Social Media Protocol
Hays County Republican Party Social Media Protocol
Purpose:
Social media is a powerful, impactful tool. As leaders among our fellow conservatives in Hays County, it is incumbent upon us to leverage this tool in a way that educates and informs our neighbors without inciting negativity and ire. Our posts are meant to connect us with our followers, support our candidates and Republican elected officials and communicate legislative information. Thus, please follow the following social media guidelines and protocol when posting or commenting on our social media platforms.
Posting Responsibly Practices:
Posts must support the Mission of the Hays County Executive Committee: The County Executive Committee’s mission is to elect men and women of integrity who will fight for and govern with the values and principles we stand for as conservatives and Republicans.
- Be Respectful and Courteous. Use good manners when posting or commenting. Notice the tone of your writing voice.
- Use communication that does not damage HCRP’s reputation and brand.
- Focus on positive posts and comments. Avoid negative posts and retaliation.
- Use care when posting a controversial issue. Approval for a questionable or controversial post requires review by the Chair. When in doubt, run it by the Chair and/or Second Vice Chair (Communication). Another opinion is always good.
- Focus on posts that connect and establish relationships with our followers.
- Avoid anything that could be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating.
- Posts with content that is defamatory, derogatory or inflammatory is not allowed.
- Language that is vulgar or uses curse words is not allowed.
- Check the facts. Make sure posts are accurate and fact based before posting. For example, if posting about an elected official’s voting record, use a reliable source of information such as a .gov web page.
- Respect the law, which includes copyright law.
Comments or posts that are sexist, racist, ableist, ageist, homophobic, or hateful are strictly prohibited.
- Ignore the trolls and do not engage. Ignore them or block them if they use comments that do not follow our guidelines.
- Participation in a flame war or exchange of angry, abusive messages between users is not allowed. Shut down a post if this occurs.
- Endorsement of contested Republican candidates during primary elections is not allowed. Vet candidates that are running in races that are nonpartisan and insure they are conservative candidates.
- Use of Spanish on posts is encouraged. Be sure the use of Spanish language is correct.
- Use hashtags on all posts. It will increase our followers.
- Use photos that are in good taste. No photos should ever be used if it portrays someone negatively.
- References to alcohol are not allowed.
- Respond to questions or concerns our followers may have in a timely fashion. Do not ignore them.
- Posts and comments are forever. Please keep that in mind.
Resolution
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR PRECINCT VOTING AND TABULATION OF BALLOTS BY HAND COUNT
AT THE PRECINT LEVEL
FOR THE HAYS COUNTY, TEXAS NOVEMBER 2024 GENERAL ELECTION
Whereas We the People of Hays County in partnership with the Executive Committee of the
Republican Party of Hays County desire to ensure ACCURATE, TRANSPARENT and AUDITABLE
elections for the November General Election on November 5, 2024.
Whereas the countywide polling place program fails voters on multiple counts of Chapter 122 of the
Texas Election Code (TEC), Voting System Standards, starting with preserving the secrecy of your
ballot.
Whereas returning to precinct voting:
- Requires the use of paper poll books printed 30 days before the election,
- Removes the need to have an Internet connection for the poll books,
- Allows for easy reconciliation by hand count with tabulator records.
- Allows for manual counting by concerned volunteer citizens who have an interest in the security of the People’s elections.
Whereas at a moment when public trust in elections is crucial and recent polls show that a great
percentage of the population across party lines has lost faith in our elections, we must use the
most secure method of conducting our elections, the people.
Whereas the Gillespie County GOP successfully ran the 2024 Super Tuesday Primary without digital
poll pads, optical scanners or automated tabulators implementing the ECHO 65 Hand Count
Method approved by the Texas Secretary of State, with a 100% hand counting of the primary
ballots; until recently, hand counting has historically been the practice in Texas and Gillespie
County since 1879. Hays County is primed to follow the model.
Whereas the Texas Constitution calls for voting systems to promote the identification and
prosecution of fraud, countywide polling and the use of electronic pollbooks violate our Texas
constitutional rights.
Whereas the Republican National Committee urges a “Return to Excellence” and calls on state
legislatures, county, and municipal governments to pass laws and municipal codes and rules that
allow for full transparent hand-counting procedures that are planned, timely and fully observable
by the public and the registered parties for geographically defined audits and recounts.
Therefore, We the People of Hays County, Texas, and members of the Hays County Republican
Party County Executive Committee, pursuant to the Constitution of Texas, and for the security and
integrity of our elections, assert our right to the following:
- Immediate removal of the countywide polling place program in Hays County.
- Use of paper poll books printed for each precinct, fixed 30 days before the election period.
- A copy of each poll book shall be marked for each voting precinct when each voter comes to vote.
- Upon request by the voter, an optional hand-marked, sequentially numbered paper ballot preprinted on counterfeit-resistant paper, each signed by an election judge.
- Tabulation of ballots by hand count at the precinct level, to verify results produced by programmable electronic counting devices.
- In accordance with the Texas Election Code Chapter 65 or ECHO 65 Hand Count Method procedures.
- Verify election results with random hand counts and robust audits, which will result in an election process that is transparent, accurate, verifiable, and holds officials and voters accountable.
- Restricting ballots by mail to the disabled and out of the county during the election.
A political resolution is an official expression of the opinion of a legislative body.
Passed Hays Countv GOP CEC 8/19/2024 23-5.
Statement from HCRP Chair Michelle Lopez
I was shocked and saddened by the heinous assassination attempt on President Trump at yesterday’s rally. Continuing to pray for former President Trump’s full recovery, his continued safety, the gentleman whose life was lost and those injured in this senseless act of violence. We stand in solidarity with former President Trump and condemn all acts of violence and hate. This is our beloved America, and we are better than this. We must come together as a nation to heal and work towards a more unified and peaceful future.
–Michelle Lopez, Chair
Hays County Republican Party
