It begins By understanding how the Republican Party Works...
The ultimate goal of any political party in Minnesota is to win elections whether it is at the local, state, or national level. In order to reach as many voters as they can, political parties have divided their organization into local, state, and national units.
The local level of a political organization in Minnesota consists of two units: Precincts and Basic Political Operational Unit (BPOU).
A Precinct is a voting district and will vary in size. According to a 2004 survey conducted by the US Election Assistance Commision, there are a total of 174,252 precincts in the United States and precincts have an average of 1,100 registered voters. Every Precinct has its own set of officers that are elected at a Precinct Caucus and they are elected for two years terms. Precinct Officers are responsible for organizing and energizing the voters in their precinct for a candidate or for the Republican Party as a whole. Precinct Officers take direction from the BPOU officers.
A BPOU is the smallest governing body within a political party. It acts as the governing body of multiple precincts. The geographical size of a BPOU varies. A single BPOU may contain multiple cities or counties or be just a part of a city or county depending on population density. BPOU’s delegates are responsible for endorsing candidates for the Minnesota House of Representative and the Minnesota Senate. Each BPOU is represented by one Minnesota Senator. It may also be a single House District represented by a single MN House member or two House Districts represented by two MN House members. Although BPOU’s operate as a fairly independent group, i.e. they are responsible for their own funding and elect their own officers, they have to follow the operational guidelines of state party leadership.
The State Party is the largest governing body of a political party in the state. Officers are elected by State Central Delegates. The State Party is responsible for the overall operations guidelines for the party as a whole, recruiting and campaign mobilization statewide candidates such as Governor and Attorney General and US Senators, and drafting the party platform.
Precinct
- Lowest level of the U.S. Electoral structure with average of 1,100 voters
- Has its own set of officers who take direction from the BPOU
- Officers are elected at the Precinct caucus to serve two year terms
- Precincts Officers are responsible for identifying and mobilizing potential voters and organizing and energizing current voters
BPOU
- Smallest governing body in the Party
- Operates independently
- Consists of several precincts
- Geographical size is determined by population density
- Officers are elected by BPOU Delegates who are elected at the Precinct Caucus
- Recruits and supports party candidates and elected officials
- BPOU delegates endorse local house and senate candidates
- BPOU delegates elect State Central Delegates
State Party
- Governing body of the state party
- Officers are elected by State Central Delegates
- Recruits statewide candidates
- Responsible for Campaign Mobilization
- Responsible for drafting state party platforms
- Responsible for creating a sense of unity for the party as a whole
How to create a government of THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE
The voice of the people is strongest at the precinct level. During the precinct caucus, precinct members (voters) elect delegates, precinct officers, and vote on resolutions.
Since anyone can become a delegate for a precinct, the power of the people lies in the delegate process. Delegates, at all levels, play a vital role within the party process. By becoming a delegate, you not only elect which candidate to endorse but you also elect the officers that will act as the party leadership at the local and state levels. For instance, BPOU Delegates elect BPOU officers and they elect State Central Delegates who, in turn, elect the State Party Officers. By electing the right leadership team and endorsing candidates who are like-minded, we can change the landscape of a political party and move towards working in the interests of the people.