Warren County Democratic Party Central Committee Bylaws

 

Article I.         Name

The name of this organization is the Warren County Democratic Party Central Committee.

Article II.       Purpose

The purpose of the Warren County Democratic Party Central Committee (hereinafter referred to as “Central Committee”) shall be to organize and perpetuate 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 good, qualified candidates to office.

Article III.      Authority

Section 1 – Constitution

These bylaws shall incorporate and adopt the provisions of the Constitution of the Democratic Party of Iowa as are applicable to the county organization. In case of conflict, the state party constitution shall prevail.

Section 2 – County Convention

The Warren County Democratic Party is an integral part of the Iowa Democratic Party. The Warren 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.

Section 3 – County Central Committee

The Central Committee shall be the governing body of the Democratic Party in Warren County when the convention is in adjournment. The Central Committee shall consist of two committee persons from each voting precinct within the county that has a total population of fewer than 1,700 and the Simpson College Democratic Party President (or his/her designee). Precincts with a total population of 1,700 or more shall be permitted three committee persons. Each total population shall be determined from the most recent United States Census data. Actions of the Central Committee shall be in accordance with the expressed policies of the County Convention, the provisions of these bylaws, and the Constitution of the Iowa Democratic Party and the Code of Iowa.

Section 4 – Affirmative Action

The Central Committee will afford all members of the Democratic Party full, timely and equal opportunities to participate in activities of the Warren 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 at the biennial Organizational County Central Committee meeting that takes place in the odd numbered years at a time set by the County Central Committee between March 1 and April 1.

 Section 2 – Officers

Members of the Central Committee shall elect a County Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers as deemed necessary. The officers shall have voting privileges equal to those of the Central Committee Members, except for the Chair, who may vote only in the event of a tie. A person may be, but need not be, both an elected Central Committee Member and an elected officer, however a person who is elected in both of such capacities shall nonetheless have only one vote. The term of office of each officer shall begin immediately upon election and shall continue until adjournment of the next biennial statutory convention, and/or until a successor is elected and qualified.

Section 3 – Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall consist of all the above officers, County affirmative action person elected at County Convention, the chairperson of every committee enumerated in Article VII, below.

Section 4 – Notice of Election

Notice of the election of Central Committee officers shall be announced throughout the County at least four (4) weeks in advance of the Organizational Central Committee meeting. Notice of election to elect officer(s) who are being replaced due to resignation, death, or incapacitation need only be included in the call of the meeting.

Section 5 – Elections

Officers shall be elected in the following order: County Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and any other officers deemed necessary. The outgoing County Chairperson shall preside over the election of the new County Chairperson, unless the County Chairperson is seeking reelection, in which case an outgoing officer not seeking the position shall preside. Once elected, the newly elected County Chairperson shall preside over the remaining elections.

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

All contested elections shall be by signed ballot. Each ballot must include the name of the nominee being voted for, the signature of the voter, and the voter’s precinct. All ballots shall be counted by the Parliamentarian, Vice Chairperson, and Secretary.

In the event more than two individuals are nominated for a position, and if after the vote no one individual obtains a majority of the votes cast, the two nominees with the highest vote counts shall be placed into nomination for a second round of voting.

Section 6 – Membership Vacancies

Vacancies that occur on the Central Committee between 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. The Central Committee shall ratify the election of Central Committee members at the first meeting following the odd numbered year caucuses.

In the event nominations are made to fill more than one Central Committee vacancy in any given precinct, and more nominations are made than available vacancies, each vacancy shall be voted upon individually. If after the vote one or more of the nominees 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 nominees.

If after a vote no individual obtains a majority, the two nominees with the highest vote counts shall be placed into nomination for a second round of voting. Once a vacancy has been filled, all remaining nominees from the prior round of voting shall be voted upon for the next vacancy, and so forth until all vacancies are filled by a majority vote.

Section 7 – Officer Vacancies

In the event of the resignation, death, or incapacitation 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 Sections 3, 4 and 5 of this Article and in accordance with the Iowa Democratic Party Constitution.

Section 8 – Removal of Officers

Officers 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. Removal shall be by a majority vote. Notice of a vote to remove an officer must be included within the call of the meeting mailed to each member pursuant to Article V., Section 1. 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. 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 9 – Contracts

All contracts binding upon the central committee shall be authorized by resolution at a regularly convened meeting of the Central Committee.

All budgeted and general operating expenditures in excess of $100.00 shall have Central Committee approval.

 

 

Article V.       Meetings

Section 1 – Frequency and Notice of Meetings

The Central Committee shall meet at least once every three (3) months. 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. The County Chairperson may call special meetings as deemed necessary. The County Chairperson shall cause notice of all meetings to be emailed to each member and officer of the Central Committee at least seven (7) days before the date set for such a meeting. A majority of the Executive Committee can call a meeting of the Central Committee. 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. Twenty-five percent (25%) of each year’s meetings of the central committee may be held at a location outside the county seat.

Section 2 – Open Meetings

The Central Committee meetings shall be open to the public (except for those concerned with the hiring, terminating or disciplining of staff). All votes shall be public. Proxy voting and prorated voting are prohibited. All motions shall be carried by a majority vote.

Section 3 – Quorum and Conduct of Meeting

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. Meetings shall be chaired by the County Chairperson and in the absence of the County Chairperson, by the Vice Chairperson. The Secretary will provide the minutes of the previous meeting and the Treasurer will issue a report at each regular meeting.

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.
2. Be appraised of all Warren County Democratic Party activities.
3. Be the official spokesperson for the Warren County Democratic Party and shall communicate with all other affiliated Democratic organizations.
4. Shall always keep the Vice Chairperson informed.
5. Appoint such committees as may be deemed necessary.
6. Be an official member of all Committees of the Warren County Democratic Party with the right to be given timely notice of the meetings of such committees.
7. Obtain the approval of the Central Committee prior to employing or terminating any person as an employee of the Warren County Democratic Party.
8. 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 Warren County Democratic events.
3. Establish and maintain a “telephone tree” and e-mail list so that Central Committee members can be notified regarding important matters on short notice.

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).
4. Be responsible for such communications as may be necessary such as thank you notes, flowers, and sympathy cards.
5. Be responsible for any other methods of communication for the party.
6. Keep minutes of each meeting of the Central Committee which shall include all motions and those members making said motions.
7. Provide additional copies of written minutes of the previous meeting at each Central Committee meeting.
8. Include a copy of minutes of prior meeting and a copy of the Treasurer’s financial report with the written (or electronic) notice provided for in subsection 3 above.

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.
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 at each regular Central Committee meeting, along with additional copies of financial report, as specified below, at each Central Committee meeting.
4. Make a report at the Warren County Democratic convention of the total receipts and disbursements in connection with the previous Warren County Democratic convention.
5. Work with the finance Chairperson as necessary.
6. Assist in an annual audit of all financial records and transactions of the Central Committee accounts by a special auditing committee. The copy of each audit shall be made available to each member and officer of the Central Committee
7. Prepare a financial report at 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.

 

 

Article VII.    Committees

Section 1 – Finance Committee

There shall be a standing Finance Committee which shall hold regular meetings chaired by the Finance Chairperson. The Finance Chairperson shall be appointed by the County Chairperson. There shall be at least six (6) members on the Finance Committee which shall include the Finance Chairperson, County Chairperson, Treasurer and Vice Chairperson. Other members of the Finance Committee shall be selected by the Finance Chairperson with the approval of the County Chairperson. The Finance Committee shall:

1. Develop and implement finance programs and submit such proposals of events to the Central Committee.
2. Develop a fundraising budget for the Central Committee to approve at the regularly scheduled meeting to be held in the month of November of each year.
3. To collect information concerning fund raising and spending by the Warren County Democratic Party, to evaluate the priorities of spending policies and to make recommendations to the Central Committee through the Executive Committee.
4. To develop and carryout fundraising plans approved by the Central Committee.
5. To review and approve budgets from all standing committees.
6. In cooperation with all committee chairs, critique the effectiveness of fundraising projects.

Section 2 – Outreach/GOTV Committee

There shall be a standing Outreach/GOTV Committee. The Outreach/GOTV chairperson shall be appointed by the County Chairperson. There shall be at least Five (5) members on the Outreach/GOTV Committee which shall include the Outreach/GOTV Chairperson, County Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and County affirmative action person elected at county convention. Other members of the Outreach/GOTV Committee shall be selected by the Outreach/GOTV Chairperson with the approval of the County Chairperson. The Outreach/GOTV Committee shall:

1. Publish event dates, times and locations and do such other tasks as the County chairperson directs.
2. Be responsible for the Warren County Democratic Party voter identification, registration, and Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) activities, as well as other election day and voter programs.
3. Obtain the IDP's handouts for GOTV and assist candidates in additional development of campaign materials if needed.
4. Be responsible for recruitment of new members into the Democratic Party and encourage their full participation in the caucus/convention, platform development, delegate selection process, and within the central committee and other party organizations with particular concern to those groups which have been historically underrepresented within the Democratic Party.
5. Be responsible for the recruitment of young people into the party, to encourage, educate and facilitate activities related to young persons.
6. Recruit candidates for Democratic Party nomination.
7. Assist in coordinating the efforts of the candidates.
8. Compile a list of Democratic office holders and general election candidates with their preferred contact information - which shall be made available to Central Committee members, the public through the Website and other media.

Section 3 – Auditing Committee

There shall be an Auditing Committee which will annually audit the books and records of the Central Committee. The Central Committee shall authorize the annual audit of all financial records and transactions of the Central Committee accounts by the special Auditing Committee. This audit will occur prior to the February meeting each year. The report of the Audit Committee shall be made to the Central Committee at the February meeting of the Central Committee. A copy of the audit shall be made available to each member of the Central Committee. The Auditing Committee shall consist of three (3) people appointed by the County Chairperson. Such members need not be selected from the Central Committee membership.

The Treasurer shall be present at all the meetings of the Auditing Committee. The Auditing Committee shall have the authority to recommend that an outside accountant be hired with the approval of the Central Committee.

Section 4 – Bylaws Committee

The County Chairperson shall appoint a Bylaws Chairperson who shall also function as the Parliamentarian for the Central Committee. The County Chairperson shall also appoint a Bylaws Committee to make suggestions for the revisions or addition to these bylaws every two (2) years. The County Chairperson shall determine the number of members of the Bylaws Committee and the term of their service.

Section 5 – Other Committees

The County Chairperson shall appoint such other committees as may be deemed necessary.

Section 6 – Committee Reports

Each standing and active committee shall report monthly to the Central Committee, file written reports with the Secretary concerning its activities as requested by the Central Committee and prepare and submit a budget to the Finance Committee as directed by the Central Committee.

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) of the seated delegates. 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 and the proposed amendments shall be in accord with the Constitution of the Democratic Party of Iowa.

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’re not in conflict with these bylaws or the Constitution and bylaws of the Democratic Party in Iowa or of the Democratic National Committee.

* As adopted in  2020, by the Warren County Central Committee.