Having a good ground game is essential to a well-rounded offense, and that’s as true in politics as it is in football. The ground game for our Benton County and 8th Legislative District centers around Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs). And like the Seahawks, our ground game is sorely lacking.
As of 2016, Benton County had 244 precincts. Despite a concerted effort by Allison Dabler and her “PCO Army,” Benton County Democrats have filled only 92 of those precinct slots with a PCO, and 15 of those PCO’s have indicted their intention to retire, or have left the area. Going into this year’s midterm elections, that leaves us with two-thirds of our precincts uncovered. We can’t win elections with the equivalent of one-third of Marshawn Lynch carrying our ground game. If you don’t believe me, look what happened to the Seahawks last year.
Precinct Committee Officers are elected every two years during the August primary. One can file for election on line by going to the Benton County Auditor website and filling out the form. There is no fee.
You’ll be required to identify the precinct for which you’re running. If you don’t already know your precinct, go to the Benton County Auditor website and from the Home screen click on “Voting Information,” scroll down to “What precinct am I registered in,” and click on the link. When the map appears, agree to the terms, then go to the upper left corner and enter your address. Your precinct will show on the map. If this sounds daunting, just call John Harder (509-366-3422), who’s now building our PCO Army, and he’ll do it for you.
A candidate who runs unopposed for PCO will be automatically elected; contested elections will appear on the primary ballot. PCOs elected in August will take office on December 1st.
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| Once Elected, You'll Receive a Cool Looking Certificate Like This |
Local Democratic Party organizations have the right to appoint PCOs to fill any seats left vacant - either because no one filed to run, or because the elected PCO has stepped down. If your precinct is vacant, Allison Dabler, the BCDCC Chair can appoint you to serve as an "appointed" PCO starting immediately!
As the Washington State Democratic Central Committee website states,
"Precinct committee officers, are the building block of the Democratic Party. They are the grassroots organizing base for all of our activities. It’s their job to get to know their neighbors, educate undecided or swing voters, and make sure Democrats are registered to vote. Before Election Day, they work to turn out voters. All this hard work adds up to precinct-by-precinct victories and the election of Democratic candidates. This is what grassroots politics is all about!"
And this is what having a winning ground game is all about. Let’s get out there and win one for the Gipper! Whoops! Got carried away (That was Ronald Reagan’s slogan). Let’s Get Out the Vote and win for Democrats!
