GREENVILLE, S.C. -
You have a right to vote but not in a primary. Next year, hundreds of thousands of South Carolina Republicans may have no voice in picking their party's nominees.
Instead of having a Republican Party primary next year, it is possible that the state party convention, fewer than 1,000 people, most of whom you've never heard of, would pick the entire slate of GOP candidates for November.
Because of the way the party is structured, it all begins this month, and it's happening very close to your front door.
The presidential primary in 2012 was a national sensation, and in smaller races the Republican primary was the only contested race.
There are big races on tap next year too, including two incumbent Republican U.S. Senators.
They could both face a possible primary challenge but there may not be a primary at all.
"It's possible a convention of less than a thousand people could decide on who the US Senate candidates will be," said former SC Republican Chair Barry Wynn of Spartanburg.
Wynn says there is an effort to select candidates in what he calls "closed smoke filled rooms."
This website, registered by an employee of a prominent Republican consulting firm, says "fringe groups" and "elite power brokers" want to take your primaries away.
"I think this is a serious thing that could happen," said Wynn.
We found
this site with instructional videos, lists of party meetings, and a rally to the cause.
It's completely legal and within existing party rules and has the support of people like former Greenville party chairman Stephen Brown.
"We're suggesting that the Republican faithful, those who come out to the precinct meetings to elect delegates and become delegates to the state convention, should consider using the convention method to elect candidates in the 2014 election cycle," said Brown.
In March, precinct meetings at the place where you normally vote, allow just about everyone who actually shows up to be eligible as a delegate to their county convention in April.
If Brown and his allies can win enough delegates in enough counties, they can force the state party to abandon the 2014 primary and simply select the November candidates themselves.
Here is a list of precinct meetings from the "We the People" website. For more information, contact your county party.
Abbeville:
Precinct:
March 21 @ 6 PM, one central meeting
Abbeville
Welcome Center,
107
Court Square, Abbeville, 29620
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 4 @ 6:30 PM, Same as Precinct Meeting
Aiken:
Precinct:
March 14 @ 7 PM, different Precinct polling places TBD
Make-Up:
March 21 @ 7 PM, ACGOP Headquarters
Convention:
April 20 @ 10 AM- TBA
*
Bronze Elephant: April 19
Allendale:
Precinct:
TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
TBA
Anderson:
Precinct:
March 18 @ 6:30 PM- multiple locations
Belton
Honea Path High School
Williamston
Municipal Center
Starr
Fire Department
Townville
Fire Department
Wren
High School
Make-Up:
April 1 @ 5 PM, Anderson County Library- Main Branch
Convention:
April 15 @ 6:30 PM, T.L. Hanna High School
Bamberg:
Precinct:
TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
TBA
Barnwell: All
meetings at Barnwell Library, 40 Burr Street, Barnwell
Precinct:
March 11 @ 7 PM
Make-Up:
March 25 @ 7 PM
Convention:
April 22 @ 7 PM
Beaufort:
Precinct:
March 14, 15, 16
Make-Up:
March 20 @ 3 PM, Holiday Inn Express, 35 Bluffton Road
Convention:
April l 6, 3 PM, Sun City Pavillion
Berkeley:
Precinct: March 9- 4 locations (Click
link for details)
Make-Up:
March 18, Berkeley Electric Co-Op, 2 Springhall Dr 6pm
Convention:
April 15 @ 7 PM, Stratford High School
Calhoun:
Precinct:
March 19, 7 PM @ Calhoun County Annex
Make-Up:
March 28 @ 7 PM, Cameron Town Hall
Convention:
April 2 @ 6:30 PM, Calhoun County Courthouse
Charleston:
Precinct:
3 locations- March 4 @ 6:30 (Click
link for details)
Make-Up:
March 11 @ 5:30, North Charleston City Hall Chambers
Convention:
TBA
Cherokee:
Precinct:
March 25 @ 7 PM, New County Administration Building
Make-Up:
April 8 @ 7PM
Convention:
April 22 @ 7 PM, New County Administration Building
Chester:
Precinct:
March 5 @ 6:30 PM,
Chester
GOP HQ, 131 Main Street, Chester
Lowry's
Community Center, Lowrys
Rodman
Community Center, Rodman
Great
Falls Town Hall, Great Falls
Make-Up:
March 19 @ 6:30 PM, 131 Main Street, Chester
Convention:
April 18 @ 6:30 PM, 131 Main Street, Chester
Chesterfield:
Precinct:
March 5 @ 7 PM, Chesterfield YMCA
Make-Up:
March 26 @ 7 PM, Chesterfield YMCA
Convention:
April 20 @ 11 AM, Chesterfield YMCA
Clarendon:
Precinct:
March 16 @ 10 AM- Cornerstone Pentecostal Holiness Church
Make-Up:
April 6 @ 10 AM- Cornerstone Pentecostal Holiness Church
Convention:
April 20 @ Clarendon Administration Building
Colleton:
Precinct:
March 11 @ 6 PM, Colleton Library
Make-Up:
March 18 @ 6 PM, Colleton Library
Convention:
April 8 @ 6 PM, Colleton Library
Darlington:
Precinct:
March 12 @ 7:30 PM, Music Hall, 1945 Harry Byrd Highway, Darlington
Make-Up:
April 2 @ 7:30 PM, Music Hall
Convention:
April 8 @ 7:30 PM, Music
Dillon:
Precinct:
April 2 @ 6:30 PM, Dillon County Library
Make-Up:
April 9 @ 6:30 PM, Dillon County Library
Convention:
April 16 @ 6:30, Dillon County Library
Dorchester:
Precinct: March 11, 13, 18; 6-8 PM
(Click link for details)
Make-Up:
March 28 @ 6 TBA
Convention:
April 13 @ 9 AM- Summerville High School
Edgefield:
Precinct:
March 12 @ 6 PM, Edgefield County Council Chambers
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 16, 6 PM, Edgefield County Council Chambers
Fairfield:
Precinct:
March 7 @ 6:30 PM, 235 S. Congress Street, Winnsboro
Make-Up:
March 11 @ 6:30 PM, 235 S. Congress St.
Convention:
April 18 @ 7 PM, 235 S. Congress St.
Florence:
Precinct:
March 11, 6 PM @ South Florence High School
Make-Up:
March 16, TBA
Convention:
April 8, 6 or 7 PM @ South Florence High School
Georgetown:
Precinct:
March 4, 5, 6
Make-Up:
March 8 @ 6 PM, Georgetown Library
Convention:
April 13 @ 10 AM, Georgetown County Justice Center
Greenville:
Precinct:
March 25 TBA
Make-Up:
April 8 TBA
Convention:
April 20 @ 10 AM, TBA
Greenwood:
Precinct:
March 4 @ 6 PM, Ninety Six Depot
Make-Up:
March 14 @ 6 PM, Ninety Six Depot
Convention:
April 4 @ 7 PM, Greenwood County Veteran's Center
Hampton
Precinct:
TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
TBA
Horry
Precinct: March 21 @ 6:30 PM
Make-Up:
March 28 @ 6:30 PM, HCGOP
Convention:
April 13 @ 10 AM
Jasper:
Precinct:
March 14 @ 6 PM, Marine Rescue Squadron
(Millstone
Landing)
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 11 @ 6 PM, Marine Rescue Squadron
Kershaw:
Precinct:
March 18 TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 8 @ Kershaw Chamber Building
Lancaster:
Precinct:
March 21 @ 7 PM, Mike Williams Builders, 1351 Charlotte HWY
Make-Up:
March 28 @ 6:30 PM, Mike Williams Builders
Convention:
April 20 @ 1 PM, Mike Williams Builders
Laurens:
Precinct:
March 23 @ 6 PM, 1500 Western Square, Suite R, Laurens
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 6 @ 10 AM, New Laurens Courthouse, Hillcrest
Drive
29360
Lee:
Precinct:
TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
TBA
Lexington:
Precinct: March 4 @ 6:30 PM, 6
locations
Make-Up:
March 30 @ 6:30 PM
Convention:
April 13 @ 10 AM
McCormick:
Precinct:
March 7 @ 5:30 PM
Make-Up:
March 14 @ 5:30 PM,
Convention:
April 11 @ 6 PM, Hickory Knob State Park
Marion:
Precinct:
March 21 @ 7 PM, Beeson Building
Make-Up:
March 28 @ 7 PM, Beeson Building
Convention:
April 16 @ 7 PM, Beeson Building
Marlboro:
Precinct:
TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
TBA
Newberry:
Precinct:
March 26 or March 28 at Gardner Insurance Agency
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 18, Newberry County Council Chambers
Oconee:
Precinct:
March 16 @ 10 AM, 102 WN 1st Street, Seneca
Make-Up:
March 23 @ 10 AM, 102 WN 1st Street, Seneca
Convention:
April 13 @ 9 AM Seneca High School Auditorium
Orangeburg:
Precinct:
March 14 @ 7 PM, Cox Wood Preserving Conf. Room- 860
Cannon
Bridge Road, Orangeburg
Make-Up:
Regular Monthly Meeting, March 21 @ 7 PM, Rosalia's
Convention:
April 6
Pickens:
Precinct:
March 21 @ 7 PM, Rosewood Center, Liberty
Make-Up:
March 22 @ 7 PM, Rosewood Center, Liberty
Convention:
April 4 @ 7 PM TBA
Richland:
Precinct:
March 18, National Guard Armory, 6:30
Make-Up:
4th Monday of March @ 6 PM
Convention:
April 20 @ 10 AM American Legion Post 6
Saluda:
Precinct:
March 14 @ 6 PM Saluda Army National Guard Armory
Make-Up:
March 21 @ 6 PM Saluda Army National Guard Armory
Convention:
April 8 @ 6:30 PM, Saluda Army National Guard Armory
Spartanburg:
Precinct:
March 25 @ 7 PM, various precinct locations
Make-Up:
April 1, GOP Headquarters
Convention:
April 20 @ 10 AM, Restoration Church
Sumter:
Precinct:
March 23 @ 10 AM- regional meetings
Make-Up:
April 4 @ 6 PM, 1390 Broad Street, Sumter
Convention:
April 19 @ 6:30 PM, 1665 Stamey Livestock Road
Union:
Precinct:
Monday, March 18, 2013 at 7 PM, Union County Courthouse, 210 West Main Street,
Union, SC 29379
Make-Up: Monday, April 01, 2013, 7 PM, Union County Courthouse
Convention: Monday, April 15, 2013, 7 PM, Union County Courthouse
Williamsburg:
Precinct:
TBA
Make-Up:
TBA
Convention:
April 19 @ 6:30, Brown's BBQ, Highway 52 North, Kingstree, SC
York:
Precinct:
March 19 @ 6:30 PM- meetings will be held at polling locations
Make-Up:
March 23 @ 10 AM, @ Thursdays Too 147 Herlong Avenue, Rock Hill 29732
Convention:
April 13 @10 AM, Baxter Hood Center at York Technical
College,
422 South Anderson Road, Rock Hill 29730
