C.C.D.E.C. Bylaws

PREAMBLE

In order to fulfill our mission to increase the efficiency of political activities, to foster and perpetuate the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party, and to provide for the good and welfare of the people of Cleburne County, Alabama, we must insist on a rule of law where equality means all, not just a few. We must work to insure that all of our citizens have a quality life from the cradle to the grave. To that end we will stand with our brethren throughout Alabama and The United States to protect the young, the hungry, the sick, and the old...

ARTICLE I. PURPOSE

Our purpose as a representative Democratic County Committee is the promotion of activities and values of democratic politics. We will tell our citizens the truth about current political winds and the destruction that lies ahead if republican platforms are not checked. We must lean forward, not backward.

ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership shall be restricted to qualified voters of the Democratic Party from the state of Alabama, county of Cleburne.

Section 2. Only members in good standing and shall be allowed to vote at meetings.

Section 3. Members may be removed for cause in accordance with the procedures established by the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee.

ARTICLE III. OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of The C.C.D.E.C shall be as follows: Chair and Vice-Chair - (one male and one female), Secretary, Treasurer, Vice Chair for Minority Affairs, Vice Chair for Senior Affairs, Vice Chair for Youth Affairs.

Section 2. Officers must be members in good standing. He or she must be a qualified elector. Each member of the C.C.D.E.C shall have citizenship and residency (as a voter) in the district from which he or she is chosen to serve.

ARTICLE IV. ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The C.C.D.E.C shall elect all officers.

Section 2. The term of office of the members of the Cleburne County Democratic Executive Committee (C.C.D.E.C) shall begin upon the certification of each member elected. Said term shall continue for four (4) calendar years and until their successors are elected, but all elected officers of C.C.D.E.C shall serve at the pleasure of the County Committee.

Section 3. The election of all officers of The C.C.D.E.C shall be in accordance with the policies and regulations set forth in the Bylaws of The State of Alabama Democratic Executive Committee.

ARTICLE V. FILLING VACANCIES IN ELECTED OFFICES

Section 1. The CCDEC shall act in accordance with The state party Bylaws, Article 7, Section 2, in filling a vacancy on our Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Chair shall advise and direct action on those occasions where a nomination has been made and becomes vacant before an election.

The Chair, in his judgement, may use the authority awarded him in Article 7, Section 2, in rendering his decision(s).

ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS

Section 1. The Chair and/or Vice-Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Cleburne County Democratic Executive Committee (C.C.D.E.C) , sign all official documents of The C.C.D.E.C, appoint chairpersons of Standing Committees and chairpersons of special projects, and shall be ex-officio officers of all committees, except the Nominating Committee.

Section 2. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the general membership meetings and be the custodian of all official documents. The Secretary shall be responsible for all correspondence to entities outside the Executive Committee as directed by the Chair or Vice-Chair

Section 3. The Treasurer shall receive and disperse the funds of the Committee and prepare all required financial documents and reports and shall pay expenditures that are authorized by the membership.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS

Section 1. Regular meetings of the Committee shall be held on the last Thursday of each month, unless a meeting is omitted, or an alternate day is established by previous vote of members.

Section 2. One-fifth (1/5) of the voting members of the C.C.D.E.C shall constitute a quorum for transacting business, provided however, that at least two elected officers of the club must be present, one of whom must be either the Chair or Vice-Chair.

Section 3. Additional or special meetings shall be scheduled by the Chair or Vice-Chair when necessary, or upon written request of one-third (1/3) of the total membership of the Committee. Written notice or telephone notification of any additional or special meetings shall be provided to each member at least seven (7) days before such meeting, and the notice shall state the nature of the business for which the meeting is called.

Section 4. Voting privileges shall be extended only to members in good standing for at least thirty (30) days.

Section 5. Financial contributions to candidates and expenditures over $500.00 shall be presented to and voted on by the members at a regular or special meeting.

Section 6. Meetings shall be governed by Committee Bylaws and by Robert’s Rules of Order.

ARTICLE VIII. ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATES

The Cleburne County Democratic Executive Committee shall support only candidates and nominees of the Democratic Party for election to partisan office and will not endorse, as an organization, any candidate but a registered Democrat for a partisan or non-partisan office. The Cleburne County Democratic Executive Committee will support any candidate running for national, state, or local office whose jurisdiction includes Cleburne County, Alabama who has been endorsed by the State Democratic Party. If no such endorsement is made, the Cleburne County Democratic Executive Committee may endorse a candidate of it’s choosing for that office. For partisan offices, until an endorsement decision is reached by the State Democratic Party, C.C.D.E.C may only recommend candidates for endorsement.

ARTICLE IX. RULES, REGULATIONS AND JURISDICTION

Section 1. CCDEC members and officers shall be subject to the rules, regulations and jurisdiction of The Democratic Party of Alabama.

Section 2. If a conflict occurs between the C.C.D.E.C Bylaws and The Alabama Democratic Executive Committee, the language of the state Democratic Executive Committee Bylaws shall prevail.

Section 3. Requisite provisions not covered by these Bylaws shall follow those of the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee Constitution and Bylaws where applicable.

Section 4. It is the intention of the Cleburne County Democratic Executive Committee to follow the regulations required of nonprofit tax-exempt organizations under Section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Article X. Amendments

Amendments to these Bylaws may be enacted by two-thirds (2/3) vote of a quorum present at any regular meeting, one month after the amendments are first presented for consideration. Due notice must be transmitted in writing, informing members of the proposed amendments.

ARTICLE XI. Grounds for Dismissal of Committee Members

Section 1. Party Disloyalty. A member may be removed by a two-thirds majority vote of the members present and voting for the following causes:

a) Affiliating with or registering as a member of another Party.

b) Publicly advocating that the electorate should not vote for the nominee of the Democratic Party for any partisan office.

c) Publicly giving support or publicly avowing a preference for a candidate of another party or a candidate who is opposed to a candidate nominated by this Party/Committee.

Section 2. Fraud and Malfeasance. Any member of the Committee may be removed from membership for improper activity involving administrative practices, such as mismanagement or improper distribution of funds and any other such activity, as determined by the membership.

Section 3. Procedure

a) Any member of the C.C.D.E.C, at any meeting of the committee, may make a motion that any other member of the committee may be removed from the membership for reason or reasons set forth in this article. The motion shall state in detail the act(s) or omission(s) which the person making the motion considers warrant the removal of the member who is the subject of the motion.

b) The motion to remove a member shall automatically be deemed postponed until the next meeting of the membership and shall automatically be taken up for action as an item of old or unfinished business at that meeting.

c) Within seven days after the making of such a motion for removal, the Secretary of the C.C.D.E.C shall send a certified letter to the member who is the subject of the motion for removal, (hereinafter the “Cited Member”), notifying the Cited Member that at the next meeting of the C.C.D.E.C a motion will be taken up concerning the Cited Member’s removal. The mail piece shall be accompanied by an enclosed proof of service, executed pursuant to the Proof of Service provisions of the Alabama Code of Civil Procedure.

d) The letter shall advise the cited member of the names of those persons that made and seconded the motion. The cited member will be informed of the date, time, and location of the meeting. He or she will also be advised that an opportunity to challenge the allegation will be afforded at the meeting.

e) At the next regular meeting, the Cited Member, if present, shall be given opportunity to admit, deny and/or explain the charges lodged against her/him. An equivalent amount of time shall be made available to the maker of the motion and his/her spokesperson(s) to substantiate the charge(s). Immediately thereafter, a vote shall be taken on the motion to remove the Cited Member from C.C.D.E.C membership. A two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of members present and voting, representing a majority of the total official membership of the committee, shall be required for the motion to pass.

f) In all motions for removal, the burden of introducing evidence justifying removal shall be upon the person or persons urging the removal. They shall be required to prove the case for removal by clear and convincing evidence.