Operationally in Chicago, the committeeperson plays an important role in ward politics. Replacements for some other vacancies are selected through other processes: vacated United States Senate posts are appointed by the Illinois Governor and vacated Chicago City Council posts are appointed by the Mayor of Chicago. This role gives them authority on behalf of the party to select replacements for some vacated political posts such as United States Representative and state legislators. Ĭommitteepeople are voting members in the political organization of their party in the County. In Chicago, the committeepeople are responsible for producing smooth political processes during the elections in their wards, which includes attempting to produce high voter turnout. The positions are unpaid, with responsibilities that include voter registration, community forums, election materials, and election operations. Each party that participates (the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and possibly others) elects its own committeeperson.Įlections for Chicago ward committeepeople coincide with the primaries for presidential candidates, while elections for township committepeople coincide with primaries for gubernatorial candidates. Each of the 30 suburban civil townships in Cook County also elect committeepeople from each township.

The city of Chicago, the largest municipality in Cook County, elects committeepeople (known as 'committeemen' until 2018) from each of its 50 wards. 3.2 Cook County Republican Party Committeepeople.3.1 Cook County Democratic Party Committeepeople.

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