Democratic Party of Del Norte: By-Laws

By-Laws

Democratic Central Committee
                                                       County of Del Norte
                                                              By-Laws

                                                              Article I
                                                      Name and Purpose
Section 1     NAME        the name of this organization shall be the Del Norte County
                   Democratic Central Committee.
Section 2     PURPOSE   This Committee shall conduct campaigns for the Democratic
                   Party and its candidates for public office for which elections are held in Del
                   Norte County . The Committee may work with other Democratic county
                   central committees and with the Democratic State Central Committee on
                   matters of mutual concern. The Committee shall conduct such other business
                   as is deemed appropriate by its membership.

                                                            Article II
                                                         Membership
Section 1    REGULAR MEMBERS The regular members of this Committee shall be
                   those elected according to the provisions of the Election Code or appointed
                   Pursuant to Section 7 of the Article.
Section 2    EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS   The ex-officio members of this Committee shall
                   be those elected officials and Party nominees specified in the Election Code.
Section 3    ALTERNATES   Any regular member may appoint an alternate for himself
                   or herself, who shall have the same privileges and obligations as the member,
                   but who may vote only in the absence of the member who made the
                    appointment.
Section 4    ASSOCIATES   The Committee may appoint associate members and student
                   associate members, who shall have all the privileges of notice of participation
                   in meetings, except for the privileges of appointing alternates and voting.
Section 5    ELIGIBILITY   All regular members, alternates and associates, shall be
                   Residents of Del Norte County and registered as affiliated with the
                  Democratic Party.
Section 6   TERM   Membership shall terminate, subject to renewal by election or
                  appointment, every two years and shall extend from the convening of the
                  Committee in January of odd numbered years to the next such convening.
Section 7   VACANCIES   A vacancy on this Committee shall be deemed to exist in the
                  event of the appointment or election of any ineligible person, or whenever
                  any member dies, resigns, becomes incapacitated to act, and ceases to be
                  eligible or is removed from membership pursuant to Section 8 of this Article.
                  If the position of a regular member becomes vacant; such position may be
                   filled by the vote of a majority of members present and voting at a meeting
                  of this Committee.
Section 8   REMOVAL   Any regular member of this Committee may be removed by a
                  2/3 vote of members present and voting at a meeting of this Committee,
                  provided that no vote to remove a member shall occur without due process,
                  including prior (15 days) written notice to all members of such impending
                  vote to remove and provided that no member shall be removed except: 1) The
                  member publicly avows preference for or gives support to another party or
                  candidate opposed by the Democratic Party’s nominee for an office; 2) A
                  member publicly advocates that voters should not vote for the Party’s
                  nominee for an office; or, 3) The member fails to attend more than three
                  consecutive meetings of this Committee. Any alternate shall be removed
                  automatically if the position of the member who appointed the alternate
                  becomes vacant. Any alternate may be removed by notice of the member who
                  appointed the alternate. Any associate member of this Committee may be
                  removed by majority vote of members present and voting at a meeting of this
                  Committee, provided that the same due process granted to regular members,
                  previously stipulated, is given to the associate member.
Section 9   DUAL MEMBERSHIP No one shall be both a regular member and an
                  Ex-officio member, or both a member and an alternate.
Section 10 DUES An annual dues of $10. shall be paid by all members, regular,
                  associate and alternate, at the first meeting in January, or within 30 days of
                  appointment, no prorate. Payment of dues shall not be obligatory for any
                  member to who it constitutes an economic hardship as decided by the
                  Executive Board of this Committee.

                                                              ARTICLE III
                                                                  Officers
Section 1   OFFICERS The officers of this Committee shall be a Chairman, a Vice
                  Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
Section 2   DUTIES The Chairman shall carry out the policies of this Committee and its
                  Executive Board and when present, shall preside at meetings of this
                  Committee and its Executive Board. The Chair shall appoint such committees
                  as necessary and appoint the Chair of the standing or subcommittee with a
                  majority vote of attending members.The Vice Chairman shall assist the
                  Chairman in the performance of the duties of that office. The Secretary shall
                  record minutes of meetings of this Committee, shall give notice of meetings as
                  Required in these by-laws or by this Committee or its Executive Board and
                  Shall maintain all records of this Committee except those assigned to the
                  Treasurer. The Treasurer shall take custody of all funds received by this
                  Committee, shall open bank accounts for the deposit of funds received by this
                  Committee, shall make disbursements at the direction of the Chairman, the
                  Executive Board, or the Committee and shall make reports at the meetings of
                  The Committee.
Section 3   ELECTION OF OFFICERS All officers shall be elected from among the
                  regular members at the first meeting of this Committee held in January of
                   odd numbered years. Election shall be by majority vote of those present and voting.
Section 4 TERM The term of office shall be for two years or until a successor is elected.
Section 5   VACANCIES A vacancy in any office shall be filled by a vote of a majority
                  of members present and voting at a meeting of this Committee, provided that
                  prior notice of such vacancy and election shall be given to regular members.
Section 6   REMOVAL An officer may be removed by a 2/3 vote of members present
                  and voting at a meeting of this Committee, provided that no vote to remove an
                  officer shall occur without due process, including prior (15 days) written
                 notice to all members of such impending vote to the officer who is proposed to
                  be removed and prior written notice, signed by at least three members of the
                  Committee, of specific charges against the officer and the basis of such
                  charges and provided that no officer shall be removed except for gross
                  misconduct or neglect of duty in office.

                                                     ARTICLE IV
                                                    Meetings
Section 1   MEETINGS This Committee shall meet in January of odd numbered years
                  and at such other times as determined by the Chairman or when requested by
                  at least two members of the Executive Board or at least four members of this
                  Committee. All regular members shall be given prior notice of meetings of the
                  Committee.
Section 2 QUORUM One – Fourth of the regular members of this Committee or their
                  alternates shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 3 PLACE AND PROXIES No meeting of this Committee shall occur outside
                  Del Norte County and no proxy voting shall be allowed at meetings of this
                  Committee, but members of this Committee may assign or accept proxies to
                  used at meetings of other Democratic organizations.
Section 4 PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE In all cases not provided for by law or by
                  these By-Laws, the meetings of this Committee shall be governed by Robert’s
                  Rules of Order.

                                                                  ARTICLE V
                                                              Executive Board
Section 1   EXECUTIVE BOARD There shall be an Executive Board of this Committee
                  which shall have all the duties and powers of this Committee when it is not in
                  actual session
Section 2   MEMBERSHIP The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of this
                  Committee.
Section 3    MEETINGS The Executive Board shall meet as determined by the Chairman
                  or when requested by at least two members of the Board. Three members of
                  the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.


                                                             ARTICLE VI
                                                      Democratic Organizations

Section 1 DEFINITION and PURPOSE. A Democratic Club is an organization of Democrats allied by defined geographic area, special interest or cultural community. A club’s purpose is to support and strengthen the Democratic Party through the political development, activity and advocacy of its membership. A club’s objectives are to foster active interest in the local, state and national Democratic Party, to support campaigns and to engage in grassroots outreach, organizing and recruitment.

Section 2 AUTHORIZATION (chartering)
A Democratic Club shall annually (January) charter with the central committee to be authorized to use the name “Democratic” in their organizations title.

Section 3 REQUIREMENTS

A. Membership shall be open to all Democrats regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or gender identity.
B. The club shall have a minimum of ten (10) members who are registered Democrats.
C. Bylaws, membership roster and officers for the Democratic organization must be submitted to the central committee at the time of request for the charter.

                                                     ARTICLE VII
                                                      Endorsements

Section 1 The Committee shall participate in the California Democratic Party partisan "pre-convention endorsement conference".
The voting procedure for the pre-convention endorsement conference will establish the "endorsed" partisan candidate.

Section 2   Candidates for non-partisan office and ballot proposition/ initiatives

A. The committee may endorse candidates for nonpartisan offices providing:

1. The candidate has been a registered Democrat for a minimum of 1 year prior to the endorsement or if they have recently become eligble to register to vote. (18 years of age, new citizen)

2. Endorsements are not given to more candidates than there are open seats for the office.

3. Eligible candidates are notified that the committee may be endorsing non-partisan candidates after the filing period has ended.

4. The election standing committee will be responsible for the questionaire; questions will be revelant to the office sought.

5. The election standing committee will review the candidate responses to the questionaire and recommend to the central committee to endorse, to give no endorsement or to remain neutral.

6. The committee will then request the candidate to attend the scheduled meeting for an additional interview, if needed. The candidate may not be present during the discussion or vote. The endorsement vote will be taken by hand, voice count or ballot and the candidate must receive a majority vote of 60%.

B. Democratic Clubs chartered by the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee will be required to withhold their endorsement procedure until after the central committee has endorsed.

C. A position on local ballot initiatives, measures, and propositions may be taken by the committee. However, the committee shall not take a position on statewide initiatives that is contrary to that of the Democratic State Central Committee

1. voting is done by hand, voice count or ballot.

2. endorsement of a local ballot initiatives, measures and propositions, requires a 60% majority. If a motion to endorse fails, the committee must take a “no position” stand

Section 3 Recision of Endorsement

The committee, by a two-thirds vote, may rescind any endorsement previously made in a non-partisan race

                                                       ARTICLE 8
                                                 Amendments
Section 1 These By-Laws may be amended by a vote of 2/3 of the members present and
                  voting at a meeting of this Committee provided that (1) prior (15 days) written
                  notice of a reading of a proposed amendment shall be given to all members; (2
                  the amendment is read and discussed at the meeting preceding the vote.

Passed and Adopted, by the Del Norte County Democratic Central Committee, County of Del Norte , State of California , this third day of August 1983 by the following vote
Ayes : All present
Nays : None
Abstain: One
Amended: Article II, Section 4 (Associate) added “Student Associates October 2004
Amended Article III, Section 2 (Duties) added standing/ subcommittee appointments May 2, 2007
Amended Article VI, Added Article 7 and 8 August 7, 2007Amended Article II, Section 2 remove elected officer language to prohibit endorsements Amended Article VI, Section 3, B Remove language “expressed intention of registering” September 9, 2008