Chatham County Democratic Party

July 2007

OVERVIEW OF THE CHATHAM COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Chatham County is a historically rural county which is becoming more urban. Its three largest towns are Pittsboro, the county seat, Siler City, and Goldston. Its demographics are expected to change substantially as the previous Board of County Commissioners approved approximately 10,000 new housing units which will be built over the next few years, mostly in the northeastern part of the county. This rapid population expansion will present challenges to the county's limited infrastructure and to the schools. It is unknown whether the purchasers of these homes will be Democrats but it is likely that a sizeable number of them will be employed outside the county.

Currently, there are 36,838 registered voters in Chatham County. Approximately 51% of these voters are registered Democrats, 27% are registered Republicans and 22% are registered as unaffiliated. A significant number of registered Democrats do not vote for Democratic candidates in state and federal elections. However, all county elective offices are held by Democrats.

In Chatham County, registered voters are 82% white, 15% African-American, and 3% other and undesignated.

OUR VISION: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DEMOCRAT

As the oldest continuous political party in the world, the Democratic Party has carried out its commitment to freedom, fairness, human rights, and responsible government for over 200 years. We pledge to continue this tradition.

We, the Democrats of Chatham County, united in common purpose, hereby dedicate ourselves to the principles that have historically guided and sustained the Democratic Party. Thomas Jefferson said that we "are naturally divided into two parties: Those who fear and distrust the people, and wish to draw all powers from them into the hands of the higher classes [and] Those who identify themselves with the people, have confidence in them, cherish and consider them as the most honest and safe...."

In modern times the Democratic Party has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the common person as well as protecting business with a competent system of regulation. Clearly, the excesses of unregulated business caused the 1929 Stock Market crash and the ensuing national Great Depression. After four devastating years under Hoover and the Republicans, the election of Franklin Roosevelt to the presidency in 1932 and the sweep of the Democratic Party into Congress resulted in the passage of the New Deal that finally began the process to address the needs of the massive numbers of unemployed workers and their families and introduced governmental regulation of business designed to prevent future depressions. The New Deal gave workers protection by limiting the workweek to forty hours, creating a minimum wage, rules for overtime pay and, finally, the banning of child labor. New Deal legislation also protected the right of workers to organize and join unions. In addition, Roosevelt rescued the banks, giving the Federal Reserve the power to regulate banks and insure bank deposits. The Securities Exchange Commission was created to regulate the sales of stocks and to curb unfair stock market practices. Also, other New Deal programs were created to help the needy, protect farmers, provide employment and protect the elderly with the creation of the Social Security System. The rescue of the people, banking, business and industry from the Great Depression put the Democratic Party clearly on the side of the common person as well as creating a fairer playing field for the business community.

Democratic leadership held the nation together as it faced the greatest threat to its existence in World War II. After the War, the leadership of the Democratic Party began the work that would ultimately make the promises of the Declaration of Independence true for all people by: passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prevented discrimination in restaurants, hotels, and other businesses that serve the general public; passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which expanded voting rights for African Americans and all minorities especially in the South; and passing the Civil Rights Act of 1968 ending discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. Later, under Democratic leadership, we saw the creation of the EPA, the Clean Air and Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act to protect the environment and our quality of life.

This historic legacy of the Democratic Party exemplifies our commitment to the basic tenets of freedom, equality, and civil rights expressed in the Declaration of Independence. We are the Party that identifies with the people and seeks to ensure that all citizens have the opportunity to participate in the political process. We work to provide a government that is responsive, competent, honest, and open to every citizen regardless of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, physical challenges, sexual orientation or economic status, a government "of the people, by the people and for the people".

OUR MISSION

Building on and extending this historic legacy of the Democratic Party, the Chatham County Democratic Party is committed to:

• Encouraging citizen education and participation in all aspects of government;
• Ensuring open and transparent government; 
• Working to protect our rights and liberties from all who would curtail them;
• Building sustainable communities and protecting the quality of life in our county;
• Ensuring access to strong public schools and effective, quality education for all; 
• Expanding the economic opportunity for all people with access to employment paying a living wage; 
• Basing our economic development efforts on recruiting 21st century business that builds employment opportunity for all our people while protecting our quality of life; 
• Protecting our agricultural community and honoring its heritage; 
• Protecting our environment, especially our streams and watershed; 
• Running political campaigns based on issues and not personalities.

We encourage all individuals who share our values to join with us in our efforts to bring these values into the political process and we encourage those who share these values to run for political office and turn these values into public policy that protects the health and safety of its citizens and advances the quality of life, the common good and the economic wellbeing of all the people of the county.

OUR GOALS

Our primary and most important goal is to elect Democrats to local, state and national office. To do this, we must build an infrastructure for the long term as well as prepare for the earliest elections on the horizon. We have looked to the example of Mecklenburg County in 2004 and identify the following as necessary steps to "Make Carolina Blue":

• Voter Registration. We will support and encourage the efforts of the Chatham County Democratic Women and the Young Democrats to register new voters in the County. We will ask our precinct officers to personally reach out to newcomers in their precincts and assist them in registering as Democrats.
• Cleaning Up Voter Lists. We will form a Technology Committee, as described below, to gather all data on current and new voters, including phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Using precinct officers and volunteers, we will locate Democrats and develop methods of staying in touch with them.
• Targeting Democratic Precincts for Get Out The Vote Efforts. We recognize that our resources are not unlimited. Accordingly, we will initially concentrate our heaviest efforts in those precincts that had the heaviest Democratic turnouts and the highest support for Democratic candidates in 2004. Our goals will be to: (a) contact each registered Democrat in these precincts before November 1, 2007 and at least twice more before the 2008 primary elections and (b) to raise the overall Democratic voter turnout across the county by 10%. Additionally, the Get Out The Vote Committee, in consultation with the precinct officers, will set specific turnout goals for each precinct.
• Targeting Unaffiliated Voters. We will develop a plan for identifying unaffiliated voters who may agree with Democratic positions and persuading them to vote Democratic in the '08 elections. To achieve this goal, we will also work with community and national groups that share our views on specific issues.

OUR ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS FOR PARTY INFRASTRUCTURE

The National and State Democratic Parties stress that the organization of the precinct is the basis of a successful grassroots effort. To this end we are committed to having each Chatham County Democratic precinct form a Precinct Committee of at least 8-10 people. The Precinct Committee will represent the diversity geographically and otherwise of the precinct. The members of the precinct committee will be committed to make a sustained effort to know their precinct and to get out our voters for the 2008 election.

The following committees will be formed:

1. Finance.
At present, the Chatham County Democratic Party does not have an organized finance committee. To address this problem, our goals are:

• To establish a Finance Committee, chaired by the treasurer, to coordinate the preparation of the CCDP budget for each election cycle (two years). The initial budget will cover the period through the termination of the present election cycle in December 2008.
• The Finance Committee will initiate preparation of the budget with a request to all action committees and groups for estimates of their future expectations or requirements. The request will include a breakdown, by category, of receipts and expenditures, in the prior period to assist in the development of estimates of future revenues and expenditures.
• The proposed budget will be subject to review and approval of the Executive Committee.
• The Treasurer's reports will provide for the ongoing monitoring of the status of the budget.
• The Finance Committee will arrange for independent audits of the books and records of the CCDP on a regular basis.

2. Fundraising Committee.
In the past, fundraising has been done on an as-needed basis. In order to strengthen the party, it is important that this function proceed in a more orderly way. Our goals in regard to fundraising are:

• To establish a Fundraising Committee, charged with raising the money necessary to fund the budget and with establishing and maintaining a donor program.
• The Fundraising Committee shall also be responsible for organizing the annual Democratic Community Breakfast, the Club 25 dinner and such other activities as may be necessary to fund the budget.
• The Fundraising Committee shall also work with the precinct officers to raise money within the precincts.
• The Treasurer shall serve as an ex officio member of this committee to ensure that reporting requirements are met. 
• The Chair of the Fundraising Committee shall provide monthly written reports to the Executive Committee.

3. Technology.
At present, there is no technology committee responsible for most effectively gathering and collating information necessary for good short-and long-range planning for the party. To address this problem, our goals are:

• To form a Technology Committee, charged with responsibility for establishing, updating and maintaining a database of registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters, containing the names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, records of contributions, history of volunteer work and other relevant data, and for establishing a rapid and effective method of communicating effectively with precinct leaders and volunteers.
• The Committee will also establish and maintain a website for Chatham County Democrats, advising the party leadership on the most effective computer software to be purchased, and advising the party leadership on the selection of a webmaster and/or database manager.
• The Technology Committee shall also be responsible for analyzing data regarding past voting patterns in the precincts and for advising the Executive Committee and the Get Out the Vote Committee as to most effective use of resources in increasing turnout of voters who will vote for Democratic candidates.
• The Committee shall provide the precinct officers with lists of registered Democrats and unaffiliated voters in their precincts and shall update these lists on regular basis.
• The Technology Committee shall be the CCDP contact with the NCDP in the use and application of the VAN database.
• The Technology Committee will also be charged with establishing necessary safeguards to protect the information collected and placed in a database from unauthorized interception and use.

4. Press and Public Relations.
At present, the party does not have a committee charged with communications, press and public relations. These functions have been fulfilled on an ad hoc basis. Our goals in relation to these functions are to establish a Press and Public Relations Committee charged with the following responsibilities:

• To prepare and disseminate a monthly e-newsletter containing Democratic Party news, position papers, statements from candidates, news of the Affiliate Organizations, etc. To advise the Executive Committee of the most effective way to disseminate "hard" copies of the newsletter to those without access to e-mail. 
• To prepare a "Welcome to Chatham County" information pamphlet, for use by the precinct officers and others, in greeting newcomers
• To prepare and disseminate regular press releases and to foster relationships with print, television and broadcast media.
• To organize "letters to the editor" and "letters to state and national leaders" campaigns, as approved by the Executive Committee.
• To organize a "Democrat of the Month" recognition award and to prepare and disseminate a press release in regard to the award.

5. Network of Volunteers.
At present, the party does not have an organized network of volunteers but, rather, relies on ad hoc organizing as need arises. Our goal in regard to this function is to establish a Volunteers Committee charged with responsibility for:

• Creating a network of volunteers, based on the specific interests of the volunteers and on information from the central data base, to perform specific functions needed by the party, including canvassing, GOTV efforts, and the like;
• Working with the Technology Committee, creating a method of quickly and effectively mobilizing this network of volunteers as needed.
  c. Ensuring that volunteers are adequately trained for the tasks they will undertake.

6. Researching Issues and Formulating Position Papers.
At present, the party does not have a formal mechanism for researching issues and formulating position papers. Our goal in regard to this function is to establish a Committee charged with researching issues and formulating position papers, as requested by the Executive Committee of the Party, and disseminated with the approval of the Executive Committee.

7. Organization of the Precincts.
Officers have been elected in all but one of the precincts in the county. However, there are varying degrees of involvement with voters in the various precincts. It is the goal of the party to increase involvement with Democratic and Unaffiliated voters in the precinct through the precinct officers. To this end, we have the following goals:

• A list of registered Democrat and Unaffiliated voters will be provided to each precinct officer. The precinct officers will also receive voter registration forms and copies of a "Welcome to Chatham County" information pamphlet to be prepared by the CCDP Press and Public Relations Committee.
• Precinct officers are asked to contact newcomers to their precinct as soon as possible, to welcome them on behalf of the Democratic Party, to provide them with information about Democratic activities, and to gather information such as e-mail addresses, possible interest in volunteering and the like.
• Precinct officers are strongly urged to contact each of the Democratic and unaffiliated voters in his or her precinct, either personally or by telephone, and to maintain contact through e-mail, mail, personal communication or social events.
• Precinct officers are encouraged to seek help in this important work through the volunteer committee.
• Specific turnout goals for the '08 elections will be set for each precinct by the Get Out the Vote Committee, in consultation with the precinct officers. Precinct officers will lead the efforts in their precincts to meet these goals.

8. Get Out the Vote.
Our goal in regard to getting out the vote is to increase overall voter turnout for Democratic candidates across the county by 10%. The specific goals for each precinct will be set by this committee, in consultation with the precinct officers, after an analysis of past voting patterns has been completed.

Special efforts shall be made by the Party to reach out to Democratic Latino and African-American voters, convicted felons who have completed their sentences and are entitled to restoration of voting rights, newcomers to the County, previously inactive voters, and young democrats who have just come of age to vote.

9. Election Issues.
A committee will be formed to monitor the actions of the Board of Elections and to keep the Party members advised of the need for response as to those actions. Additionally, the committee shall be responsible for investigating reported problems with voting machines and/or voter access to the polls. Poll watchers will be set up by this committee.

10. Operations Committee.
An Operations Committee shall be appointed and charged with the responsibility of locating temporary campaign headquarters, phone line(s), computer and other office equipment. It shall also be responsible for staffing the headquarters with the assistance of the Volunteer Committee. The long-range goal of this Committee shall be to find, furnish and staff a permanent office for the Chatham County Democratic Party. 

CONCLUSION

This Strategic Plan sets forth an ambitious and far-reaching agenda which is intended to build the long-term infrastructure of the Chatham County Democratic Party, actively involve more Democrats in the Party structure, and to increase our ability to meet the local, county, state and national goals of the Party. However, it will only be possible to accomplish these goals if all Chatham County Democrats are committed to coming together and working shoulder-to-shoulder in common cause. Our success depends on the active and productive involvement of all of our precincts and their officers, each of our committees, and of every one of our affiliated organizations: the Chatham County Women Democrats, The African-American Caucus, and the Young Democrats of Chatham County.

Working together, we can do this.

Submitted and approved by the Chatham County Democratic Party Executive Committee
July 26, 2007
Karl Kachergis, Chair