NC State Convention June 1st-3rd, is it to late?

[freakout9903]

I know how the normal delegate process works, and had been pretty much shut out of my county convention as I didn't find information on the date until AFTER it had occurred in my county on the ncgop convention website, which was also WELL BEFORE our vote that just occurred.

I was searching through the state GOP convention information and found this form: http://www.ncgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Registration-Form-2012-Convention.doc
It allows for Delegates, Alternates (im guessing previously selected) AND Guests to attend. My question is if enough of us swamped the floors of the convention as guests(and sat through the grueling speeches of TIM PAWLENTY & DONALD TRUMP) would the guests still be able to help with motions & convention dealings? or would these guests be ousted from the room at this point.....?

 

[MozoVote]

Two years ago we elected Tom Fetzer as NCGOP chairman, and he had to wear a green "guest" badge at State, because he did not attend the Wake county convention, heh. If he could not vote form himself, clearly there is no circumventing the credentialing process.

There is a loophole that allows people from unorganized precincts (those without precinct chairs) to vote at convention. If you're on good terms with the local GOP they should tell you if that's the case, for where you are registered. Maybe the NCGOP will tell you. I've never met anyone who has tested how this works... everybody follows the normal county convention procedure.

 

[lib3rtarian]

There is a loophole that allows people from unorganized precincts (those without precinct chairs) to vote at convention. If you're on good terms with the local GOP they should tell you if that's the case, for where you are registered. Maybe the NCGOP will tell you. I've never met anyone who has tested how this works... everybody follows the normal county convention procedure.

Can you explain how this works?

I had posted a month ago about some precincts which don't have any precinct chairs. I took over precinct chair positions for 2 of those temporarily, but I can try and squeeze someone in. Of course, this is all Wake county.

freakout9903, which county/CD are you in?

 

[MozoVote]

From page 23 of the Plan of Organization:

b. No person shall be seated as a Delegate at any County, District or State Convention unless such person shall have been duly elected a Delegate or Alternate by the appropriate Precinct Meeting or County Convention; except, the registered Republican or Republicans, present at a County Convention from an unorganized Precinct, which has not had its credentials accepted, shall have the right to vote 1 vote per Precinct, prorated among those present from that Precinct.

This is probably such a rarely used clause, that few knowledgeable people in the party have seen it applied.

 

[mrsparex]

I realize I'm showing my ignorance here but I'm on the county slate as a delegate however I failed to get enough votes at the district convention to go on to the state convention. So I guess that if I went to the state convention anyway that I'd register as a guest?

 

[lib3rtarian]

I realize I'm showing my ignorance here but I'm on the county slate as a delegate however I failed to get enough votes at the district convention to go on to the state convention. So I guess that if I went to the state convention anyway that I'd register as a guest?

You don't need any votes to go to the State convention. You do need votes to get elected as a national delegate though - is that what you were referring to? If you had indicated during your precinct meeting that you are going all the way to the state, you are eligible to go to the state. You don't need to be nominated or elected. You still need to register here.

You are going to the state convention, I would like to get your details. Please PM me.

 

[freakout9903]

Can you explain how this works?

I had posted a month ago about some precincts which don't have any precinct chairs. I took over precinct chair positions for 2 of those temporarily, but I can try and squeeze someone in. Of course, this is all Wake county.

freakout9903, which county/CD are you in?

Gaston County, District 9, Robinson #1 Precinct (Southminster Presbyterian)

 

[MozoVote]

If you had indicated during your precinct meeting that you are going all the way to the state, you are eligible to go to the state.

I thought the same thing, but I'm beginning to think what matters more is the credentialing from county.

IE, someone could not declare their intention to go to state on the forms, then get credentialed at county under the motion "All present here today shall be eligible to attend the district and state convention" (which every county seems to do). It may be that the NCGOP uses the precinct forms more for planning the convention and getting a rough guess how many will go.

I *have* heard that the county party can be back-billed by the NCGOP, when it tells the state it's delegation will be size X and there are too many no shows. The NCGOP doesn't want to rent an oversize hall, to conserve money, and the there is a temptation by the county parties to be optimistic in their forecasts.

 

[aclove]

Remember that not all counties are like Mecklenburg, which has more State Convention slots than it ever fills at the county convention. On the other hand, smaller counties (like Haywood county in the western part of the state) had more delegates show up to the county convention than it had District and State convention slots, so it had to have an election for who to send on to the next levels. That sounds like what happened to mrsparex; if she ran for State delegate and lost, then she can't go as a voting delegate.

 

[mrsparex]

I'm new to all this. At our county meeting we split into groups depending on our location within the county (Yadkin) and selected delegates, These "slates" were voted on as a group (all in one sweeping vote). This of course passed. I was told to attend the district 5 convention where they nominated from the floor and each nominee spoke for 60 seconds. I nominated myself but when the votes were counted...I didn't have enough votes. I'm reasonably sure I can't check "delegate" on the form but not 100% sure. Thank you and others who replied to this.
I'll call the number later and see what they say.

 

[MozoVote]

Just another lesson to be an alternate if you can't be a delegate. I bet even the small counties usually have some people that change their minds before the state convention, so the alternates who show up will be allowed in... I have not yet seen a situation at state, where "too many alternates are here and we cannot seat them".

 

[mrsparex]

Here's the facts:
I just spoke with a very nice lady from the NC GOP. She explained that county conventions elect people to attend the STATE convention as delegates. The district convention elects to send to the national convention. (I didn't ask what their next step is)
She had me listed as a delegate and said there'd be a sign showing where each county sits.

 

[MozoVote]

Yeah, it is possible that the state just takes the list of names who attended county, and assumes they are all credentialed for state, regardless of what they checked off on the original precinct forms.

Remember they make a profit on the convention, so the better the attendence the more money for the party. Therefore the NCGOP is more likely to let people attend than not, if there is a clear enough rationale.

 

[dntrpltt]

If you were a delegate to the district convention, then it is 99.999% likely you are also a delegate to the state convention.

 

[slacker921]

Bump..

just a reminder that early registration ($35) ends TODAY.

There are a lot of important things that will happen at the state convention (amendments to the "platform" that all Republican candidates are supposed to strive for, election of national delegates, etc.) and it's important that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU show up.

convention info here

Register here

There were only 740 delegates at the NC state convention in '08. That's an average of just 7.4 people per county. Your vote can make a difference.
You don't have to be there all three days, Saturday is the critical day, and be prepared to be there long after what the schedule states. Don't leave until the convention is adjourned.

 

[MozoVote]

There were 740 or so on Friday night, but about 900 on Saturday in 2008. There were about 70-ish liberty delegates that cycle. We were not numerous enough to drive the agenda, but we were a swing voting bloc that tipped a couple of close votes on party plan amendments and the national committeewoman election.

Everyone really should come out for the state convention if you can at all. This is what all the meetings and delegatizing has been building up to!