2023 DPLAC Ward Meetings FAQ

Ward meetings will take place via Zoom on Sunday, February 19, at 2pm (Ward A), 2:30pm (Ward B), and 3pm (Ward C).  This is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88609294515  

Joining the County Central Committee (CCC) is a great way to start your involvement in local politics.  The deadline to sign up for CCC or to vote in the Ward elections is 5pm on February 19, 2023.  Use this link: https://forms.gle/2krBAKAtWLMUxvKh8.  Yes, that is shortly after the Ward meetings. 

Where are the Wards?

Maps here show the current boundaries.  The Precinct numbers have changed, but the Ward boundaries are the same.

What happens if I just sign up to vote?

You can attend the Zoom meeting listed above if you wish.  You will receive a ballot specific to your Ward at 8am on February 21 and must complete it by 5pm on February 25.  You can attend a live Zoom where results will be processed at 2pm on February 26; you will receive an email with the results by February 27.  While casting your Ward ballot, you will use a UIN instead of your name so your vote will be secret.  

What does a member of the CCC do?

The CCC votes for County Chair, County Vice Chair, and State Central Committee (SCC) – our representatives to the state party.  The CCC approves an annual budget presented by the Chair; adjustments of Ward boundaries and other rules changes, as needed; and, in rare circumstances, the CCC may appoint someone to fill a vacancy on the ballot.  Official description here: https://bit.ly/3HVEyso

How much time does being on the CCC require?

Expect 2-3 votes per year.  It is the Chair’s discretion whether CCC votes and associated deliberations take place in person or through remote and absentee proceedings.  Beyond essential votes, business comes to the CCC either at Chair’s discretion or upon a petition of a majority of the CCC.  In-person votes require CCC members to attend a meeting in person at a specific time, but you can send a proxy form to let someone else vote for you if you cannot attend.

Since March 2020, DPLA CCC has conducted all business through remote and absentee proceedings, which require a few extra steps but allow CCC members to review information at their convenience (within a specific window).  Some people forget they are even on the CCC between votes. 

For an absentee vote, you will receive an email with information to review over a few days.  You can participate in online/Zoom deliberations if you choose.  All deliberations will be recorded/documented and attached to a ballot, which is a Google Form that stays open for a few days.  You’ll receive email reminders until you’ve completed the ballot or the voting period ends. 

Do I have to remain neutral in the primaries and how much is public?

CCC members do not have to remain neutral in the primaries.  The party does not take sides; the County Chair and the County Vice Chair should refrain from using their position to support one candidate over another in the primary.  Everyone else is free to do as they wish. 

When voting in the Ward meeting, all votes are secret because you represent only yourself.  We use the UIN system and a separate process for ballots to ensure your name is not connected with your ballot.  People can request to see who voted, and they can request to see the ballots, but because your name is not on your ballot, no one will know which one is yours.

If elected to the CCC, you represent people in your Ward, so there will be an email to the party announcing the winners, and your votes will be available upon request by a registered Democrat.  These are internal proceedings and very low key, so this is rare. 

What do I do if I want to serve on the CCC? 

Submit the google form and choose “yes I want to run for CCC,” add a 300-character statement, and complete your registration for the Ward elections.  If you have already submitted the form, resubmit it with correct information; you will not get a new UIN.  You can people you know to fill out the google form so they can vote for you (or other people they support if they live in a different Ward). 

The only business at the Ward meeting is to hear from candidates for Ward Chair, Vice Chair, and CCC, and it will be recorded.  If someone misses the Ward meeting or does not speak, their written statement will be provided with the ballot. 

What happens after I sign up and provide a 300-character statement?

If you attend your Ward meeting, you can make a statement for people in your Ward to consider when they vote.  If you sign up after the Ward meeting or cannot attend, your 300-character candidate statement will be provided with the ballot that will be open between 8am February 21 and 5pm February 25.  Votes will be tallied in a live Zoom at 2pm on February 26.

How does voting work?

Everyone who signed up for the Ward meeting before 5pm on February 19 and was verified to have been a Democrat registered in their Ward as of January 19, 2023 (a “30-day Democrat”) according to the County Clerk’s records will receive a google form to fill out with candidates for their Ward. 

For elections that have one position (Ward Chair and Ward Vice Chair), the person with the most votes will hold the position.  For elections with more than one seat (CCC), we use a DPNM-required form of rank-choice voting called Appendix A, which is weird but efficient.  Basically, you will write the names of the candidates in the order of preference and ballots are drawn randomly.  If the person you chose has already been elected by receiving a certain number of votes, the next person on your list will receive your vote.  More on Appendix A here: https://bit.ly/3Eg0Fay

When will I have to start doing things for the CCC?

 The CCC’s first business will be to elect the County Chair, Vice Chair, and SCC and to approve the 2023 budget.  There will be a Zoom meeting on March 5, 2023 at 2pm for candidates to speak.  Voting will take place in late March via absentee ballots.