GPCA Rules & Procedures Draft Comprehensive Revision

GPCA Rules and Procedures

Presidential Primary Election Ballot

1-1 Authority

The authority to recommend names to the California Secretary of State for inclusion on the GPCA presidential primary election ballot shall rest with:

1-1.1 The General Assembly, if it meets and decides between E-125 and E-190 preceding the Primary Election, or

1-1.2 The GPCA Coordinating Committee by E-125 if no General Assembly as per 1-1.1 occurs in that period.

1-2 Eligibility

To be considered eligible for recommendation under 1-1, an interested candidate must

1-2.1(a) Be a registered Green Party member in those states in which it is possible to register Green or otherwise be a member of the Green Party (or the state party affiliated with the GPUS as it may be otherwise named) in those states in which one cannot register Green; or

1-2.1(b) Be registered "independent" or "decline-to-state" or otherwise not be a member of a ballot qualified political party; and

1-2.1(c) Not be a registrant of any state or national level ballot qualified political party in the individual's primary state of residence except for a ballot qualified state party which has affiliated with GPUS, or a party forming for the intent of GPUS affiliation in a state where there is no GPUS affiliated state party.

1-2.2 Make a request in writing to the GPCA as per 1-3.

1-3 Written Requests

Written requests requesting placement upon the GPCA presidential primary ballot must:

1-3.1 Be submitted to the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State, which the Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the co-coordinators of the GPUS Delegation and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group. Such requests can be initially made by email if the email contains an electronic copy of the candidate's signature that is personally confirmed by the candidate as his/her actual signature within ten days of transmittal of that email.

1-3.2 Be submitted at least seven days before the General Assembly (or meeting of the Coordinating Committee), but preferably earlier, with the knowledge of the dates when the GPUS Delegation and/or the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group will meet to make recommendations under 1-4.1. The dates of those meetings shall be made available to the co-chairs GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee for distribution to those who have contacted the GPUS to seek its presidential nomination.

1-3.3 Include a statement that the candidate:

1-3.3(a) is seeking the GPUS Presidential Nomination,

1-3.3(b) requests to be placed on the GPCA Presidential Primary Election Ballot,

1-3.3(c) is familiar with the platforms of the GPCA and GPUS and states where and why the candidates substantially disagrees with the GPCA or GPUS platform, if at all,

1-3.3(d) will make a good faith effort to campaign in the state during the primary election season,

1-3.3(e) if he/she receives the nomination at the GPUS Presidential Nominating Convention, that he/she would accept it and would appear on the GPCA general election ballot.

1-3.4 Include the candidate's

1-3.4(a) web site,

1-3.4(b) response to the GPUS presidential questionnaire, if any, and if the candidate is an officially recognized candidate for the Green Party nomination for President by the GPUS, and

1-3.4(c) Federal Elections Committee (FEC) committee name and number and a report of funds received and spent. If no FEC committee has been established, then the name of campaign treasurer and financial institution where a campaign account has been established, and a statement of funds received and spent.

1-4 Certification

1-4.1 It shall be the responsibility of the Liaison to the Secretary of State, in consultation with the co-coordinators of the GPUS Delegation and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group, to certify compliance with 1-3 and to report the results to the Coordinating Committee, the GPUS Delegation and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group, of those who did and did not comply and in the case of those who did not, why not.

1-4.2 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall inform the candidate of these results and in the case of those that did not comply, inform them of why not. Where a candidate has time to revise and resubmit their request in response, they may do so.

1-4.3 The certification or not by the Liaison to the Secretary of State under 1-4.1 may be appealed to the General Assembly and overturned by a 2/3 vote. The process for such an appeal to be heard shall be that after the names of those recommended under 1-4.1 are presented to the General Assembly, the facilitator shall ask if there are delegates who wish to appeal any decision of the Liaison to the Secretary of State under 1-4.1. If at least one third of the number of delegates present cosponsors a proposal to appeal, the body shall decide upon that proposal.

1-5 Decision-Making

1-5.1 All candidates from among those eligible under 1-2 that are recommended by either the GPUS Delegation or the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group shall automatically be placed before the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) for consideration. Recommendations by either committee must be made at least ten days prior to the meeting of General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee), although where possible, at least three weeks is preferred so that recommendations may be circulated to county Green organizations as early as possible.

1-5.2 The General Assembly may by a majority vote (or the Coordinating Committee by a 2/3 vote) add additional names of candidates for consideration who meet the criteria under 1-3, but who were not recommended by the GPUS Delegation or the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group. The process for such a proposal to be heard by the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) shall be that after the names of those recommended under 1-4.1 are presented, the facilitator shall call for any other recommendations from the floor. If at least one third of the number of delegates present cosponsors a proposal to recommend someone eligible under 1-3, the body shall decide upon that proposal.

1-5.3 Once the list of recommended candidates is finalized, the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) shall conduct its regular decision-making process, including hearing clarifying questions, concerns and affirmations. Then each candidate shall be voted upon individually by written ballot. Any candidate receiving at least a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) shall be reported to the California Secretary of State by the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State as being recommended by the GPCA. A copy of this recommendation shall be forwarded to the co-chairs of the GPUS Delegation , the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group and the GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee.

Section 5-2. County Councils

5-2.1 Membership

a) County Council members shall be those elected and appointed according to these bylaws and California law.

b) The removal of residence by an elected or appointed member of a county council from the applicable county shall constitute automatic resignation from the county council.

c) Any change by an elected or appointed member of a county council of her or his voter registration to be no longer affiliated with the Green Party shall constitute automatic resignation from the county council.

d) Elected County Council members may be removed for cause by the General Assembly by a 2/3 vote, in response to a Removal for Cause petition from the County Council in question. Appointed County Council members may be removed for cause by the bylaws of the county organization.

A Removal for Cause petition must contain the written basis for removal, must be approved by the County Council in question by an 80% threshold, and must be received by the Coordinating Committee before it can be forwarded to the General Assembly for a vote. Upon receipt of such Removal for Cause petition, the Coordinating Committee shall schedule a vote of the General Assembly. If an in-person General Assembly is scheduled to occur within 60 days of the receipt of the petition, the Coordinating Committee shall place the vote on the draft agenda and any agenda approved by the General Assembly must include the vote. If an in-person General Assembly is not scheduled to occur within 60 days of the receipt of the petition, the Coordinating Committee shall submit the petition for an on-line discussion period and vote at the next available starting date for on-line proposals as defined in these bylaws. The individual subject to a Removal for Cause petition shall have the right to submit a written response to the petition for inclusion with the agenda item, when the agenda item is released.

4‑3.2 Time of Election

At each direct primary election, County Council elections shall be held in each county.

4-3.3 Term Lengths

Elections shall be for terms lasting until the results of the next direct primary election are legally certified. Appointments may be for these same terms, but not longer.

4-3.4 Registration figures

For the purposes of this section the registration figures used shall be those taken from the statement of voters and their political affiliations transmitted by the county clerks to the Secretary of State on the 135th day prior to the next direct primary election.

4-3.5 Number of members to be elected

If the county has less than 150 registered Green Party voters, the number of members to be elected in that county shall be three. Otherwise, the number of members of the county council to be elected shall be the greater of:

a) The number seven, or

b) The integer nearest the resulting quotient obtained by dividing 100 times the number of Green Party registered voters in the county by the number of Green Party registered voters in the state.

4-3.6 Method of electing members

a) Choice Voting

Members of County Councils shall be elected from one or more multi-member districts using Choice Voting, the Single Transferable Vote (STV) form of proportional representation, using the Droop threshold (one divided by one plus the number of seats) and fractional transfers as described in the International IDEA Handbook of Electoral System Design (Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).

b) Multi-Member Districts

A County Organization’s bylaws may specify either a single, countywide multi-member district or multiple, multi-member districts corresponding to the boundaries of either the Congressional, State Assembly, State Senate or Supervisorial districts within that county. The number of seats to be elected for each district shall be proportional to the number of registered Green Party members in that district compared to the number of registered Green Party members county wide.

c) Optional county council selection process

Counties may choose to modify the method of selecting their county council or the size of their county council by notifying the State Coordinating Committee who shall in turn notify the Secretary of State no later than 135 days prior to the direct primary election.

4-3.7 Computation of members allotted (county)

The Secretary of State, no later than the 125th day before the direct primary election, shall compute the number of members of county councils to be elected in each county and shall mail a certificate to that effect to the county clerk of each county, to the Green Party State Coordinating Committee and to each Green Party County Council.

4-3.8 Computation of members allotted (election district)

The county clerk, no later than the 115th day before the direct primary election, shall compute the number of members of county councils to be elected in each election district if the election is by election district.

4‑3.9 Conditions for candidate's name to appear on ballot

In each county, the name of each candidate for member of county councils shall appear on the ballot only if she or he has:

a) Filed a nomination paper pursuant to Division 6 (commencing with Section 6000) of the Elections Code, signed in the candidate's behalf by Green Party voters in the election district in which she or he is a candidate, and

b) Registered to vote in the Green Party.

4‑3.10 Residence of candidate (county)

A candidate may seek election only in the multi-member district in which she or he resides.

4‑3.11 Number of sponsors

Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, the number of sponsors which shall be required of a person to be a candidate for member of county council shall be the lesser of:

a) 20, or

b) Not less than 2 percent of the number of voters registered as affiliated with the Green Party in the county council election district.

4‑3.12 Number of sponsors (election district)

Notwithstanding any provision of the Elections Code, up to seven candidates for member of county council in a single election district may have their names listed on a single sponsor's certificate, and the signatures thereon shall be counted toward the sponsor requirement of each and every candidate whose name is listed on the certificate. In no case shall the number of candidates having their names on a sponsor's certificate exceed the number of members of the county council to be elected in the district.

4‑3.13 Order of names on ballot

The appearance of the names of the candidates for member of county council on the ballot shall be determined by a public drawing held at the time, place and manner prescribed for determining the order of names of county central committee members pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10200) of Division 8 of the Elections Code.

4‑3.14 Form of direct primary ballot

The office of member of county council shall be placed on the direct primary ballot under the heading "Party County Council" in the place and manner designated for the office of county central committee pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 10200) of Division 8 of the Elections Code.

4‑3.15 Conditions for election of candidate

No write-in candidate for member of county council shall be declared elected, however, unless that candidate has received a number of first choice votes equal to or greater than 2 percent of the number of party members voting in the county council election district at the direct primary or 20 votes, whichever is less.

4‑3.16 Certificate of election

A certificate of election shall be issued to each elected member of county councils by the officers charged with that duty of issuing certificates of election to members of county central committees under Section 6615 of the Elections Code.

4‑3.17 Report of votes cast

The votes cast for each candidate for member of county council shall be included in the canvass and statement of results in a manner similar to the vote for each candidate for county central committee pursuant to Division 12 (commencing with Section 17000) of the Elections Code.

4‑3.18 Certification to Secretary of State

The final total of votes cast for each candidate for member of county council, including the name, address and ballot designation of each such candidate, and a specification as to which candidates were declared elected shall be certified to the Secretary of State forthwith upon completion of the official canvass. The county clerk shall simultaneously send one copy of this final certification to the Green Party State Coordinating Committee.

4‑3.19 Certified list of elected members

As soon as practicable after the direct primary election, the Secretary of State shall prepare a certified list by county of all elected Green Party members of county councils, including their addresses and primary election ballot designations. The Secretary of State shall send copies of the list to the registrar of voters in each county on or before the 20th day of July following the direct primary election. This list shall be maintained for public inspection by said registrars of voters until a subsequent such list is received.

4‑3.20 Notice sent to elected county council members

The Secretary of State, no later than July 20th following the direct primary election, shall send a notice by mail to each of the elected members of county councils which shall inform that person of the following:

a) That he or she has been elected as a member of the county council.

b) The date, time, and location of the next state plenary meeting. The Secretary of State shall send with this notice a copy of the certified list of all elected members of all county councils.

Section 4-4. Delegate Selection to General Assembly

4-4.1 Election of Delegates

a) Delegates to the General Assembly shall be chosen by the active county organizations of the Green Party of California.

b) The process by which delegates are elected by each county organization must be defined by the bylaws of each county; and a written copy of the current method of selection must be on file with the Coordinating Committee and the Bylaws Committee.

c) If a county organization fails to specify a delegate selection process, then the delegates of that county shall be elected by the County Council.