View source for Document:National Constitution, Bylaws, and Convention Rules 1974

Adopted in Convention

June 1974

Dallas, Texas

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=LIBERTARIAN PARTY CONSTITUTION BYLAWS and CONVENTION RULES=
<div class="doctocnonum">__TOC__</div>

LIBERTARIAN PARTY

550 Kearny Street

San Francisco, CA 93534

== CONSTITUTION and ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION ==

===Libertarian Party===

a non-profit corporation

===ARTICLE I: NAME===

The name of the corporation shall be the "Libertarian Party", hereinafter referred to as the "Party".

===ARTICLE II: PERIOD OF DURATION===

The duration of the Party shall be perpetual.

===ARTICLE III: PURPOSES===

The purpose for which the Party is organized is to implement and give voice to the principles embodied in the Statement of Principles by:

a. Nominating candidates for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States and supporting candidates for political office.

b. Promoting, chartering and coordinating affiliate parties throughout the United States.

c. Entering into political information activities.

===ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS===

'''Section 1'''. The officers of the Party shall be a Chairman, a Vice Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer. All of these officers shall be elected at a Regular Convention of the Party by the attending delegates and shall take office immediately upon the close of the convention and serve thereafter until the final adjournment of the next Regular Convention.

'''Section 2'''. No offices shall be combined.

'''Section 3'''. The officers shall be full voting members of the Executive Co0111ittee.

'''Section 4'''. The Chairman shall preside at all conventions and all meetings of the Executive Committee. He shall be the chief executive officer of the Party.

'''Section 5'''. The Vice Chairman shall act as an assistant to the Chairman, and shall perform the duties of the Chairman in the event the Chairman is, for any reason, unable to perform the duties of his office.

'''Section 6'''. The Secretary shall be the recording officer of the Party, and shall provide, or make provision for, legal services to the Party.

'''Section 7'''. The Treasurer shall receive, expend and account for the funds of the Party under the supervision and direction of the Chairman and Executive Committee.

'''Section 8'''. Except as otherwise provided herein, the officers of the Party sha11 have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed in the Bylaws.

'''Section 9'''. An officer may be suspended, that is, denied the authority to perform his specific functions, by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee.  The office of a suspended officer shall be declared vacant, unless the suspended officer appeals his suspension to the Judiciary Committee within three days of suspension. The Executive Committee shall appoint new officers if vacancies or suspensions occur, such officers to complete the term of the office vacated, or the time during which the suspension is in effect, as applicable.

===ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE===

'''Section 1'''. The Executive Committee of the Party shall be composed of the following:

a.  The four elected officers of the Party and the immediate past Chairman;

b.  Seven members elected at large by all the delegates at at the Regular Convention; and

c.  The Regions shall select, as provided in Rule VII and Section 3 of this Article, one member from each Regional Division, plus one additional member from each Region with between 10 and 20 percent of the Party and affiliate parties membership. Each Region containing over 20 percent of the total membership shall be entitled to a third Executive Committee member. In Regions with two or more Committee members, at least two states shall be represented.

The aforementioned Regional Divisions shall be:

<blockquote>Region 1 (West): California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Alaska; 

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 2 (West Central): Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas; 

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 3 (Southwest): Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana; 

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 4 (Central): Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri;

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 5 (East Central): Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky;

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 6 (Southeast): Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi;

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 7 (Mid-Atlantic) : Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia; 

</blockquote><blockquote>Region 8 (Northeast) : New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. 

</blockquote>'''Section 2'''. The Executive Committee shall take office immediately upon the close of the Regular Convention and serve thereafter until the adjournment of the next Regular Convention.

'''Section 3'''. An Executive Committee member at large may be suspended, that is, denied the authority to perform his · specific functions, by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee. The office of a suspended member at large shall be declared vacant unless the suspended member appeals to the Judiciary Committee within three days of suspension. The Executive Committee shall appoint new members if vacancies occur, such members to complete the term of the office vacated, or the time during which the suspension is in effect, as applicable.

'''Section 4.''' With the prior advice and consent of a majority of the State Chairmen within a Region, the Executive Committee may -by a 2/3 vote -declare that Region's Executive Committee seat vacant. The State Chairmen in that Region shall then -by a majority vote -elect a new Executive member for that vacated seat.

'''Section 5.''' The Executive Committee shall have the control and management of all the affairs, properties and funds of the Party consistent with this Constitution.

'''Section 6'''. The Executive Committee shall meet in a manner, time and place as prescribed in the Bylaws.

===ARTICLE VI: CONVENTIONS===

'''Section 1'''. The Party shall hold a convention every year, at a time and place selected by the Executive Committee.

'''Section 2'''. Conventions held in odd-numbered years shall be designated Regular conventions and held sometime during the period July through October of that year; those held in the even-numbered years shall be designated Non-Regular Conventions. All business required to be conducted at Regular conventions shall be conducted at Regular conventions only.

'''Section 3'''. At all Non-Regular conventions, any person who wishes to attend may do so, and upon registering, any party member shall be a delegate.

'''Section 4'''. Beginning in 1975, and at all subsequent Regular conventions, each affiliated state party, and the affiliated party in the District of Columbia, shall be entitled to send delegates to the Regular convention on the following basis:

-two basic delegates, plus

-one additional delegate for each half percent(rounded) of the total membership of the Party and all affiliated parties, as determined by the Secretary as of the last day of the preceeding year.

One of the two basic delegates shall be the state Chairman, if he or she chooses to take the position. The other basic delegate, and the "percentage" delegates, along with as many alternates as the affiliated party may choose, shall be selected by the affiliate party at least one month prior to the Regular convention.

In addition, the following persons shall automatically be entitled to delegate status: national officers, Executive Committee members, and all former Party nominees for the Presidency and Vice-Presidency of the United States.

'''Section 5'''. Duly selected alternates may be freely substituted for any members of their delegation who are temporarily or permanently absent from the floor, provided the proceedure has been clearly specified by the affiliated party in advance of the convention, and the Secretary has been provided with lists of the affiliated party's delegates and alternates, as well as a copy of the affiliated party's rules governing substitutions.

===ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES===

There shall be a Platform Committee, a Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee, and a Credentials Committee for each Regular Convention. There shall be a standing Judicial Committee.

'''Section 1'''. The Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee shall consist of ten Party members appointed by the Executive Committee.

'''Section 2'''. The Platform Committee shall consist of twenty members, selected as follows:

a.  One member from each of ten affiliated parties having the largest memberships (as determined by the Executive Committee, according to Articles V and XI); these shall be selected by the ten respective parties.

b.  Ten members appointed by the Executive Committee, including no less than five members from states other than the ten having the largest party memberships; these members shall be appointed no later than three months prior to the Regular Convention.

If a vacancy shall occur on the Platform Committee, it may be filled by action of the body which originally chose the former occupant of the vacant seat; in the case of Platform Committee members chosen by affiliate parties, vacanc1es may be filled by a vote of the state's delegation to the Regular Convention, if necessary,

'''Section 3'''. The Chairman of each of the above Committees shall be appointed by the Executive Committee.

'''Section 4'''. The Judicial Committee shall be appointed by and exclusive of the Executive Committee for the same term as the Executive Corm1ittee and shall be composed of nine members; any five members shall constitute a quorum,

===ARTICLE VIII: PLATFORM===

'''Section 1'''. The Party shall adopt a Platform at its first Regular Convention. Said Platform shall include, but not be limited to, a Statement of Principles and the implementation of those principles contained in the Statement, in the form of Planks.

'''Section 2'''. The Statement of Principles affirms that philosophy upon which the Libertarian Party is founded, by which it shall be sustained, and through which Liberty shall prevail.

The enduring importance of the Statement of Principles requires that it shall not be amended by a vote of less than seven-eighths of the delegates at a Regular Convention, except that, at the 1974 Regular Convention only, the Statement of Principles may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the delegates.

'''Section 3'''. The Platform, other than the Statement of Principles, may be amended by deletion, substitution, or addition of any Plank. A Plank may be deleted by a simple majority vote of the Convention delegates in session and voting. The substitution of a new Plank for an old Plank, or the addition of a new Plank, shall require approval by a vote of two-thirds of the delegates in session and voting.

===ARTICLE IX: NOMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL AND VICE-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES===

'''Section 1'''. Nominations of candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States may be made only at the Regular Convention held in the year preceeding the Presidential election year. 

'''Section 2'''. No candidate may be nominated who is ineligible to serve as President under the United States Constitution, or who has not expressed a willingness to accept the nomination of the Party. 

'''Section 3'''. Nominations shall be made from the convention floor by the delegates. All balloting shall be done by roll-call vote of the states and District of Columbia in alphabetical order. 

'''Section 4'''. The Party's nominee for President shall be chosen by a majority vote of the delegates in attendance at the time if the balloting. If after two ballots no candidate has attained a majority vote, all nominees who have received less than ten percent of the total vote shall be struck from subsequent ballots. If after four ballots no candidate has attained a majority vote, the candidate with the least votes shall be struck from the subsequent ballots; this procedure shall be repeated after each even numbered ballot in which no candidate has received a majority vote, until one candidate attains a majority. 

'''Section 5'''. The Party's nominee for Vice-President shall be chosen by the same proceedure as for the Presidential nominee, except that the Presidential nominee shall have the power to veto any candidate for Vice-President with whom he does not wish to run. 

===ARTICLE X: AFFILIATE PARTIES===

'''Section 1.''' The Executive Committee of the Party shall charter affiliate parties from those organizations requesting such status in each state and the District of Columbia. No organization shall be so chartered which does not ratify the Statement of Principles of the Party. No affiliate party shall endorse a candidate for President or VicePresident of the United States other than those elected to candidacy at a Regular Convention of the Party.

The autonomy of the affiliated parties shall not be abridged by the Executive Committee or other committee of the Party, except as provided herein.

'''Section 2'''. The Executive Committee shall have the power to suspend affiliate party status from and organization by a two-thirds vote of the Committee. Such suspension is subject to written appeal within thirty days of notification. Failure to appeal shall be interpreted as an act of secession by the affiliate party. The Executive Committee shall not suspend any affiliate party within a period of six months prior to a Regular Convention.

'''Section 3'''. Upon appeal by the affiliate party, the Judicial Committee shall set a date for a hearing within twenty to forty days of receipt of the appeal. This hearing shall be adjudicated by a quorum of the Judicial Committee, with representatives from the Executive Committee acting for the interests of the Party, and those members of the affiliate party, as selected by that party, acting in its defense.

The Judicial Committee shall rule to either revoke the charter of the affiliate party or to reinstate the charter, with all rights and privileges pertaining thereto, no later than ninety days prior to a Regular Convention. Should the Judicial Committee fail to rule, the affiliate party's charter shall be reinstated with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto.

===ARTICLE XI: CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP===

There shall be two classes of membership for the purposes outlined in this Constitution:

a.  National members shall be those persons whose national dues are current.

b.  Affiliated members shall be those persons whose affiliated party dues are current.

===ARTICLE XII: JUDICIAL COMMITTEE===

In addition to the responsibilities set forth in Articles IV and X, the Judicial Committee shall be responsible for the following:

a. Disciplinary actions against any Party member shall be in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, except as otherwise provided herein.

b. Challenges of adopted Party Planks believed by ten percent (10%) of the registered delegates to be in conflict with the Statement of Principles shall be referred in writing, during the Regular Convention, to the Judicial Committee by the delegates requesting action for consideration. The challenge shall specify in what manner the Plank is believed to be in conflict.

The Judicial Committee shall consider the challenge, decide whether the Plank in question conforms to the Statement of Principles, and make a report, stating the justification for their decision, to the floor of the convention.

If the Plank is vetoed by the Judicial Committee, it will be declared null and void, but can be reinstated in the Platform by a three-fourths vote of the Regular Convention.

===ARTICLE XIII: BYLAWS===

'''Section 1'''. The Executive Committee shall promulgate the Bylaws in accordance with applicable law.

'''Section 2'''. The Bylaws of the Party may be amended by a majority vote of the delegates at any Regular Convention of the Party, or by a vote of three-fourths of the Executive Committee at any other time.

===ARTICLE XIV: CONVENTION GOVERNMENT===

Conventions of the Party shall be governed by the current rules and Bylaws, unless otherwise amended at a Regular Convention.

===ARTICLE XV: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION===

'''Section 1'''. This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the delegates at any Regular Convention.

'''Section 2'''. Article VIII, Section 2, shall not be amended by a vote of less than seven-eighths of the delegates at a Regular Convention (after 1972).

==BYAWS of the LIBERTARIAN PARTY==

===BYLAW I: AFFILIATE PARTIES===

'''Section 1'''. Organizations which wish to become affiliated parties with the Libertarian Party shall apply for official designation on a standard petition form, as adopted by the Executive Committee; which petition shall be signed by not less than 10 members of the organization residing within the appropriate state.

'''Section 2'''. There shall be no more than one affiliated party in any one state or the District of Columbia, and the affiliated party shall determine who shall be the delegates from its respective state to all Regular Conventions.

===BYLAW II: DUTIES OF OFFICERS===

'''Section 1'''. The Party Chairman shall be the chief executive officer of the Party, holding the full powers and duties accorded the office by the Constitution.

'''Section 2'''. The Vice-Chairman shall be the chief assistant to the Chairman, performing such duties as the Chairman shall prescribe, and holding such executive powers as the Chairman shall delegate.

'''Section 3'''. The Secretary shall assist the Chairman and the Executive Committee in conducting the business of the Party and shall perform such duties as are assigned to him by the Chairman or the Executive Committee. He shall attend all meetings of the Executive Committee and all Party Conventions, and shall act as Secretary thereof, keeping such records and minutes as are necessary. He shall make an annual report to the Executive Committee; which report shall contain all information required by the Executive Committee. He shall perform or make provision for the performance of any legal assistance the Party may require.

'''Section 4'''. The Treasurer shall receive all monies paid to the Party, and shall deposit the same in such bank or banks as have been designated by the Executive Committee, and shall disburse said monies upon order of the Executive Committee. He shall make an annual financial report to the Executive Committee. He shall perform all duties required of his office by applicable federal and state law.

===BYLAW III: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE===

'''Section 1'''. The Executive Committee shall have such powers and duties as are prescribed in the Constitution.

'''Section 2'''. The Executive Committee shall meet at such times and places as may be determined by action of the Committee, by call of the Chairman, or by the written request of onethird or more of the members of the Executive Committee. A written notice of the time and place of all meetings shall be mailed to each member of the Executive Committee not less than thirty days prior to said meeting.

'''Section 3'''. The Executive Committee may, without meeting together, transact business by mail, by voting on questions submitted to them by, or with the approval of, the Chairman. Fifteen days shall be allowed for the return of the votes cast, by mail, to the Secretary during the period between a Regular Convention and the next general election, and thirty days shall be allowed at all other times.

If, at the expiration of the applicable period, the majority of the Executive Committee have not returned their votes, the measure being voted upon shall be deemed to have failed; in all other cases, a majority of the votes returned shall carry the measure, except where a higher vote is required by the Constitution.

The Secretary must preserve all such votes until the next meeting of the Executive Committee, at which meeting the Executive Committee shall order the disposition of such votes.

'''Section 4'''. More than one-half of the membership thereof shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the Executive Committee for the transaction of all business, except where a larger vote is required by the Constitution.

'''Section 5'''. Except as otherwise provided in the Constitution, a majority vote of those present at a meeting shall rule.

===BYLAW IV: CONVENTIONS===

'''Section 1'''. The Chairman of the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee and of the Platform Committee shall be the presiding officer of his respective Committee.

'''Section 2.''' A majority vote of those of the Committee members present is necessary for a "do-pass" recommendation, and in the case of the Platform Committee, a majority must approve each specific Plank separately.

'''Section 3'''. The Committees shall report their recommendations to the floor of the Convention in accordance with the Party Rules.

'''Section 4'''. Four or more members of the Platform Committee may join together to issue a minority report regarding any plank to the floor of the Convention. Two or more members of the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee may join together to issue a minority report regarding their business.

'''Section 5'''. A member must be present in Committee to vote.

'''Section 6'''. More than one-half of the membership of each Committee shall constitute a quorum.

===BYLAW VI: FINANCES AND ACCOUNTING===

'''Section 1'''. The fiscal term of the Party shall begin on the first day following the adjournment of each Convention. 

'''Section 2'''. The Executive Committee shall cause an efficient double entry system of accounts to be installed and maintained.

'''Section 3.''' All disbursements exceeding $20.00 shall be made solely by check. 

'''Section 4'''. The Executive Committee shall have the power to designate the depository of all funds of the Party, and shall appoint such officers and employees as in its judgement may seem advisable to deposit and withdraw funds from said depository.

===BYLAW VII: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY===

Robert's Rules of Order, _Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered in the Constitution, Bylaws or Rules of the Party.

===BYLAW VIII: MEMBERSHIP FEES===

Fees for membership in the Party shall be set by the Executive Committee and amended from time to time as the Executive Committee deems necessary.

===BYLAW IX: AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS===

Amendments to the Bylaws shall be in accordance with the Constitution.

==CONVENTION RULES of the LIBERTARIAN PARTY==

===RULE I: VOTING ELIGIBILITY===

'''Section 1'''. The Secretary, acting on behalf of the Executive Committee, shall report the number of delegates registered in attendance and eligible to vote directly after the opening of the first business session, and at the beginning of each succeeding session.

'''Section 2'''. All delegates shall be eligible to vote on all matters. In order to vote on a given matter, a delegate must be present on the floor at the time the vote is taken. Each delegate present shall have one vote.

'''Section 3'''. An alternate, upon certification by the Secretary, shall be designated as a delegate whenever a delegate of the same state has not been registered in attendance. This status shall continue until the absent delegate registers in attendance. If the state party has made no provision for filling delegate vacancies, the alternate substitute shall be decided by drawing lots.

'''Section 4'''. An alternate may vote in place of a delegate from the same state while he has the written consent of that delegate; however, no delegate may cast more than one vote on a question.

'''Section 5'''. All members must wear the identification badge issued upon registration in order to be admitted to the convention hall.

===RULE II: VOTING PROCEDURE===

'''Section 1.''' On all matters, except the election of Party officers and the Executive Committee, and the nomination of Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, voting will be on a voicevote basis. If ten or more delegates object to the Chairman ' s ruling on the outcome of a voice-vote, a roll-call vote will be held.

'''Section 2'''. The Chairman may require any motion offered from the convention floor to be: in writing, signed by the mover and submitted to the Secretary.

===RULE III: POLLING PROCEDURE===

'''Section 1'''. The State Chairman shall serve as chairman of his delegation, unless that delegation selects some other member of that delegation to serve as its chairman, and so notifies the Secretary. 

'''Section 2'''. In cases where a roll-call vote is required, polling shall be by state. The Secretary will ask for the vote from each state in alphabetical order, and the chairman of each delegation shall report the vote for his state. Convention seating will be by state delegations. If someone challenges the vote reported by any state's chairman, the Secretary shall poll the delegates from that state individually. 

===RULE IV: REQUIREMENTS FOR PASSAGE===

'''Section 1'''. The votes required for passage of amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws, Rules, Statement of Principles and Platform shall be as specified in the Constitution.

'''Section 2'''. A quorum shall consist of 40% of the total number of delegates registered in attendance at the Convention.

===RULE V: DEBATING AND VOTING (CONSTITUTION, BYLAWS AND RULES)===

'''Section 1'''. The Chairman of the Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee shall report the Committee's recommendations to the floor. The Convention Chairman shall open the report for discussion. Any delegate may propose an amendment, or series of amendments; said amendment(s) to be presented in the form of a motion to add, delete, or alter any portion of the report. Each proposed amendment shall be debated and voted upon separately, with a maximum of ten minutes discussion on any one amendment. A simple majority shall suffice to pass any proposed amendment.

'''Section 2.''' When all proposed amendments have been considered, the delegates shall then vote to accept or reject the committee's report, as amended. A simple majority shall suffice to adopt the Bylaws and Rules, a two-thirds vote of the delegates shall be required for amendments to the Constitution.

'''Section 3'''. At any time during the debate on a given amendment, any delegate may move to close debate on that amendment. This motion is not debatable, and requires a two-thirds vote to pass. If it passes, the Convention shall proceed immediately to vote on the amendment at hand. Similarly, any delegate may move at any time to close debate on the Report itself, and a vote on this motion shall be taken immediately, with two-thirds required to pass. On proceedural votes, such as cloture, the ruling of the Chair shall be final.

===RULE VI: DEBATING AND VOTING (PLATFORM)===

'''Section 1'''. The current Platform shall serve as the basis of all future Platforms. At Regular Conventions, the existing Platform may be amended. Any proposed addition to the Platform must be approved by two-thirds of the delegates present and voting. Any portion of the Platform may be deleted by a simple majority vote of the delegates present and voting.

'''Section 2'''. The Platform Committee shall meet to consider proposed amendments, prior to the Convention, and shall issue a report to the Convention. Its recommendations shall be reported to the floor on a plank-by-plank basis, and each shall be debated and voted upon separately, in the following order:

a.  Those recommendations receiving a unanimous favorable vote in Committee;

b.  Those recommendations rece1v1ng a unanimous favorable vote, less abstentions in Committee;

c.  Those recommendations receiving a favorable majority vote from the Committee, regarding which there is no minority report. (A minority report shall be defined as a report submitted to the Convention and Platform Committee Chairmen in writing, by four or more members of the Platform Committee.)

d. Those recommendations receiving a favorable majority vote from the Committees, but with a minority report attached.

'''Section 3'''. Recommendations falling into the first three catagories shall be debated and voted upon in the following manner:

a.  The Platform Committee Chairman, or some other person designated by him, shall read the proposed recommendation, and shall have up to two minutes to give the Committee's thinking in formulating the recommendation.

b.  The Convention Chairman shall then open the recommendation to discussion, for a period of 15 minutes. Amendments may be proposed from the floor, one at a time. The delegates shall vote on proposed amendments, with a simple majority sufficient to amend. At the end of 15 minutes, a vote will be taken on whether to bring the recommendation (as amended, if this is the case) to a final vote for acceptance or rejection. If a majority vote in favor of immediate consideration, the vote to accept or reject the recommendation will follow immediately. If a majority vote against immediate consideration, the proposed recommendation shall be tabled for later consideration, after all other recommendations rece1v1ng a favorable majority vote from the Platform Committee have been considered.

'''Section 4'''. When all recommendations in the first three categories have received at least initial consideration, those in the fourth category shall be considered, in the following manner:

Spokesmen for both the Majority and Minority positions shall each have two minutes to present their views. The Chairman shall then open consideration of both positions for 5 minutes, during which time any delegate may express his views, but without offering amendments to either the Majority or Minority report. After 5 minutes, there will be a vote on which of the two reports shall be considered for purposes of adopting a recommendation. The report receiving the greater number of votes shall then be discussed and voted upon in the manner described in Section 3.

'''Section 5'''. After all recommendations receiving a favorable vote from a majority of the Platform Committee have received at least initial consideration, any delegate may propose any Platform change from the floor. He may take up to two minutes to state and explain his proposal, with debating and voting proceedure as described in Section 3.

'''Section 6'''. Finally, if time permits, proposals which were considered by the Platform Committee, but which received an unfavorable vote from a majority of the Committee, maybe considered; with a spokesman for the minority position giving the reasons in favor, and the Platform Committee Chairman - or some other representative of the majority position - giving the reasons why it was voted down, before the proposal is taken to the floor for debate. 

'''Section 7'''. At any time during the discussion on any Plank, any delegate may move to close debate on the Plank or amendment under discussion; a two-thirds vote is required to close debate, and the ruling of the Chairman on the vote is final.

===RULE VII: ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE===

'''Section 1.''' Nominations for the four Party offices shall be from the floor, with any delegate eligible to run for any office. For each office, a majority vote will be necessary and sufficient for election; in cases where no candidate receives a majority, runoff votes will be held, dropping the candidate with the least votes after each ballot.

'''Section 2'''. Nominations for the seven at-large Executive Committee positions shall also be from the floor, with all delegates eligible for nomination·. Each delegate shall cast seven votes in electing the seven at-large members, but may not cast more than one vote for any nominee. The seven nominees receiving the highest vote totals shall be elected, providing each received votes from a majority of those present and voting.

If less than seven people are elected on the first ballot, the unfilled positions shall be voted on again, with only those who received votes from at least 25% of the delegates eligible to receive votes on the second ballot. If the remaining positions are unfilled at the end of the second ballot, subsequent ballots shall be held under the same proceedure.

'''Section 3'''. Nominations for each candidate may be made by any person present on the floor, provided he has the candidate's permission. Nominating speeches shall be within the following time limits:

a.  National Chairman: five minute nominating, two three-minute seconding speeches;

b.  all others: two minute nominating, two one-minute seconding speeches.

'''Section 4.''' The Executive Committee members from each of the 8 Regions shall be elected by the delegates from that Region, provided there are at least five such delegates present, in caucus, after the election of the four officers and the seven members-at-large. If a Region is represented by fewer than five delegates, the incumbent Regional Representative will remain in office until a new Regional Representative is elected at a Regional caucus to be held within ninety days of the last day of the Regular Convention. The incumbent Representative shall call said caucus, and preside over it. Each Region's delegates may elect their representative by whatever manner they choose, provided all delegates present from that Region are given equal voice in the selection.

===RULE VIII: PRESIDENTIAL AND VICE-PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS===

The Libertarian Party's Presidential and Vice-Presidential nominees shall be chosen according to the proceedure described in Article IX of the Constitution.

[[Category: National Party Bylaws and Convention Rules|1974]]