Precinct Captains are asked to connect with Democrats in their precinct, establish a relationship, encourage them to vote for Democratic Party candidates, and to engage with their local elected officials. Furthermore, they are tasked with being the eyes and ears in their precinct so party officials have a better understanding of what the concerns are in each individual community. Precinct captains are also able to participate in the Broward DEC elections.

First, some definitions:

  • Precinct Captain, Precinct Committeeman, Precinct Committeewoman, and Precinct Committeeperson (sometimes abbreviated as PCP) are the same thing and used interchangeably.
  • The Broward Democratic Executive Committee (abbreviated as Broward DEC or just DEC) is the elected board that runs the Broward Democratic Party (abbreviated as BDP).
  • A precinct is the smallest political geographical unit maintained by the county for voting purposes. Think of a precinct as your general neighborhood.

What are the responsibilities or duties of a precinct captain?

  • Commit to volunteer at least 2 hours monthly
    • For example, attend DEC Meetings, Club or Caucus Meetings, Neighborhood Team or Field Events
  • Build a relationship with Democratic, Independent, and No Party Affiliation (NPA) voters in the precinct
    • Examples: 
      • Canvass (Walk door to door) in the precinct using MiniVAN turf provided by the precinct’s Area Leader or BDP
      • Make phone calls in the precinct using a Virtual Phone Bank list provided by the Area Leader or BDP
      • Host a house party and invite neighbors to talk about politics and the issues they are concerned about
  • Attend all provided trainings
  • Host Voter Registration Events/Actions
    • Register voters by going door to door and asking if everyone in the household is registered to vote
    • Register voters at locations in the community with high foot traffic
    • Canvass the NPA voters in the precinct and urge them to re-register as Democrats
  • Sign voters up for Vote-By-Mail (VBM) and explain to them how easy it is to vote
  • Participate in Broward County Democratic Party (BDP) meetings, events, activities, and committees.
  • Help recruit new precinct captains
  • Build a team of volunteers to help with contacting voters in the precinct
    • Utilize the group’s collective skills, energy, and contacts to be effective.
  • Comply with all duties as outlined in the BDP bylaws

Who is eligible to be a precinct captain and how long do they serve?

  • Regular precinct captains are elected by voters in the precinct, found on the ballot along with candidates running for office
  • In order to run for election, you must be registered as a Democrat and be registered in and reside in your precinct
  • Precinct captains are only voted on in presidential election years
  • If elected, precinct captains serve four-year terms of office, ending on election day of the next presidential general election
  • Elected precinct captains represent their voting precinct and are voting members of the Broward DEC and eligible to serve as officers
  • At-large precinct captains are appointed by the Broward DEC Chair in off-years and are not elected
    • At-large precinct captains are voting members of the DEC but may not serve as officers

How many precinct captains can each precinct have?

  • The Florida Democratic Party bylaws determine the number of precinct captains who may qualify for each precinct.
  • Each voting precinct in Broward County has a minimum of one man and one woman precinct captain.
  • Precincts with more than 1,000 registered Democrats as of the last day of the year preceding the presidential election year are entitled to 2 additional representatives (one man and one woman) for each additional 1,000 democratic voters.

Check back later to apply!