Well, today is election day! It is pretty exciting, as I have never run for anything before. So what is it I am running for? Well, The title is Precinct Committeewoman. It is directly tied to the party I am affiliated with. Both the Republicans and the Democrats have two people in each precinct, a Precinct Committeeman and a Precinct Committeewoman, that represents the party in that area. A precinct is the smallest political boundary, and usually only covers a few blocks. While the position is not a big position, and policy is not decided by Precinct Committeepeople, there is still an important role to be played.
One of the consistent roles of a Precinct Committeeman and Committeewoman is to attend each and every party meeting. It would be difficult to represent the party without knowing what the party is doing! What the Precinct Committeepeople choose do do with that information is up to them. With the most important information, I hope to make a flier to hand out to all those registered to the same party as I. As the next election comes around, I will also let the people know who is running in the primary, and what they stand for. Another thing I can do is to take a survey of all the party members in my precinct and see what they want from their party. I can determine where they stand on certain issues, and represent them accordingly.
One of several beautiful flag displays around Kansas City. The boys asked me to stop and take pictures, so I did. Being there brings out some real patriotic pride!
Oftentimes people running for this position run uncontested, but not always, as in my case. I am actually the challenger to an incumbent. My opponent is a kind, older woman that has been doing it for years. Her husband is running for Precinct Committeeman. She is more moderate than I am, so the party asked me to run and I did. I am glad I did, too. I have been told that my chances seem to be pretty good, but we won’t know until tonight. Wish me luck!
One of the coolest parts about running for office right now is the involvement of the kids. What better way to teach them about how the country works and our political system than to get into it yourself? I have often been a volunteer, even if only in a small way, but I have kept the kids involved with me. They have grown up knowing a lot about the process, and are continuing to learn. They ask me wonderful questions. While I realize my answers are going to be naturally biased, I try to keep them neutral. I don’t necessarily want to tell my kids what to think, but at the same time, I hope to instill a value system that coincides with my political views. Getting the kids involved in these sorts of processes are what make informed adults in my opinion. While the chances of kids taking on the same views of their parents are high, they are not inevitable. At least in this way I can be sure my kids, regardless of what political side they eventually decide to be on, will make that decision with an educated mind. Today I am going feed them lunch and then we are going to go vote! I am going to take the boys into the booth with me and show them what to do, and why.
Like my blog? Vote for me! We are kind of stuck, so everyone vote! Can you imagine how fast we would move up the chart if everyone voted? That would be awesome. In the spirit of election day, vote, vote, vote! Thank you!
