ANNUAL ORGANIZING
Precinct Meetings
February 21, 2026

FIND MY PRECINCT
FIND MY CLUSTER
FIND MY MEETING

Every year, precincts across North Carolina hold an Annual Precinct Organizing Meeting. During these meetings precincts with at least five registered Democrats present can form a committee. These committees fill open precinct officer roles, choose delegates to the County Convention, discuss ideas, and plan how to get out the vote for upcoming elections.

Precinct organizing meetings are a chance to get involved, connect with your neighbors, and play a role in strengthening the Democratic Party and your community.

The Party

The Buncombe County Democratic Party is organized into 80 precincts that are grouped into 11 clusters. 

The BCDP is one of 100 county parties that create the North Carolina Democratic Party.

The NCDP is part of the national party, the Democratic National Committee.

  • Precincts are the foundation of the Democratic Party, aligning with your assigned polling location on Election Day. In North Carolina, precincts are the core of local Democratic organizing.

    Everything in the Democratic Party starts at the precinct level—from electing state officers to shaping the party platform and rules. Precincts play a vital role in democracy by recruiting poll workers, organizing election volunteers, and ensuring community issues are represented within the party.

    • An organized precinct consists of 5 or more registered Democrats living in a precinct who attend the Annual Organization Meeting

    • Precinct Officers (Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary) are selected at the meeting to help organize the precinct, represent it at the county party, and strengthen the party structure

    • Delegates to the County Convention are selected from each precinct at the Annual Precinct Organization Meetings

    • In odd-number years, delegates will vote on new County Party Officers, State Executive Committee members, and resolutions at the County Convention

  • Buncombe precincts are grouped into eleven “clusters.”  Each cluster has a leader or two co-leaders coordinating activities and helping strengthen organizing in the individual precincts.  It is often easier to build volunteer teams when you combine resources.  Active clusters hold meetings to plan mutual support activities and review progress.  It is also easier to get candidates involved when the numbers are larger than in one precinct.

  • If you have an idea you’d like to be taken up by your Precinct, and — if voted on and passed — then at the County, District, State, and possibly the National Democratic Party, a resolution is the way to put it forth for consideration. Please check former resolutions to avoid duplication on items that have already been considered and possibly passed.

  • Each year, the North Carolina Democratic Party asks every County Party in the state to contribute a specific amount of money to the year-round operations of the NCDP. This amount is called our “sustaining fund”.

    The Sustaining Fund helps with the costs of the state party support for counties every year - things like Votebuilder, Mobilize, training, and other communications.

    Once we raise enough to pay our sustaining fund amount, every additional dollar we raise stays here in Buncombe County to help us organize in 2026.

Precinct Officer Roles

Once elected as a precinct officer, you’ll take on key responsibilities to help organize your precinct and support Democratic candidates.

If elected Chair or Vice Chair, you’ll also become a voting member of the County Executive Committee, giving you a voice in how the county party operates. Precinct officers play a critical role in local politics—like in special elections, where precinct officers have chosen leaders such as County Commissioner Al Whitesides, State Senator Terry Van Duyn, and Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger.

As a precinct officer, you’re a leader in the Democratic Party with the chance to make a real impact—how much is up to you!

Chair

  • preside over meetings

  • establish goals for the precinct

  • organize voters and recruit election officials

  • attend county party meetings

  • update precinct members on party activity

Vice Chair

  • fill in for chair when necessary

  • perform community outreach for precinct activities

  • attend county party meetings

Secretary

  • keep all records of precinct meetings (including minutes)

  • report any fundraising to the county party

  • prepare reports on precinct activity

County Convention Delegates

At the annual organizing meeting, each precinct selects delegates to attend the Buncombe County Convention. Becoming a delegate is simple—precincts usually have more delegate slots than attendees at the meeting. As a delegate, you’ll have the power to vote at the county convention.

In odd-numbered years, the convention elects new county party officers to manage county business for the next two years and selects state executive committee members to represent Buncombe County at state meetings.

The convention also reviews resolutions passed by precincts. Approved resolutions are sent to the district and state levels, with the goal of being added to the state party platform.