Your Neighborhood is a Building Block of Democracy

Where Do I Vote? What Is A District?

You live in several voting communities (usually called districts), and each may be layered over others. Some cover smaller geographical areas within another (city, county, state) community. Some voting communities may even criss-cross each other at odd junctures (school districts, water conservation districts).

Each of your voting communities is represented by an elected official within an entity of government: your city government, your county government, your state government, the United States (federal) government.

Why Do Districts Overlap?

Some voting communities are not bound by traditional geographic boundaries: Most voting communities are called districts, and many districts cross city boundaries and/or county lines.

Some voting communities are smaller, others are larger: Your neighborhood. Part of your city. Your entire city. Part of your county (this voting community could cross city boundaries). Your entire county. Part of your state (this voting community could cross city or county boundaries). Your whole state.

Some voting communities are simply bounded by traditional geographical boundaries (city, county, state). Your representative on your city council probably represents a small area, part of your city, while your mayor represents your entire city. Your county supervisor probably represents a section of your county, which may cross city boundaries. Your state representatives represents a section of your state, which may cross city and/or county boundaries. Your Congressional representative represents part of the state, which may also cross city and/or county boundaries. Your Senator represents your entire state.

What Is a Precinct?

Each legislative district (LD) is divided into precincts for organizing and party building. Your precinct is your neighborhood.

Because precincts are divided based on rough population estimates (based on the census), if your neighborhood is densely populated, then your precinct will be geographically smaller. If your neighborhood is less densely populated, your precinct will be geographically more spread out.

How Do I Find My District?

It's easy. Just use this easy search feature to find your legislative district (LD) number. (opens a new window)

How Do I Find My Precinct?

There are two easy ways to find your precinct:

(1) Find your LD number, visit your LD's webpage, and locate your residence on your LD's precinct maps

or

(2) Just complete the form on the right-hand side of this page, and we'll help you locate your precinct.

How Is the Democratic Party Organized Locally?

• neighborhood - your precinct
• local community - legislative district
• county - Maricopa County Democratic Party
• state - Arizona Democratic Party
• national - Democratic National Committee

The Democratic Party starts in your neighborhood -- your precinct. Precinct committepersons represent the Democratic Party at the neighborhood level and provide support and assistance to Democratic neighbors.

The smallest Democratic Party organization is your Legislative District (LD) entity. There are 18 LDs in Maricopa County, and these LDs make up the Maricopa County Democratic Party (MCDP), which represents and supports the Democratic Party at the county level.

The Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) represents and supports the Democratic Party at the state level, and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) represents and supports the Democratic Party across the entire United States.

How Are Party Officers Elected?

Party members within each LD elect party officers for their legislative district (LD Chair, LD Vice Chair, and so on) who lead party organizing and party building (voter registration, voter contact, and so on) within that LD.

Party members within each LD also elect precinct committeepersons who lead party organizing and party building within each precinct (i.e., neighborhood). Precinct committeepersons also represent the LD within the Maricopa County Democratic Party (MCDP), which is the official organization of the Democratic Party at the county level.

Party members within each LD also elect state committeepersons who represent the district within the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP), which is the official organization of the Democratic Party at the state level.

What Is the Democratic Party Doing in My Neighborhood?

As stated above, LD members (party members who reside within the LD) elect precinct committeepersons (PCs, aka, volunteer neighborhood leaders) who lead party organizing and party building within their home precincts and who represent their district within the Maricopa County Democratic Party (MCDP).

But what is a PC, really? 

A PC is really a local Democrat, just like you, who has volunteered to be the primary contact for Democrats in his or her neighborhood and to provide Democratic support and assistance to voters in their own neighborhood.

Although every precinct has different needs and goals, the ideal PC gets to know their Democratic neighbors, is a point of contact for questions about voting, and recruits block captains and other volunteers to help them reach voters in the neighborhood.

How do I become a PC?

In Arizona, most new PCs are appointed by an LD chair. Elections for PCs are held at LD meetings in the third quarter of even-numbered years, but in recent years most PC positions have been unfilled -- so, few elections have been needed. Most Arizona PCs volunteer to be appointed by their LD Chair.

The 2010 elections will be won or lost in Arizona based on whether or not Democratic voters have support in their neighborhoods. If you are interested in becoming a PC for your neighborhood, contact us at phone of the phone numbers below, or fill out the form on the right-hand side of this page.

Not sure you're prepared? We provide free training and all of the resources you need to become a PC. Sign up today.

How else can I volunteer in my neighborhood?

Block captains help Precinct Committeepersons reach a smaller section of each neighborhood.

Block captains can volunteer to help with as small or large an area as they'd like. If you choose to become a block captain, you can support just your street or block or a handful of streets in your neighborhood.

Other neighborhood volunteers lend a hand when PCs and Block Captains set up neighborhood voter contact events like door-to-door canvasses, phone banks, house parties, or voter registration events.

Resources for Neighborhood Leaders

The Maricopa County PC Resource Center (login required) has neighborhood-organizing tools, including how-to guides, maps, forms, documents, and more.

The Maricopa County LD Officers Resource Center (login required) has tools to help you lead your LD. You can also update your LD information here.

Don't have a login yet? If you are a Maricopa County Democratic LD officer or Maricopa County Democratic PC, contact us to get your account set up.

Not a Neighborhood Leader Yet? 

Join Your Neighborhood Team Today

Years of research has shown that the most effective way to persuade voters and get them to the poll is through one-on-one conversations with neighbors. The key to success in 2010 is building a ground team in every neighborhood in Arizona during 2009.

Fill out the form on the right-hand side of this page to have someone near you -- someone from your legislative district -- contact you with more information about becoming one of the neighborhood leaders in your neighborhood.