The Constitution of MSOE Libertarians

Revision 6, February 10, 2021

We the People of MSOE Libertarians, in order to form a more perfect student organization, establish club proceedings, ensure transparency, and outline our purpose, do ordain and establish this Constitution for MSOE Libertarians.

MSOE Libertarians was founded by John Bilkey, Ben Tanneberger, Mitchell Hendricks, and Alex Blackman on Friday, January 22, 2021 at 11:36 PM.

ARTICLE I – Name

1. The name of this organization shall be MSOE Libertarians.

ARTICLE II – Purpose

1. To promote the principles of the Libertarian Party.

2. To support the freedom of speech of students and act as a platform on campus for political discussion from all viewpoints.

3. To help members of the MSOE community become informed citizens and registered voters.

4. To aid in the election of Libertarian candidates at all levels of government.

ARTICLE III – Membership

1. All current MSOE students are eligible to be members of the organization.

2. One who has attended a club meeting or participated in discussion with the club on Discord during the current academic year (Beginning of Fall to the end of the Spring Quarter) is considered a member.

3. Members will never be required to pay for membership.

4. MSOE Libertarians and its subordinate bodies and officers shall not discriminate for or against anyone on the basis of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, culture, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, pregnancy, political or other opinion, or any other characteristic protected by law and/or MSOE policies when selecting officers, defining membership, representing the organization, or during organization proceedings.

ARTICLE IV – Officers

1. The officers of this organization shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Comptroller.

2. Officers shall be nominated during Week 1 and elected during Week 2 of the Spring Quarter and shall take the office immediately upon election.

3. All members who will remain a member for at least a full academic year shall be eligible to run for officer positions, vote in the election, and may nominate themselves for any position.

4. Officer elections are to take place during the entire course of a week through an online form. The Secretary is responsible for creating the ballot and ensuring the election is fair. Voting is to be carried out as outline in Article VII.

5. An officer may be removed from their position (impeached) if a vote called upon by a member receives approval from 2/3 of respondents over a time period of 72 hours.

   1. Following the removal or resignation of an officer from their position, a vote for their replacement will occur in the same fashion as a normal officer election.

   2. If the Secretary is removed from office or resigns, the officers of the organization are to appoint an interim Secretary to conduct an election for a replacement. Any member or officer is eligible to be the interim Secretary.

ARTICLE V – Duties of Officers

1. The President is to manage the planning of club events, to govern its official policies, to represent the organization in all capacities, and to preside over its meetings.

2. The Vice President is to handle tasks delegated to them by the President, as well as take over the President’s role if they are unable to perform their duties.

3. The Secretary is to prepare meeting minutes if necessary and create online ballots. It is the Secretary’s role to maintain transparency with the club’s elections and affairs to its members.

4. The Comptroller shall ensure a balanced budget is maintained and handle the financial matters of the organization.

ARTICLE VI – Meetings

1. Meetings may be held at the discretion of club officers. Notice of meetings shall be given to all club members in the most complete manner practical not less than five days prior to the meeting.

2. The organization shall limit the frequency of general meetings as to put a primary focus on planning in-person events and asynchronous discussion through virtual chat.

3. Officer meetings may occur at the discretion of officers, with all members permitted to attend.

ARTICLE VII – Voting and Elections

1. Voting for officers will be conducted in a synchronous online meeting and done in a “ranked choice” fashion with a Google Form or functionally identical online service. The Secretary is to ensure the number of responses to the form is the same as the number of members present at the meeting. Members will be offered 3 votes per candidate for a given seat and may choose to allocate their votes among each candidate as they see fit. Voter identities are to remain anonymous for officer elections

   1. For example, if two individuals run for President a member will be offered 6 votes for that race. The member may choose to allocate 3 votes for both candidates, all 6 of their votes for one candidate, or distribute their votes in any way they see fit. The candidate with the largest sum of votes at the end of the election’s time frame will win the seat.

2. Polls and votes conducted by members and officers on amendments, interpretation of this document, social media posts, etc. will be conducted in the form of a proposal message on Discord with upvotes and downvotes, or may be conducted using a service like Google Forms or Straw Poll.

3. Voting on officer impeachment is to be conducted with an online synchronous meeting and a Google Form. The Form will specify the reason why impeachment proceedings are under way. The acting Secretary is to ensure the number of responses to the form is the same as the number of members present at the meeting. Names cannot be included on this ballot. Officers under impeachment proceedings may not vote on the impeachment of themselves or other officers.

ARTICLE VIII – Ratification

1. Upon unanimous approval of all members of MSOE Libertarians as of April 30th, 2021 this Constitution shall be become the effective governing document of the organization.

ARTICLE IX – Amendments

1. Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by any member. If an officer approves the change, a vote will be conducted as outlined in Article VII Section 2. The amendment is to be proposed to the organization and discussed for the duration of a week. Proposals may be revised in good faith to address concerns and objections. If all objections to the proposed changes are rescinded by the end of the one-week discussion period, the amendment will be enacted.

2. Any questions regarding the interpretation of this constitution shall be decided upon a majority vote as defined in Article VII.