FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) What is the difference between the Leon County Democratic Party and the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee?

While the Leon County Democratic Party consists of every registered Democrat in the county, the DEC is the decision-making body that sets the party’s overall direction.

2) What does a Democratic Executive Committee do?

The Leon County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) is the official representative body of registered Democrats in Leon County.  It has supervisory power and jurisdiction over Democratic Party affairs in Leon County, and its members serve as the “Democratic voice” of their constituency in the precinct they represent.  The Leon DEC is responsible for turning out the vote in Leon County, supporting our candidates, and promoting the Democratic principles that we all care about.

3) What are the priorities of the Leon County Democratic Party and the Leon DEC?

Our top priority will be to mobilize Leon Democrats for the 2008 elections.  We must do our part to ensure that a Democrat wins the White House and that our legislative seats remain Democratic.  And we must expand our focus on Leon County’s local races and local issues - increasing Democratic representation in our local government is essential to our future.

4) What types of things would be required from me as a DEC member?

Each DEC member is required to attend our monthly meetings, which take place at 7:00 pm every fourth Monday of the month.  Our meetings usually take place in the Tallahassee City Commission Chambers at City Hall (300 S. Adams St., Tallahassee), but please check with us to confirm the location for particular dates.  At each meeting we make decisions on running the county party and usually have an engaging speaker. 

The main responsibility for DEC members is to reach out to voters and promote the Democratic principles that we all care about.  Of course, different people like to do different things, and so our DEC is organized in a way that encourages members to work on the things they like.  Some examples of our activities:

-          Event planning (annual fundraising dinners, rallies, etc.)

-          Phone calls to registered Democrats and Independents

-          Walking neighborhoods and visiting voters door-to-door

-          Managing teams

-          Communicating our message (writing letters to the editor, calling into radio    programs, etc.)

-          DEC Membership development

-          Developing and presenting training

-          Recruiting new members and/or volunteers

-          Registering voters

-          Participating in community development

-          Serving as liaisons to other local interest groups

-          Writing articles and designing layouts for our DEC newsletters

5) Is there a membership fee?

No, there is no membership fee for joining the DEC.

6) I happen to know that my precinct already has a DEC member.  Does that mean I cannot join the DEC?

Even if your precinct already has a DEC member, there are many other ways to become involved in the DEC.  Please speak with the District Representative for your county district (see below for contact information).

7) What are the rules of the Leon County DEC?

The Leon DEC abides by its Constitution and Bylaws as well as the Florida Democratic Party Charter and Bylaws.  

8) Whom should I contact if I have more questions?

Our membership recruitment is divided into the five county districts in Leon County, and each county district has a team leader:

Your team leader will be the one who represents your county district.  Your county district is the FIRST digit in your precinct number.  (e.g. If you live in Precinct 5217, your county district is “5”.)

If you don’t know your precinct number or your county district, feel free to call ANY ONE of the people above.  They will be very happy to help you.