ENGAGE

How do I join the Democratic Party?

The short answer:

Do any of the following:

The long answer:

Virginia does not have political party registration. When you register to vote, you do not have the option to select a party. There is no such thing as a registered Democrat, at least according to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

So, you’re a member of the Democratic Party if you consider yourself to be a Democrat and want to support Democratic candidates.

The local party leadership is vested in the local Democratic Committee – the Albemarle Democratic Committee. The Democratic Committee is made up of members elected to it at its biannual reorganization meeting (to be held in December 2025).

The Committee then elects its leaders – the Steering Committee. The steering committee meets monthly and organizes the party activities. All Democrats are welcome to attend this meeting, typically on the 3rd Monday of the month at 5:30 PM. Keep an eye on our newsletter, web site and Facebook page for details on this meetings and all of our events.

We welcome all Democrats in Albemarle County to join our efforts at anytime during the year. The easiest ways:

  1. Support Democrats – Virginia has elections every year on the 1st Tuesday (after the first Monday) of November. We nominate our candidates each year sometime between April and June. You do not need to be a member of the committee to participate in the nomination process.
  2. Sign up for our email list – Find out what’s going on with our email newsletter. We send it 2-4 times per month.
  3. Donate – Dues are our annual fund that help support our work. They are not required to participate in any activity, but help us organize to elect more Democrats at every level.
  4. Volunteer to help – We are a volunteer organization. We need your help to reach all of our Albemarle neighbors to inform them about our candidates, register them to vote, and get out the vote on Election Day. Whether it’s on the phones, at the doors or behind the scenes, every person makes a difference in our efforts.

Other Frequently Asked Questions:

What do you have to do to be on the Committee?

The Committee is elected at the biennial reorganization meeting (next one to be held in December 2025). In the interim, we may have vacancies in roles that are filled by the Steering Committee.

Are dues required?

Dues are not required to be a member or to participate in any activity. Dues are our annual fund and any donation is welcome and encouraged to help support our activities.

How is the dues money spent?

All money raised by the Committee is used to advance the party’s primary goals of electing Democrats to office to represent us in local, state and federal government. Examples of expenditures include: insurance to allow us to hold events, reserving facilities for events, sending mailings, supplies for campaign activities, occasionally hiring staff to supplement or coordinate campaign activities. As a state political party committee, we submit financial reports quarterly to the Department of Elections. View a summary at the Virginia Public Access Project.

If I am not on the Committee can I still come to the Steering Committee meetings?

Absolutely – all Democrats are welcome. We typically meet the 3rd Monday of the month at 5:30 PM. Keep an eye on our newsletter, web site and Facebook page for details on this meetings and all of our events.

How do I get added to the email newsletter list?

Do either of the following:

  1. Sign up here
  2. If you donate and we have your email, we’ll add you to the list

You can also like/follow us on our Facebook page to keep up with our activities.

Still have questions?

Email us at chair@albemarledems.org.