Why Delegates Matter

Dear Ben McAdams Supporters and Friends,

As someone who is following and supporting Ben McAdams in his race to succeed Mayor Peter Corroon, you know how important it is to get Ben elected so we can:

• Bring good quality jobs to Salt Lake County
• Work to make our air and water clean and healthy
• Provide for responsible growth
• Invest in education

Commit to become a delegate today!

Delegates are enormously important. Delegates help to determine which Democratic candidates will face the Republicans in November, help decide the direction of the party, and provide a much-needed grassroots perspective when setting the party’s platform.

WHY DELEGATES MATTER

In Utah, delegates select the candidate who will represent the Democrats or the Republicans in the general election. The process begins at the neighborhood or precinct level. (Typically a precinct includes 1,000-1,200 homes, so a precinct is roughly the size of a neighborhood.)

Each precinct will hold a meeting, called a precinct caucus, on March 13, 2012 at 7 pm. This is a very important meeting, so put it on your calendar if you haven’t already! During the precinct caucus meeting, people from your precinct (your neighbors) will be elected to represent you as delegates to the state and county nominating conventions. (As a delegate you will be the one to cast votes for the candidates you feel best represent your precinct, the party etc.)

At the convention, if a candidate receives 60% of the delegate vote, they automatically become the party’s candidate and move on to the general election in November. If no candidate reaches 60%, the top two candidates move on to a primary election held in June.

As a delegate, you will be able to cast critical votes which will determine if Ben will get to that 60% at convention and move on to face a Republican challenger in November, or if he will have to engage in an expensive primary election.

There are obviously many benefits to winning at convention, including saving precious resources, time, and being able to focus early on November and our Republican opponent. We are ready to face a primary election if needed, but would love to win outright at convention. YOU CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE!

SIMPLE STEPS TO BECOMING A DELEGATE

Becoming a delegate doesn’t require you to be a politician, have extensive knowledge of political science or social issues, or be a public speaker. You are just going to be meeting with your neighbors, letting them know you are committed to getting involved, and striving to make a difference for your area by picking candidates that are going to work hard for you and your neighbors.

Download This Handy Step-By-Step Guide

A few basic things to remember:

1. Determine your voting precinct and Utah State House District by contacting the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office at (385) 468-7400. Be sure to ask for the 2012 data since districting is complete. We will link to the Clerk’s webpage as soon as their database is up to date.
2. Find your neighborhood precinct caucus location
3. Identify people in your precinct who will vote for you. Reach out to as many family, friends, and neighbors as you can. We suggest bringing 5-10 people who are able to vote in your precinct election to the meeting with you.
4. Attend your caucus meeting

Again, reference the above link for specifics of how to effectively run to become a delegate, or give us a call at the campaign. No prior experience is required; we think you will enjoy the process, and we know you will make a tremendous difference.

There are several months until the precinct caucuses are held, which is plenty of time for you to get in, get ready, and get elected as a delegate. Remember, it is the delegate vote that determines which of the candidates move forward. In addition to running yourself, encourage your friends and family members who live in other areas of the state to jump in and run as well.

Every delegate matters! We look forward to having an army of Ben McAdams supporters turned into Ben McAdams Delegates on March 13th at 7 pm. Now is the time to get in the game and commit to run as a delegate (LINK). We will help, support, and train you to make it a great experience.

Ben McAdams is the right candidate for Salt Lake County and Utah. He will make an instant impact and produce real results during an important time for Salt Lake County, and for Democrats.

Join Ben by committing to become a delegate today. 

All the Best,

Justin Miller
Campaign Manager
justinm@benmcadams.com