2024. To be eligible for election as a write-in candidate, you must have at least 3 Republicans in your precinct (including yourself) write in your name as it appears on this form on their ballot. If you have any questions about being a write-in candidate, please contact your County Republican Party.
Do I need to be a PCP to volunteer in my county or state GOP?
No. Any Republican can volunteer. Many of our volunteers do not feel the need to participate in the Central Committee and instead contribute to the party by working on our committees, in our office, or on political campaigns. Learn more about other ways to get involved