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Iowa Democratic Party (IDP)   https://iowademocrats.org/ 

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The Bylaws of the O’Brien County Democratic Party were Approved March 2, 2021

 (Printable version: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zfBRLh9GVGAlEfiBqHjcW4I34uU1IScL/edit )

Article I.     Name

The name of this organization is the O’Brien County Democratic Party Central Committee.

Article II.    Purpose

The purpose of the O’Brien County Democratic Party Central Committee (hereinafter referred to as “central committee”) shall be to organize and sustain a representative, effective, and responsive party organization; advance the interests of the Democratic Party; to sustain and advance the principles of social justice and democracy; and to uphold civil rights, civil liberties, and constitutional government.  In order to achieve these goals, it is the duty of all central committee members to raise funds and to attract and elect qualified candidates to office.

Article III.      Organization

SECTION 1 – COUNTY CONVENTION

The O’Brien County Democratic Party is an integral part of the Iowa Democratic Party.  The O’Brien County Democratic Party Convention held biennially in accordance with state law, and by the call of the chairperson of the Democratic Party of Iowa, shall be the supreme governing body of this organization.

1.     Duties of the Convention

i.             Shall select delegates to the district and state conventions, the number to be determined by    the Iowa Party.  Each delegate is selected to both.

ii.             Shall propose and vote on amendments to the draft platform and ratify the final platform.

iii.             May elect a District/State delegate to serve on each district convention committee.

iv.             Elect a County Affirmative Action Chair.

v.             May transact any other business that may come before the convention.

2.     Time and Place

i.          These shall be held in even-numbered years on a date designated by the Iowa Party and location and time determined by the central committee and announced at the time of the caucuses. 

ii.          Notice of the agenda, time and place of the convention, and the platform committee report shall be sent to all delegates by the secretary of the central committee at least seven (7) days before the convention.

3.     Convention Committees

i.          Those committees shall include:  Rules, Arrangements, Platform, and Credentials.

ii.          Members of each committee shall meet at least once, and as many times as they deem necessary. 

iii.          Each committee shall have at least two members and elect a chairperson and secretary. 

iv.          Each committee may nominate a person(s) to serve on the same committee at the district convention.

4.     Rules Committee

i.          This committee is responsible for determining the rules for the convention. 

ii.          It also conducts and tabulates all votes taken at the Convention.

5.     Arrangements Committee

i.          This committee is responsible for arranging for use of the convention site.

ii.          It also provides for refreshments, publicity, etc.

6.     Platform Committee

i.          This committee is responsible for writing the county platform.

ii.          It also submits its report (the draft platform) to the secretary so it can be sent to the delegates in advance of the convention.

7.     Credentials Committee

i.          This committee is responsible for verifying that each attendee at the convention is a duly elected delegate.

ii.          It also resolves any disputes about who should be allowed to attend and to vote.

SECTION 2 – CONSTITUTION

No provision of these bylaws shall be construed to be in conflict with laws of the State of Iowa or of the United States, or the Constitution or Bylaws of the Iowa State Democratic Party or of the Constitution or Bylaws of the Congressional District in which O’Brien County lies.  In event of such a conflict, the laws or the State or District Party document is the controlling one.

SECTION 3 – COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE

The central committee shall be the governing body of the Democratic Party in O’Brien County when the convention is in adjournment.  Membership from each precinct shall be proportionately determined in accordance with the Constitution of the Iowa Democratic Party.  Actions of the central committee shall be in accordance with the expressed policies of the county convention, provisions of these bylaws, the Constitution of the Iowa Democratic Party and the Code of Iowa.

1. Even Year Caucus

i.          At the even-numbered year Democratic Party Caucus, the attendees residing in each precinct may elect two (2) residents of that precinct to be precinct members of the central committee. 

ii.          Each member must be a resident of O’Brien County and a registered democrat.

iii.          After adjournment of the even-numbered year caucus, the newly elected precinct members shall meet and organize within ten (10) days prior to the county convention. 

iv.          Any person not elected a precinct member but who wishes to serve on the central committee should attend this organizational meeting. 

2. At Large Members

i.          In the event that a precinct(s) did not elect all members to which it is entitled, at large members may be elected to the central committee. 

ii.          Such at large members shall be full members at the conclusion of an at large member election and shall serve the same term as precinct members. 

iii.          Each candidate for at large member is elected to the central committee if approved by majority vote of the committee members. 

iv.          Should the number of candidates exceed the number of available seats on the central committee, use the procedure in Article IV Section 5.  

SECTION 4 – Equal Opportunity

The central committee will afford all members of the Democratic Party full, timely and equal opportunities to participate in activities of the O’Brien County Democratic Party without prejudice on the basis of sex, race, age, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, physical disability or handicap, or ethnic origin.  The central committee will also work to raise public consciousness regarding affirmative action and will always insist that there be justice and fairness in the party.

SECTION 5 – FISCAL YEAR

The fiscal year shall coincide with the calendar year.

Article IV.      Membership

SECTION 1 – ORGANIZATION MEETING

The central committee, comprised of precinct committee persons elected at precinct caucuses, shall meet and organize within ten (10) days prior to the county convention.

SECTION 2 – OFFICERS

Members of the central committee shall elect a county chairperson, a vice chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer, a technology/social media officer, a parliamentarian, and such other officers as they may deem necessary.  The term of office of each officer shall begin immediately upon election and shall continue until the next biennial organizational meeting, and/or until a successor is elected and qualified.  Each officer normally is a member of the central committee, but this is not required.

SECTION 3 – EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The executive committee shall consist of all the above officers and the chairperson of every committee enumerated in Article VII, below.

SECTION 4 – ELECTIONS

Officers shall be elected in the following order: county chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, treasurer, technology/social media chairperson, parliamentarian, and such other officers as may be deemed necessary. 

1. Presider

i.          The outgoing county chairperson shall preside over the election of the new county chairperson, unless the county chairperson is seeking reelection, in which case a committee member not seeking election shall preside. 

ii.          Once elected, the newly elected county chairperson shall preside over the remaining elections. 

2. Nominations

i.          In order to be placed into consideration for an office, a qualified individual must be nominated, and that nomination must be seconded. 

ii.          Each candidate for office may make a short statement in support of his/her candidacy. 

3. Method

i.          All contested elections shall be accomplished by a voice vote. 

ii.          Each committee member will state the name of the nominee being voted for, their name and the voter’s precinct. 

iii.          All ballots shall be counted by the vice chairperson and secretary unless they are nominees in which case a committee member not seeking election shall do the tally. 

4.      Ties

i.          If there are more than two candidates for an office, and none has a majority of the votes cast, there shall be a runoff between the two candidates who received the most votes. 

ii.          In the event of a tie that does not result in two leaders, but one or more candidates has fewer votes than the tied candidates, eliminate those candidates with fewer votes than the tied candidates and vote again. 

iii.          Repeat this until one candidate gets a majority vote. 

iv.          If two successive votes have identical results and fail to result in a winner, debate on the election is reopened. 

v.          Balloting resumes upon passage of a motion to end debate.

SECTION 5 – MEMBERSHIP VACANCIES

Vacancies that occur on the central committee between even year caucuses shall be announced at one central committee meeting and can be filled by a majority vote of the central committee at any subsequent properly called meeting for which notice of such a meeting shall state “that vacancies on the central committee will be filled.”  When a vacancy exists at the time of the precinct caucuses which are called in odd numbered years, the caucus shall endeavor to fill the vacancy. 

1.     A registered Democrat residing in O’Brien County may apply to fill that vacancy either at the odd-numbered year caucus, the central committee meeting or in writing to the Chair.  

2.     The applicant is considered elected if approved by a majority of the central committee members in attendance.  

3.     Applicants who live in a precinct with an opening will be given preference. 

4.     Other applicants should seek at large membership. 

5.     In the event more applications are made than available vacancies, each vacancy shall be voted upon individually by the central committee membership.  If after the vote, one or more of the applicants obtains a majority, they shall be deemed elected.  If there remain any vacancies after the election in the first round of voting, there shall be a second round of voting consisting of the remaining applicants.  If after a vote, no individual obtains a majority, see Section 4 – Elections.

SECTION 6 – OFFICER VACANCIES

In the event of the resignation, death, incapacitation, or removal of the duly elected officer during the officer’s term, the office shall be declared vacant by the central committee and the central committee shall elect a new officer following the procedure outlined in Section 4 of this Article and in accordance with the Iowa Democratic Party Constitution, Article 3, Section 3.

SECTION 7 – REMOVAL OF OFFICERS/Central committee members

Officers and central committee members may be removed by the central committee for nonresidency, inattention to duty, incompetency, or support of a candidate for public office who is running against a candidate nominated by the Iowa Democratic Party.  Missing three consecutive meetings without advance notice of absence is an example of cause for removal. 

1.     Removal shall be by a majority vote. 

2.     Notice of a vote to remove an officer or central committee member must be included within the call of the meeting mailed to each member pursuant to Article V., Section 1. 

3.     In the event an officer is removed, the next order of business for the central committee shall be the election of said officer’s replacement. 

4.     The notice prescribed in this section shall satisfy that required by Section 4 of this article with respect to election of a new officer.

SECTION 8 – CONTRACTS

1.      All contracts binding upon the central committee shall be passed by motion at a regularly convened meeting of the central committee.

2.      All budgeted and general operating expenditures greater than $250.00 shall have central committee approval.

Article V.      Meetings

SECTION 1 – FREQUENCY AND NOTICE OF MEETINGS

1.     The central committee shall meet at least once every three (3) months. 

2.     The central committee, by vote of the majority of those central committee members present, may direct the county chairperson to call regular meetings at times in places selected by the central committee. 

3.     The county chairperson may call special meetings as deemed necessary. 

4.     The county chairperson shall cause notice of all meetings to be mailed (or e-mailed to those members who specify preference for such delivery) to each member and officer of the central committee at least seven (7) days before the date set for such a meeting. 

5.     A majority of the executive committee can call a meeting of the central committee. 

6.     It is further provided that upon receipt of a petition signed by twenty-five percent (25%) of the members of the central committee, the chairperson shall call a special meeting which must be held within ten (10) days of the receipt of such a petition. 

7.     Seventy-five percent (75%) of each year’s meetings of the central committee may be held at a location outside the county seat.

SECTION 2 – OPEN MEETINGS

1.     The central committee meetings (except those concerned with the hiring of staff) shall be open to the public. 

2.     All votes shall be public. 

3.     Proxy voting and prorated voting are prohibited. 

4.     All motions shall be carried by a majority vote.  

SECTION 3 – QUORUM AND CONDUCT OF MEETING

1.     No business of the central committee shall be conducted in the absence of a quorum, which shall consist of twenty-five percent (25%) of the total voting membership of the central committee or forty percent (40%) of the precincts whichever is lower. 

2.     Meetings shall be chaired by the county chairperson and in the absence of the county chairperson, by the vice chairperson. 

3.     The secretary will provide the minutes of the previous meeting and the treasurer will issue a report at each regular meeting.

SECTION 4: Online votes

1. If an issue arises between meetings requiring central committee approval and it is impractical to wait until a meeting to resolve it, the chair or any three members may make a motion and call for a vote on it by phone/email. 

2. All central committee members shall receive an email or phone call describing the motion to be voted on and requesting their vote. 

3. Passage of the measure shall require a majority of the votes cast and enough votes cast to constitute a quorum.

Article VI.      Officer Duties

SECTION 1 – COUNTY CHAIRPERSON

The county chairperson shall serve as the chief executive officer, with the consent and approval of the executive committee.  The county chairperson may delegate or appoint such other persons as the county chairperson deems fit and necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the county chairperson.  The county chairperson shall be specifically required to:

1.      Plan and preside at all executive committee and central committee meetings including preparing agendas.

2.      Be appraised of all O’Brien County Democratic Party activities.

3.      Be the official spokesperson for the O’Brien County Democratic Party and shall communicate with all other affiliated democratic organizations.

4.      Shall keep the vice chairperson informed.

5.      Appoint such committees as may be deemed necessary.

6.      Obtain the approval of the central committee prior to employing any person as an employee of the O’Brien County Democratic Party.

7.      Shall provide additional copies of written agenda at each central committee meeting.

SECTION 2 – VICE CHAIRPERSON

The vice chairperson shall assume the duties of the county chairperson in the county chairperson’s absence.  The vice chairperson shall also do the following:

1.      Assist the county chairperson with his/her duties and responsibilities.

2.      Assist all other officers and committee chairpersons at all O’Brien County Democratic events.

SECTION 3 – SECRETARY

The secretary shall:

1.      Be responsible for all files and records except those specifically required to be in the possession of any other official of the party.

2.      Prepare necessary documents and preserve such files and records as may be necessary.

3.      In conjunction with the chairperson shall be responsible to give written (or electronic) notice of meetings at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting to all central committee members, central committee officers, and democratic candidates for office (who have provided their address or e-mail to the secretary) including a copy of minutes from the prior meeting and previous financial report provided by the treasurer.

4.      Be responsible for such communications as may be necessary such as thank you notes, flowers, and sympathy cards.

5.      Keep minutes of each meeting of the central committee which shall include all motions and those members making said motions.

SECTION 4 – TREASURER

The treasurer shall, with the approval of the central committee:

1.      Determine which financial institutions shall have the custody of the party’s funds and maintain accounts.

2.      Shall be responsible for preparing, maintaining and filing all legally required and necessary reports and tax returns.

3.      Have written copies of receipts and disbursements available at each regular central committee meeting.

4.      Make a report at the O’Brien County Democratic Convention of the total receipts and disbursements in connection with the previous O’Brien County Democratic Convention.

5.      Prepare a financial report for every duly called meeting of the central committee and provide this report to the secretary to be delivered to the central committee members along with the county chairperson’s notice of meeting.

SECTION 5 – Technology/social media officer

The technology/social media officer shall:

1. Assist secretary with storing/being responsible for all files and records.

2. Be responsible for providing social media notices, including an agenda provided by the chairperson, of upcoming meetings.

3. Establish and maintain a telephone tree and an email list so that central committee members can be notified regarding important matters on short notice.

4. Explore the use of technology to support the objectives of the county central committee.

5. Establish and maintain a positive online and social media presence including but not limited to a web site, Facebook page and Twitter feed.

SECTION 6: Affirmative Action Chairperson

The Affirmative Action Chairperson shall:

1.     Maintain a liaison with the minority communities in O’Brien County, to promote Democratic Party events to those communities, inform the central committee of minority issues that should be addressed, and increase the involvement of minorities in the political process.

2.     Attend events aimed at the minority communities in O’Brien County or designate a representative to attend.

3.     Maintain a liaison with the District and State Affirmative Action Chairs.

4.     Coordinate with other officers to arrange for notices to be published and/or broadcast in foreign languages when appropriate.

SECTION 7: Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall:

1.     Function as a bylaws officer and make suggestions for the revision or addition to these bylaws every two (2) years.

2.     Make sure that all central committee meetings and County Conventions are conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.

3.     Be the final authority on parliamentary procedural questions at such meetings.

Article VII. Committees

The county chairperson with central committee approval shall appoint such other committees as may be deemed necessary.

Article VIII.   Amendment of Bylaws

This set of bylaws may be amended at any county convention by a majority vote of the total seated delegates in the county convention.  All proposed amendments must be in writing and must be submitted by an elected delegate to the county chairperson not less than five (5) days prior to the county convention or by a written petition signed by twenty (20) seated delegates and included in the Call to Convention.  These bylaws may also be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at a central committee meeting, provided that notice of the proposed amendments shall have been given in writing at the previous central committee meeting.

Article IX.      Rules of Order

The most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the central committee in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these bylaws or the Constitution and Bylaws of the Democratic Party in Iowa or of the Democratic National Committee.