Yuma County Fair 2024

YUMA COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE > Yuma County Fair 2024

First off, we want to thank you very much for taking the time out of your Spring Break week/Easter week to help us. We truly appreciate you!

Below, we’ll touch on several important points. Running the booth is easier than it sounds and it truly is a lot of fun. We do so much good for the community. But the best way to do this is by having expectations in place, like we do every year. We’re excited about things running smoothly and it being a fantastic experience for everyone.

The Yuma County GOP is running two locations this year, one indoors and one outdoors. As you should all know, we have to adhere to the rules stipulated by the Yuma County Fairgrounds, as such we cannot sell any items.

We will be scheduling both locations with our minimum manning of two volunteers (not including scheduled candidates) and will have a member of the Executive Team on call each day in the event something comes up. This list will be posted at both locations. 

Please contact us for any questions or problems.

1 Fair Schedule

WE HAVE TWO LOCATIONS THIS YEAR!

CLICK HERE to see the schedule. We ask you to check it regularly.

It will be updated in real time, so please double check for shift times and openings before heading to the fairgrounds.

If you see open spots that you would like to fill, please let us know ASAP and we’ll update the schedule.

2 Volunteer Rules and expectations

CLICK HERE or the image below to read the handbook.

Please read the volunteer rules below PRIOR to attending to make sure that you agree and plan on adhering to the rules. We will have a hard copy of the rules at fair to refer to them, if necessary. 

NOTE: ALL VOLUNTEERS MUST BE AWARE THAT THEY ARE REPRESENTING THE YUMA GOP. AS SUCH, VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT GOING TO BE BADMOUTHING OR MISTREATING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES OR ELECTED OFFICIALS RUNNING AGAIN IF THEY DISAGREE WITH THEIR VIEWS OR STANCES. CONVERSATIONS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME, AS LONG AS THEY ARE RESPECTFUL AND CORDIAL. BE PROUD TO REPRESENT US AND ALWAYS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHEN IT COMES TO KINDNESS.

We ask all volunteers to leave the booth exactly as it was set up when they first came.

Please do not move items from one table to another as there are rules that must be followed. Thank you!

– The spin wheel game for kids, candy, flags and other goodies will be at the far left table.

– The flyers, pocket constitutions and other Republican literature will be at the center table. This is also a good table to fill out PC forms, voter registration forms, etc.

– The candidates’ signature petition forms will be on clipboards and pens at the table on the right.

– Volunteer and candidate representatives’ personal items and additional things can go at the table behind the table on the right.

– Anything that we want to display, but keep out of reach can go on the 2 tables along the very back, below the GOP banner.

ALL volunteers on the schedule in the link above solely represent the Yuma County GOP. As per Yuma County Fair stipulations, these conditions, rules, and regulations are subject to change or revisions at any time. Any change or revision is binding on all EXHIBITORS, upon receipt of oral or written notice of the change or revision. We will try our best to communicate any changes with all of our volunteers via email.

Volunteers will help in any of the following (or anything that isn’t listed that might be needed): 

– Greet people and answer questions on candidates, precincts, and voter registration – make sure table remains neat and stocked with literature and other pertinent items such as voter registration forms, candy, prizes, etc

– Register people to vote (we register everyone to vote, regardless of party affiliation)

– Help ALL Republican candidates get signatures

– Take information and refer specific voter registration questions to County Recorder

These are INFORMATIONAL BOOTHS ONLY. We may give away candy, etc. but we are NOT able to sell anything.

  1. ALL VOLUNTEERS must be at least 18 and be a registered Republican.
  2. Volunteers should be familiar with the local GOP and the principles of the Party. For a refresher, CLICK HERE.
  3. There should be no more than 2 volunteers and 1 candidate representative in the booth at any time. Small children are not allowed inside the booth.
  4. DO NOT engage with any person who is negative or hostile. Remain neutral and positive.
  5. You may give your opinions on candidates, issues, etc. if asked, but please do so in a positive manner and refrain from jokes, etc that are negative or degrading, especially, abstain from gossiping.
  6. WE, AS GOP MEMBERS, DO NOT ENDORSE CANDIDATES BEFORE THE PRIMARY ELECTION, UNLESS THEY ARE RUNNING UNOPPOSED.
  7. Remember that other parties are watching our booth and may use anything they might see or overhear. If someone is watching the booth that makes you uncomfortable, point him out to others, ask if they know them, report them to the fair office if it is serious.
  8. Be familiar with the voter registration form and be able to help anyone  fill it out. A sample can be provided upon request. There will be an envelope  to put completed forms in. Forms are black ink only.
  9. When opening for the day, set out all candidate petitions. Use one  table for local candidates and the other for state and federal. Keep like candidates together if possible.
  10. Make sure that there are always at least 2 voter registration clipboards out and ready.
  11. Only one clipboard per candidate should be on the table. If there are more than a couple of people waiting to sign for a particular candidate, extra petitions may be taken from that clipboard and put on the table to be signed. Ask people to sign other petitions while they are waiting.
  12. If a candidate is present, they should be in charge of their clipboard. Remove any petitions that volunteers were watching until the candidate.  leaves.
  13. REMEMBER – all petitions must be signed within the confines of the booth.
  14. Candidates may stand outside and talk if they DO NOT BLOCK ACCESS TO THE TABLES, THE AISLE OR FOOT TRAFFIC.
  15. At the end of a volunteer shift, they should sign ALL the petitions that they were watching (full or not) and turn them in. There will be envelopes for each candidate to put finished petitions in.
  16. At the end of each evening (AFTER the lights flash and the announcement is made that the building is closing), ALL candidate petitions need to be put away.
  17. A designated member will take any with signatures home to be returned to the candidates. Any candidate may only take their own petitions when they leave.
  18. NEVER leave the booth unattended. THIS IS A FAIR RULE.
  19. ALWAYS make sure that someone is keeping an eye on the candidate petitions. They MUST stay on the tables. If you are the only volunteer, the candidates there may watch the booth, for a quick trip to the bathroom.

Volunteer Agreement Form (Sign before each shift)

There will be copies of this agreement form at the fair booth. ALL volunteers need to read the rules (attached document) and sign one copy before their shift begins.

If a volunteer has signed up for 4 shifts, for example, said volunteer will have to sign the form 4 times (one at the beginning of each shift). The signed forms go in the designated manila envelope at the fair booth.

3 Candidates and candidate Representatives

Candidates are welcome to stop by our booths (indoor and outdoor). ALL candidates MUST contact us at 1stvc@yumagop.com to schedule a time at our booths. Shifts are 3-4 hours long. Candidates may schedule a shift at one or both our booths, if there is an opening. This is only while the candidate isn’t at the booth. We ask to be respectful of the candidates who are scheduled during the different time slots.

We have many candidates coming to our two locations. Our aim is to be fair to everyone and give all candidates a fair share of booth time. Because our school board candidates are going to still be collecting signatures on their petitions, we have set up candidate shifts for the 3 different school boards.

Candidates and their campaign helpers will pay for their own entry fee. Candidates don’t have to be at the locations during the entire shift, if they are not able to or don’t want to. We are just letting you know that this is your time to have great face to face conversations with voters and get your message out.

If candidates have any flyers or postcards that they plan on distributing, feel free to bring some by HQ so we can set them out at the tables for voters to take at any time when the booths are open. When candidates come for their scheduled candidate shifts, they must check if their flyers or cards need to be restocked, so bring extras each time. We will only put out what is given to us. PLEASE BRING YOUR LITERATURE WITH RUBBER BANDS OR CLIPS ON THEM, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE LOCATION. IF THEY GET BLOWN OFF, THEY WILL GET DUSTY AND POSSIBLY WON’T BE ABLE TO BE RETRIEVED.

-> ALL YARD SIGNS THAT CANDIDATES BRING WILL BE AT OUR INDOOR LOCATION SO THEY STAY CLEAN AND DON’T GET BLOWN AROUND. WHENEVER VOTERS ASK FOR SIGN, WE WILL DIRECT THEM TO THE INDOOR LOCATION.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES

The Yuma GOP will have clipboards with all of the school board candidates’ signature petitions at both locations at all times. We will keep them stocked for them. Only the candidates themselves will be able to collect the petitions that are filled out from Bonnie. If candidates wish for someone else to collect completed petitions for them, they must let Bonnie know who has your permission to collect them. Otherwise, the petitions won’t be released. We want to make sure that petitions have a chain of custody and that they are in good hands at all times.

Those who wish to collect signatures representing a candidate while the candidate is away, they may do so at the Yuma County GOP booth, with the understanding that they will wear the lanyard that reads “Candidate Representative.” We have these lanyards at the fair booths.

4 TEEN Republicans

And last, but not least, we have several Teen Republicans that might come in groups to volunteer. They will be there to help with the game for kids, hand out candy and flyers, talk to people, learn how voter registration forms are filled out and how candidate signature forms are offered. Note: Those who are not 18 years old yet cannot help fill out voter registration forms or collect signatures for candidates as they cannot sign the back of the forms.

Please be welcoming to all of them when they share your shift as they will be instrumental come election season in 2024. This will be a great learning and training opportunity for them and we are excited to have them.

Conclusion

If there are any questions or issues, please call anyone on the Executive Committee, especially the person on-call that day (refer to the schedule). We will try to be in the vicinity as much as possible.

Please take photos and videos during your shift and please email or text them to me. We’d love to share those on the GOP website!

Thank you, again, and here’s to a fantastic and successful fair week!