PCO Info
What is a PCO?
Precinct Committee Officers are the elected officials within a major political party representing the voters of the precinct they live in, serving a two-year term. Election of PCOs, by the precincts, takes place during the primary election held on even-numbered years.
If two or more candidates run, they are listed on the August Primary ballot for that precinct. If only one person runs in a precinct, they automatically become the elected PCO starting in December of that year and if no one runs, the position stays open, and someone can be appointed PCO no earlier than the following January.
If a vacancy occurs in the office (due to failure to elect, resignation, disqualification or death), the Chair of the WWCRP can appoint a PCO to the vacant position.
As early as December following the election, the political party structure and leadership is literally organized by the newly elected PCOs. They form the central committee, which is like a board of directors.
What do PCOs do?
As primary members of the WWCRP Central Committee, PCOs represent their precincts and attend Central Committee meetings. They
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Communicate with and represent the people in their precinct, helping inform and elect good candidates
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Get out the vote by walking or calling your precinct, neighbors, and providing flyers and information
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Help recruit good candidates for office
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Serve as a mentor to others helping educate and encourage them
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Serve on a WWCRP committee
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Assist in Precinct Caucus meetings and serve as delegates to the County and State Conventions.
How to Become a PCO
Any registered Washington State voter with a residential address in Walla Walla County that is a member of the Republican Party can become a PCO candidate. A PCO candidate files an online Declaration of Candidacy form. In Washington State, voters do not register to vote by political party, nor are write-in votes allowed. Therefore, a PCO candidate must declare himself/herself to be a member of the Republican Party at the time of filing.
To locate which precinct you live in, check out the Walla Walla County GIS Map and search on your address. Left mouse click on the parcel and you will see the precinct name.
To learn more about becoming a PCO, fill out the form in red below. If your precinct has a PCO you might be eligible to be a captain. A Captain is someone who supports the PCO in their precinct and does not have to live in the precinct. They help inform voters, put up signs, and can fill in as proxy for the PCO when they are gone.