Last Chance for Angry Voters to Get Really Involved – Precinct Committeeman Write-In Opportunities

The cover of Phyllis Schlafy's pamphlet.

The cover of Phyllis Schlafly’s pamphlet.

The Washington Post has found an academic, Sam Wang, who says, “based on polling data based on polling data, Donald Trump is in as strong a position to get his party’s nomination as Hillary Clinton in 2016, George W. Bush in 2000, or Al Gore in 2000.”

About one-third of McHenry County Republicans are for Donald Trump, yet virtually none of the McHenry County Republican Party Precinct Committeeman are his supporters.

So, instead of just voting for Trump or whoever your favorite candidate for President happens to be, why not get really involved by running for Precinct Committeeman.

People have until January 14th to file a notarized Declaration of Candidacy at the County Clerk’s Office at the McHenry County Government Center north of the Courthouse and Jail on the north side of Woodstock.

Phyllis Schlafly, who endorsed Trump after the passage of the most recent budget bill, has written an argument for running for Precinct Committeeman. You can read it here.

At this point in the election cycle, petitions have already been filed for Precinct Committeeman.

A map of McHenry County showing its seventeen townships, plus municipalities.

A map of McHenry County showing its seventeen townships, plus municipalities.

I wouldn’t begin to suggest that one waste one’s time trying to beat someone who is on the ballot.

I have been involved it three write-in campaigns.

  • The first was in 1973 when Assessor Forrest Hare was defeated in an Algonquin Township multi-site caucus and beat the Establishment caucus victor with about 60% of the vote.
  • The second was when Vance Roberts and other Crystal Lake Jaycees discovered that incumbent City Councilman Chuck Scott, a Jaycee, was moving the week of the election. (We had been invited to his going away party, which was held the Saturday before the Tuesday election. The Northwest Herald refused to cover the story.) Roberts lost, but those who were enraged by the Establishment’s efforts to thwart the ability of voters to select their city councilman (the City Council appointed someone for the four-year term) put on an energetic campaign.
  • The third was this past spring when Paul Serwatka got about 50% more votes as a write-in as incumbent Lakewood Village Trustees who were on the ballot. The SportsPlex and the TIF district were what motivated his supporters.

Although my personal record is two wins, one loss, take it from me that it takes more effort to beat someone on the ballot than it is generally worth.

So, let’s look at those McHenry County precincts where no one has filed for GOP Precinct Committeeman.  (The list below was derived from this page of the County Clerk’s web site.)

Algonquin Township (Southeastern Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Cary, Fox River Grove, Trout Valley and Barrington Hills)

Alg

Algonquin Township Precinct Map

  • ALGONQUIN 3
  • ALGONQUIN 8
  • ALGONQUIN 9
  • ALGONQUIN 14
  • ALGONQUIN 19
  • ALGONQUIN 20
  • ALGONQUIN 24
  • ALGONQUIN 26
  • ALGONQUIN 27
  • ALGONQUIN 32
  • ALGONQUIN 34
  • ALGONQUIN 37
  • ALGONQUIN 38
  • ALGONQUIN 39
  • ALGONQUIN 40
  • ALGONQUIN 47
  • ALGONQUIN 52
  • ALGONQUIN 53
  • ALGONQUIN 54
  • ALGONQUIN 56
  • ALGONQUIN 57
  • ALGONQUIN 58
  • ALGONQUIN 59
  • ALGONQUIN 61
  • ALGONQUIN 64

Burton Township (Spring Grove and Fox Lake area)

Burton Township Precinct Map

Burton Township Precinct Map

  • BURTON 1
  • BURTON 3

Chemung Township (Harvard area)

Chemung Township Precinct Map

Chemung Township Precinct Map

 

  • CHEMUNG 3
    CHEMUNG 4
    CHEMUNG 5

Dorr Township (Woodstock, Bull Valley)

Dorr Township Precinct Map

Dorr Township Precinct Map

  • DORR 2
  • DORR 4

Grafton Township (Huntley, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin, Lakewood)

Grafton Township Precinct Map

Grafton Township Precinct Map

  • GRAFTON 2
  • GRAFTON 9
  • GRAFTON 12
  • GRAFTON 15
  • GRAFTON 17
  • GRAFTON 19
  • GRAFTON 20
  • GRAFTON 22
  • GRAFTON 23
  • GRAFTON 24

Greenwood Township (northern Woodstock, Greenwood and western Wonder Lake)

Greenwood Township Precinct Map

Greenwood Township Precinct Map

GREENWOOD 4

Hartland Township (Northwest of Woodstock)

Hartland Township Precinct Map

Hartland Township Precinct Map

  • HARTLAND 2

McHenry Township (McHenry, Johnsburg, Lakemoor, McCullom Lake, Ringwood, eastern Wonder Lake)

McHenry Twp Precincts

  • McHENRY 11
  • McHENRY 18
  • McHENRY 22
  • McHENRY 24
  • McHENRY 25

Nunda Township (Northern Crystal Lake, southern McHenry, Island Lake, Oakwood Hills and Prairie Grove)

Nunda Twp Precinct Map

  • NUNDA 3
  • NUNDA 8
  • NUNDA 9
  • NUNDA 22
  • NUNDA 23
  • NUNDA 25
  • NUNDA 26
  • NUNDA 28

Seneca Township (west of Woodstock)

Seneca Township Precinct Map

Seneca Township Precinct Map

  • SENECA 2

The write-in form is below:

Write-in declaration of candidacy

To run as a write-in for Precinct Committeeman or any office, one must file this Declaration of Candidacy by 5 PM on January 14th.

So, on this snowy weekend, think about running for Precinct Committeeman if you live in one of the empty precincts.

And if you know someone who is disturbed with the political system who lives in an empty precinct, encourage him or her to fill out the form and get it to the County Clerk.

Of course, there are lots and lots of empty spots for Democrats. You can find them here.


Comments

Last Chance for Angry Voters to Get Really Involved – Precinct Committeeman Write-In Opportunities — 2 Comments

  1. If the most powerful position is not the president quit blaming Obama and concentrate on the congress and governors.

  2. They already do that, but that doesn’t mean the President shouldn’t get *any* credit or blame though.

    Let’s not get carried away.

    Republicans control a majority of Governorships, state houses, and both chambers of Congress.

    The point of the Schlafly piece is that people can get involved and change the parties from within.

    It’s a call for a greater public participation.

    She’s not literally saying a committeeman has more power than the President — she’s saying the opportunity to change the government from bottom to top through becoming committeemen could potentially do more to change the country than any single president.

    Republicans are focused on that grassroots level office.

    That’s why Cal has written about a dozen articles about becoming a PC and why Republicans have the Precinct Project.

    Republicans have people running in about 70 percent of the precincts in this county, while Democrats have about 18 percent.

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