The 2012 8th District Convention will be held this Saturday, May 12, 2012, at Bishop O’Connell High School in Arlington. The Official Call for the Convention is posted here.

Please review below all of the important information for delegates.  Because we have so many registered delegates (over 700), we are doing everything we can to make it as efficient as possible.

Registration information: Please arrive on time to ensure you can register as a delegate. Delegate registration for the convention will take place on Saturday, May 12 between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. at the convention site. You must register by 10 a.m. to be credentialed and eligible to vote in the elections taking place at the convention. This means delegates must be at the convention, in line to register by 10:00 am. (In the event there are lines at registration at 10 a.m., delegates waiting on line to register as of 10 a.m. may register. However, the lines will be closed at 10 a.m.)

You will be issued a badge at registration with your name and jurisdiction on it. If you did not pay the optional $15 filing fee, you will receive a name badge that reads “Restricted.” If you paid the optional $15 filing fee, your badge will only have your name and delegation.

Voting Procedures: We will provide a detailed explanation of voting procedures at the convention, but we are providing this preview in advance.

Voting will take place in two stages. In Stage 1, the Arlington and Alexandria delegations will vote. In Stage 2, the Fairfax and Falls Church delegations will vote.

The procedures for voting will be the same in both stages.

When it is your delegation’s time to vote, please proceed to the designated areas for the delegations where you will receive your ballots. For the Arlington and Fairfax delegations, this is the area in the back of the convention hall. For the Alexandria and Falls Church delegations, this is the front of the auditorium, at the door to the left of the stage (if you are facing the stage).

You will be asked to form two lines: a line for delegates who paid the convention filing fee, and a line for delegates who did not pay the filing fee. If your badge says “Restricted” on it, please go to the line for non-paid delegates. If your badge does not say restricted, please go to the line for paid delegates.

You will be given an optical scan ballot and your name badge will be punched to record your receipt of a ballot. You will then proceed into the lobby area outside the convention auditorium hall. Tables will be set up where you will be able to cast your ballot with the pens provided. Please use these pens if possible to ensure the ballot is read correctly. Please be careful in filling out your ballot. We will not be able to provide a new ballot if you spoil your ballot.

Once you have cast your ballot, please take it to the ballot machines and hand it to one of the ballot machine operators (from the Loudoun County Registrar’s Office). They will scan your sheet through the machine. This completes the voting process.

Once you have completed the voting process, we ask that you please leave the lobby voting area to prevent congestion as others vote. You may return to the auditorium or move outside where the candidate tables have been set up.

Also, once your ballot is cast, there will be no additional voting, so you may leave if you do not want to wait for the announcement of the results.

We believe voting will begin no later than 12 p.m., but we cannot guarantee exactly when.

Non-delegates/Guests: The 8th District Republican Convention is open to guests. Guests may observe but may not participate in the official business of the convention.

Questions: If you have any questions about the convention, please contact Mike Ginsberg, 8th District Chairman, at va8gopchairman@hotmail.com.

See you Saturday!