Collin County Senatorial District 8 Convention

by Michael Handley, Senatorial District 8 Convention Chair

Please attend the Collin County Senatorial District 8 Convention on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at the Community Unitarian Universalist Church, 2875 E Parker Rd, Plano, TX 75074 - map.  Collin County Senate District 8 includes the southwestern areas of Collin County, including all or portions of the following cities within the territory of Collin County: Plano, Frisco, Allen, parts of McKinney, Fairview, Lucas, Parker, Murphy, Dallas, Richardson, Sachse, and more.

In past years, the Democratic Party of Collin County convened a joint Senatorial District 8 and Senatorial District 30 "County Convention," within District 8 territory.

This year, on Saturday, March 22nd, each Senatorial District (SD) within Collin County will convene their own SD Convention within their own District's territory.

Senate District 8 Convention registration and check-in begins at 8:15 a.m. - YOU MUST CHECK-IN even if you Pre-Register today!

Senate District 8 Convention proceedings begin at 9:00 a.m. as Democrats from each precinct assemble in their assigned convention precinct seating areas to conduct precinct level convention business. Precinct Chairs will provide information about electing delegates to the State Convention.

Senatorial District 8 Convention proceedings continue at 10:00 a.m.  
(What to Expect at the SD8 Convention ~ Serve on a Convention Committee)

Texas Democratic Party Convention System

by Michael Handley

The party convention system in Texas was created to do several things: elect party officers at all levels, set party message and platform, and develop campaign volunteers and activists. 

Historically, Precinct Conventions convened in each election precinct immediately after precinct polling places closed on Primary Election Day. A main purpose of those Precinct Conventions was to elect delegates who would advance to their Senatorial District (SD) or County Convention.

Under the newly revised Texas Democratic Party rules, that Precinct Convention step is moved from Primary Election Day to the top of the SD or County Convention agenda as an organizing step in Convention Day proceedings. Senatorial District and County Conventions will convene across Texas on Saturday, March 22, 2014. (see What To Expect At The SD8 Convention.)

Texas Political Party Structure

Although neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Texas Constitution mentions political parties, these organizations are an integral part of the American governmental process.  A political party can be defined as a combination of people and interests whose primary purpose is to gain control of government by winning elections. Political parties (often aligned with political clubs, political action committees, etc) are chiefly concerned with the recruitment, nomination, and election of individuals to governmental office.  As mandated by the Texas Election Code, the political parties are the foundation of the state's governmental and judicial systems.  

What To Expect At The SD8 Convention

by Michael Handley, Senatorial District 8 Convention Chair

The party convention system in Texas was created to do several things: elect party officers at all levels, set party message and platform, and develop campaign volunteers and activists. All of these objectives are accomplished by grassroots Democrats who first become delegates to their Senatorial District and County Conventions, and then advance to serve as delegates at the Texas Democratic Party State Convention.

This year Senatorial District 8 is allocated a total of 193 state convention delegates - 153 from the Collin County portion of SD8 and 40 from the Dallas portion.   Each precinct is allowed to elect one delegate and one alternate for each full 300 votes cast in the precinct for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Bill White. (About Delegate Allocations for Collin County SD8)

A person becomes a delegate to the State Convention by being elected at their county convention, or in larger counties one of multiple senate district conventions within the county. Each county and senate district convention in 2014 starts with a meeting of attendees from each precinct within the senate district to elect one or more delegate(s) and alternate delegate(s) to attend the state convention.  Alternate delegates act as backup to corresponding delegates. In case an elected delegate can not attend the state convention and vacates their delegate position, the alternate delegate becomes the voting delegate to the state convention.

Here is the step-by-step summary of what to expect at your local convention:

Delegate Allocations For SD8 Collin Co. Precincts

A person becomes a delegate to the State Convention by being elected at their county convention, or in larger counties one of multiple senate district conventions within the county. Each county and senate district convention in 2014 starts with a meeting of attendees from each precinct within the senate district to elect one or more delegate(s) to attend the state convention.

This year, Senatorial District 8, which includes portions of Collin and Dallas Counties, is allocated a total of 193 state convention delegates - 153 from the Collin County portion of SD8, and 40 from the Dallas portion.

Convention Committees

There are four standing committees for every SD / County Convention: Credentials, Nominations, Platform and Resolutions, and Rules and Procedures. These committees can include from 5 to 15 members at the discretion of the Convention Chair. One additional non-statutory committee is the Planning and Organizing Committee.

Statutory committee members may be appointed from among pre-registered attendees at any time before convention day. This allows the committees, if necessary and desired, to meet prior to the convening of the convention to organize or do any preliminary work.

Statutory committee appointees will be ratified by the Senate District Committee at the meeting to canvass primary votes after the March 4th primary election day. That vote canvass meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2014, one week before Convention Day.

How To Write A Resolution

A Guide to Introducing and Passing Resolutions in any Texas Democratic Party Convention

Resolutions may be submitted to the Resolution Committee after the CEC and Senate District Committee meets to canvass primary votes after the March 4th primary election day. That primary canvass meeting occurred on Thursday, March 13, 2014. CLICK HERE to jump to the Resolution submission form at the bottom of this article. Mobile browser users, scroll down.

Democrats attending a County / SD Convention may present Resolutions at the convention for the purpose of sending instructions and comments about issues to the next higher level of convention, e.g. the state convention. Resolutions submitted to a County / SD Convention are open for debate, amendment and adoption or rejection.

Before getting to the floor of County / SD Convention, a Resolutions Committee will review all of the resolutions submitted from within the county or the district and then make a Committee report recommending the resolutions to be presented to the full body of the county or the senatorial district convention. Resolutions adopted at a County / SD Convention are then forwarded to the state convention for debate, amendment and adoption or rejection.

There will be a Temporary Platform/Resolutions Committee at the state convention that will review the thousands of resolutions adopted by counties and senatorial districts throughout the State of Texas. The Committee will report to the Permanent Platform/Resolutions Committee that is elected at the state convention. The Permanent Platform/Resolutions Committee will then offer its report containing many of those resolutions to the full body of the state convention for debate, amendment, and adoption or rejection. Because the state convention is so large, you should attend and testify before the Temporary and/or Permanent Platform/Resolutions Committee if you want to have specific input on a subject of special interest to you.

The County or Senatorial District Committee for Resolutions may meet prior to the Call to Order of the County or Senatorial District Convention to organize their work and make preliminary recommendations of submitted resolutions. Any attendee to the SD Convention may submit to the Chair, or a designee, a proposed resolution for consideration by the Convention.

Resolutions may be submitted to the SD Convention Resolution Committee after the Senate District Committee meets in CEC meeting to canvass primary votes after the March 4th primary election day. That vote canvass meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2014, one week before Convention Day. Instructions for submitting resolutions will be posted on this blog on Friday, March 14, 2014.

The Chair shall announce at the beginning of the SD Convention where and with whom resolutions shall be filed. The period for filing resolutions shall be open for at least one hour from the time of said announcement. The Convention may waive this one hour period if there is no objection from any attendee.

Writing Your Resolution

Revisions To Texas Democratic Party Rules

Democrats attending a County / SD Convention may present a proposed amendment to the Texas Democratic Party Rules at the convention for the purpose of sending revisions to the rules to the next higher level of convention, e.g. the state convention. Rule amendments submitted to a County / SD Convention are open for debate, amendment and adoption or rejection. Any attendee to the Convention may submit to the Chair or a designee a proposed amendment to the Texas Democratic Party Rules for consideration by the Convention.  CLICK HERE to jump to the rule amendment submission form at the bottom of this article. Mobile browser users, scroll down.     (TDP-Rules.pdf)

About Senate Districts

The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas State Legislature. There are 31 single-member Senatorial (Senate) districts across the State of Texas, with populations of approximately 806,000 per district, based on the 2010 U.S. Census.

In What Senate District Do I Reside?

by Michael Handley

Collin County Senate District 8 includes the southwestern areas of Collin County, including all or portions of the following cities within the territory of Collin County: Plano, Frisco, Allen, parts of McKinney, Fairview, Lucas, Parker, Murphy, Dallas, Richardson, Sachse, and more.

On the right hand portion of your Voter Registration Card (VRC) there are ten boxes denoting the various state, county, school, and city districts mapped to your election precinct. The box titled "STATE SEN" tells you your senatorial district number.

The box titled "Prec. No" on the left portion of your VRC tells you your election precinct. (Click on the images to enlarge)

Can't find your orange VRC? Go to the Collin County Elections web page to get an image of your registration card. - click here.

Every registered Texas voter should have received their new 2014-15 orange Voter Registration Card (VRC) in the postal mail during the first part of January 2014.

If you have not already received a new VRC, you are likely NOT registered to vote. You should immediately check your registration status and take action to properly register, if you find you are not registered to vote in the county where you reside.

You must be registered or have mailed voter registration application by February 3rd to be eligible to vote in the March 4, 2014 primary election.

You must be registered to become a delegate to your party's convention.

Senate District 8 occupies 154 precincts in the southwestern portion of Collin County, and it also extends into northern precincts of Dallas County. Senate District 30 occupies 55 precincts in the northern and eastern portions of Collin County, plus whole and partial areas of 17 other counties. (About Senate Districts)

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