Document:National Bylaws and Convention Rules 2020: Difference between revisions

The standing order of business for a regular convention shall be as follows:

1. Call to order

2. Credentials Committee report

3. Adoption of agenda 

4. Treasurer's report  

5. Audit Committee report

6. Bylaws and Rules Committee report

7. Election of Judicial Committee (in appropriate years)

8. Election of Party officers and at-large members of the National Committee

9. Platform Committee report

10. Nomination of Party candidates for President and Vice-President (in appropriate years)

 

12. Other business  

 

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

 

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 chair of each delegation shall report the vote for that state. The convention seating will be by state delegation. If someone challenges the vote reported by any state's chair, the Secretary shall poll the delegates from that state individually.  

3. In cases where computer readable ballots are used, each delegate must sign the ballot and submit it to the delegation chair. After verifying that the number of votes cast does not exceed the number the state is entitled to, the chair of each delegation shall submit the ballots to the Secretary. During the period of time allotted for such votes, the business of the convention shall continue without interruption.  

 

The Chair of the Bylaws and Rules Committee shall report each recommendation of the committee to the convention separately and shall have two minutes to explain the intent or purpose of the proposed amendment(s). The Convention Chair shall open each recommendation to discussion without amendment from the floor. Each recommendation shall be considered and adopted separately, with a maximum of eight minutes discussion on any recommendation. After the discussion, the Convention Chair shall bring the recommendation to a vote. If the recommendation fails, the Convention Chair shall open the recommendation to amendment for an additional 10 minutes.

1. After the adoption of the convention agenda, the convention will vote whether to delete planks from the existing platform. This will be accomplished as follows:

a. The Credentials Committee shall issue five signature tokens to each delegate.  

b. Tokens shall only be issued to delegates. Delegates are responsible for transferring possession of unused tokens to their alternates if necessary.

c. Each delegate may cast each token as a recommendation for deletion of one plank by noting on the token the plank to be deleted and signing the token.

d. A delegate may cumulate recommendations by casting any number of tokens for deletion of the same plank.

e. Delegates will be given until one hour prior to the scheduled start of the platform report to mark their tokens and deliver them to the Secretary.

f. Prior to the scheduled start of the platform report, the Secretary shall review the tokens received and tabulate and report the tokens submitted for deletion of each plank.

g. As its first item of platform business, the convention shall vote whether to delete each of those planks that received a number of tokens for deletion equal to 20% or more of the number of credentialed delegates. Such votes shall be cast without amendment or debate.

2. The Platform Committee shall meet before each regular convention and prepare a report containing its recommendations. At the convention, the Platform Committee's recommendations shall be reported to the floor and debated and voted upon separately. The Platform Committee shall set forth the order in which each recommendation shall be considered.

3. Recommendations for which there is no minority report shall be debated and voted upon in the following manner:

a. The Platform Committee Chair, or some other person designated by him or her, shall read the proposed recommendation and shall have up to two minutes to explain the recommendation.  

b. The Convention Chair shall then open the recommendation to debate without amendment for a period of up to 15 minutes before bringing the matter to a vote.  If the recommendation fails, the Convention Chair shall inquire if any amendments are proposed from the floor.  If there are such proposals, the Convention Chair shall request a vote on whether to consider amendments, and with majority approval may consider amendments for a period of up to 10 minutes.

4. Recommendations for which there is a minority report shall be debated and voted upon in the following manner:

a. Spokespersons for both the majority and minority positions shall each have two minutes to present their views.  

b. The Chair shall then open consideration of both positions for five minutes during which time any delegates may express their views without offering amendments. After five 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 3b.  

5. After all committee recommendations have received initial consideration, any delegate may propose amendments to the platform. The delegate may take up to two minutes to state and explain the proposal, with debating and voting to proceed as described in Section 3b.  

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, may be considered, with a spokesperson for the minority position giving the reasons in favor and the Platform Committee Chair or other representative of the majority position giving the reasons why it was voted down, before the proposal is taken to the floor for debate.  

 

8. Should changes to the bylaws or platform result in a grammatical error in accordance with the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style, the National Committee presiding at the time of that discovery is authorized to make those grammatical corrections provided it does not change the meaning or intent of the item edited.  

1. Resolutions must be approved by a 2/3 vote.  

2. Resolutions must not be in conflict with the Statement of Principles. Challenges of such adopted resolutions believed by 10% of the delegates to be in conflict with the Statement of Principles shall be referred in writing, during the convention, to the Judicial Committee by the delegates requesting action for consideration. The challenge shall specify in what manner the resolution is believed to be in conflict. The Judicial Committee shall consider the challenge, decide whether the Statement of Principles is conformed to, and report their findings and reasons to the convention. If the resolution is vetoed by the Judicial Committee, it will be declared null and void but can be reinstated by a 3/4 vote of the convention.  

 

2. The Party's nominee for President shall be chosen by majority vote. If no candidate has attained a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes and any candidates polling less than 5% shall be struck from subsequent ballots. This procedure shall be repeated after every ballot in which no candidate has received a majority vote, until one candidate attains a majority.

 

3. Each delegation shall tabulate its total vote, and the delegation chair shall deliver a written total to the Secretary. When all the delegations have submitted their votes, the Secretary shall declare the voting closed. Following the first presidential ballot, an announcement of each delegation's vote total shall be made by delegation chairs in alphabetical order beginning with a randomly selected delegation. For all ballots, the Secretary shall then display the results.

4. The Party's nominee for Vice-President shall be chosen by the same procedure as for the Presidential nominee except that the Presidential nominee shall have the privilege of addressing the convention for 5 minutes, after nominations have been made but before voting has begun, for the purpose of endorsing or objecting to any of the Vice-Presidential nominees. Nominations for Vice-President shall close after selection of the Presidential nominee.

5. Nominating and seconding speeches for each candidate shall be limited in duration as follows:

a. President: Total of 16 minutes;

b. Vice-President: Total of 11 minutes.

1. Nominations for Party officers shall be from the floor. The election shall be conducted in the following manner:

a. For each office, a majority vote will be necessary for election.  

b. Each delegation shall tabulate its total vote, and the delegation chair shall deliver a written total to the Secretary. When all delegations have submitted their votes, the Secretary shall declare the voting closed.  

c. In cases where no candidate receives a majority, runoff votes will be held, dropping the candidate with the fewest votes after each ballot.  

2. Nominations for the at-large members of the National Committee shall be from the floor. The election shall be conducted in the following manner:

a. Each delegate may cast a ballot with a vote for either none-of-the-above or one vote per candidate for any number of candidates. Every ballot with a vote for none-of-the-above or one or more candidates is counted as one ballot cast.  A vote for none-of-the-above shall be ignored if the ballot also includes a vote for any other candidate.

b. Each delegation shall tabulate its total vote, and the delegation chair shall deliver a written total to the Secretary, along with the ballots cast.

c. When all delegations have submitted their votes, the Chair shall declare the voting closed. The top five candidates receiving a majority vote of the ballots cast shall be elected. Tie votes affecting the outcome shall be decided by lot.

3. No person shall be nominated unless at least 15 registered delegates join in the nomination submitted to the Secretary, and the nominee has submitted to the Secretary evidence of the required level of membership and a statement of willingness to accept the nomination. No delegate may join in nominating more than one candidate per seat. Nominating speeches shall be limited in duration as follows:  

b. All others: Total of 5 minutes.  

4. In the event a region has not otherwise provided for the election of its National Committee representation then the delegates from the region shall elect its regional representative and alternate, provided there are at least five delegates present. Each Region's delegates may elect their representative and alternate in whatever manner they choose, provided all delegates present from that region are given equal voice in the selection.  

 

Nominations and elections for members of the Judicial Committee shall be conducted in the same manner as specified for at-large members of the National Committee.  

As Amended 2020

 

 

 

3. When such petition(s) is received at any time other than during a National Convention, the Chair shall promptly forward the petition to the other Committee members by electronic mail, for which the member(s) shall acknowledge receipt.  

4. Within seven days following receipt of such petition(s) (or promptly, if the request is received during a National Convention), the Committee Chair shall provide a copy of the petition(s) to each prospective respondent, along with any supporting material the Chair has been sent, and notice that if the prospective respondent(s) desires to respond to the petition(s) the prospective respondent(s) must do so in writing within seven days (or promptly, if the request is received during a National Convention) ("response").

5. The Chair shall promptly forward a copy of any response(s) received to each of the other Committee members at their last known electronic mail address (or postal mail address, if explicitly requested), along with any supporting material and counter-arguments he or she has been sent.  

6. A copy of the petition(s) and any response(s) shall be made available electronically to any sustaining member upon request. The Committee may by a majority vote redact portions of the petition(s) and response(s) so made available.

7. When such petition(s) and response(s) are received at any time other than during a National Convention, the Committee members shall review all material they are sent within seven days of receiving it, and each member shall advise the Chair as soon as he or she has done so.

8. After the time period for responses has passed, and the Chair has been advised by at least two other Committee members that they have reviewed the petition(s) and response(s) provided, he or she shall set a time for a meeting of the Committee to decide the matter at hand and notify the Committee in writing of such time. Unless all of the Committee members request a physical gathering, the meeting shall take place by telephone conference or videoconference. Any meeting shall be open to sustaining members, who may observe (but not participate in) the proceedings. The Committee may by a 2/3 vote deliberate in open session; otherwise, deliberations shall be in executive session. However, any oral arguments shall be in open session and any decision shall be rendered in writing, which written decision shall be public. The Committee may in its discretion offer to the petitioner(s) and respondent(s) an equal opportunity to make their arguments orally via a telephone conference, videoconference, or physical meeting, under such rules as the Committee shall specify. Committee members who are unable to participate in the meeting shall retain the right to vote by electronic mail or by phone, provided their vote is received by the Chair no later than 10 days after the meeting.

9. When the Committee reaches a decision, the Chair shall notify the petitioner(s) who requested the ruling, any respondent(s) to the petition(s), the National Chair and the National Secretary. Preliminary notification may be made orally, either in person or by telephone; official notification shall be made in writing, as soon as all participating Committee members have voted on the matter in question, or 10 days after the meeting if all members have not voted.

10. Petitions, responses, supporting materials and notifications required to be provided in writing in connection with any proceeding may be delivered personally, or by United States mail, private delivery service, fax or electronic mail.