February 2019 Chairman’s Notes

NEW MEMBERS
I would like to welcome all our new members to the SCRC! We are pleased to have you as part of the SCRC family and are looking forward working together to promote the conservative ideals that we all stand for!

METHOD OF NOMINATION FOR STAFFORD COUNTY RACES
My Chair Notes will be focusing primarily on the Method of Nominations for our local offices. All methods of nomination must be submitted to the State board of Elections by no later than February 26, 2019, so we must choose our methods of nomination at our February meeting. If you are unable to attend, GET A PROXY. If you need help obtaining a proxy, please let me know and I will help you.

Below is a background of the process and method options that we will be considering at the February meeting.

We have several local seats up for election in November 2019. They are:

Commonwealth Attorney (currently held by Eric Olsen, Republican)
Commissioner of Revenue (currently held by Scott Mayauski, Republican)
Sheriff, (currently held by David Decatur, Republican)
Treasurer (currently held by Laura Rudy, Republican)
Board of Supervisors, George Washington District (currently held by Tom Coen, Independent)
Board of Supervisors, Griffis-Widewater District (currently held by Jack Cavalier, Republican)
Board of Supervisors, Rock Hill District (currently held by Wendy Maurer, Republican)

There will also be races for the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates on the November 2019 ballot, but those methods of nomination are governed by the Legislative District Committees and have already been decided. We are only focused on our Stafford County local races.

Please note that School Board elections are nonpartisan, so, these seats will only appear on the November 2019 ballot. However, candidates for the School Board will have the opportunity to seek the endorsement of the SCRC. This is a different process and will be discussed at the March meeting in greater detail.

The November ballot will include, presumably, at least a Republican and Democrat candidate. The method of nomination that we will be voting on will determine how we pick our Republican candidates, but only if more than one person seeks the republican nomination for the November ballot.

There are four (4) choices of method of nomination:

Primary: is open to all registered voters and is conducted by the Virginia Department of Elections. The Code of Virginia defines the notice, filing requirements, deadlines and other procedures for holding a primary. Candidates appear on the June Primary Ballot in Stafford County. Voters are able to vote in the Primary from 6am-7pm on Election Day. SCRC is not responsible for paying, organizing, advertising or conducting the Primary. NOTE: In 2015, all Stafford County local office races chose primaries as the method of nomination.
Convention: is a public assembly of delegates chosen specially as representatives of a constituent unit, or group, to act for the entire group. Voting at a convention is weighted according to a pre-determined formula specified in the call. The SCRC would be responsible for paying, organizing, advertising and conducting the Convention.
Party Canvass: (also known as a “firehouse primary”) operates much like a primary, but is conducted by the appropriate Unit or Legislative District Committee of the Party. Canvasses are held on a certain date in one or more locations for a period of several hours. Republican voters cast their ballots during the canvass, and the votes are tallied following the close of the canvass. While a mass meeting or convention may have more than one round of voting, at a party canvass voters vote only once and a nomination or election may be decided by a plurality. The SCRC would be responsible for paying, organizing, advertising and conducting the Party Canvass.
Mass Meeting: is a public assembly of an unorganized group, usually voters of an election district or unit, to transact certain business as defined in the call of the Mass Meeting. Republican voters who attend the meeting cast their votes during simultaneous balloting at a particular time (unlike a primary or canvass, where voting takes place over a period of several hours). Unlike a Convention, there is no weighted voting. The SCRC would be responsible for paying, organizing, advertising and conducting the Mass Meeting.

VOTING IN NEW MEMBERS

Several people have shown an interest in joining our SCRC, either by email or in person at our last meeting. Below is a list of the individuals that I have received membership applications from thus far. If your name is not on the list, and you think it should be, please send me an email. If you still have not completed the membership form, please do it soon. I cannot take new application forms right before or during the meeting. Please make sure to bring the dues if you have not already submitted them. No membership application can be voted on by the SCRC without receipt. Thank you!

SOCIAL TIME BEFORE THE MEETING

First, let me thank DANA BROWN for providing the goodies and the drinks for the January 2019 meeting. I forgot to thank her at the meeting. We appreciate her efforts in preparing our treats!

If anyone would like to provide something for the February meeting, please let me know.

Looking forward to seeing everyone next Monday!

Yours in Liberty, yours in Freedom,
Adela C. Bertoldi
Chairman