WINDSORDEMOCRATIC PARTY RULES

as amended  by the Windsor Democratic Party Caucus on January 10, 2008

PROPOSED CHANGES FOR 2011 CAUCUS

                                     Sections  -  1-1-2          1-3-2    1-4-3       2-3-1&2                                         

                                           Strikethrough = Delete          (Bold) = New

CHAPTER ONE – DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE

Section 1-1 – Election, Number, and Term

1. A primary for the election of Windsor Democratic Town Committee members shall be held on the first Tuesday in March of every even-numbered year.

1. Effective April 1, 2006, the Town Committee shall consist of a maximum of one member for each one hundred fifty registered Democrats, or major fraction thereof, according to the most recent voter enrollment list published by the  Windsor Democratic Registrar of Voters; or 65 members; whichever is greater.

     However, if the number of duly-elected town committee members on April 1, 2006 is greater     

     than 65, then the maximum number of 65 shall take effect at such time when the number of

    members is reduced to 65 as a result of the resignation, death, or expulsion of members.

1. The Town Committee, at a meeting called for that purpose, may, by majority vote of the entire Town Committee membership, increase its membership, provided that all new members shall be duly elected and begin their term the first Monday following the next Town Committee primary date in the state election calendar.

1. The Chairperson of the Town Committee shall cause to be published legal notice of the primary in a newspaper having general circulation in the town ofWindsorat least fifty-six days before such primary is to be held.

1. The terms of Town Committee members shall start on the first Monday following the date at which they are legally elected, and they shall serve for two years or until their successors shall have been chosen, but not more than twenty-six months. The term of all members shall end on the same day.

1. Whenever the above rules and procedures conflict with, or are amended by, applicable statutes in Title 9 of the Connecticut General Statutes, the statutory provisions shall control and shall be observed by the Town Committee.

1. The Windsor Democratic Town Committee may elect, by a majority vote of its members present and voting, honorary members to the Town Committee,  who shall be entitled to notices of Town Committee meetings and events and other such privileges, but who shall not enjoy any voting rights.
2. The Town Committee may fill any vacancy on the Town Committee arising from any cause, including failure to elect, by a majority vote of the Town Committee membership, provided the vote is no sooner than 21 days after the report of the Nominations Committee regarding such Town Committee vacancies.

Section 1-2 – Vacancies, Expulsions

1. The Town Committee, by a two-thirds vote of those present and voting at a meeting of the Town Committee, may expel a member for good cause. Good cause shall include, but shall not be limited to, repeated failure to:

a. perform reasonable duties expected of every Town Committee member, as may be

designated from time to time by a vote of the Town Committee; 

      b) support the candidates of the Democratic Party, particularly Democratic candidates for

          municipal office in the Town ofWindsor;

     c) to vote at general elections and referendums.

However, activities on behalf of certain candidates for party nomination shall not be considered as good cause for expulsion of a Committee member. No expulsion action shall be taken at any meeting unless such member has been given at least twenty (20) days written notice of the time and place of such expulsion hearing and the grounds for expulsion, and such member has been given the opportunity to defend his or her conduct by addressing the Town Committee personally, or in writing.

Section 1-3 – Officers

1. Not more than thirty (30) days following the day fixed for the holding of a primary for the election of Town Committee members, or at such other time as prescribed by the Connecticut General Statutes, the Chair of the Town Committee in office immediately prior to the day of said primary shall call a meeting of the newly elected Town Committee for the purpose of electing officers of the Town Committee.

1. 2.      The members of the Town Committee shall elect, by a majority of those present and voting, a chairperson, a vice-chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. The officers of the Town Committee shall be elected from within the membership. (The Chairman, with approval by the Town Committee, may appoint a Deputy Treasurer who will not be an officer of the Town Committee.)

1. Officers so elected shall hold office for the term of the Town Committee electing them.

1. Each of such officers shall have the duties incident to his or her office as provided by statute, by state party rules, by these rules, and as the Town Committee may from time to time provide by written resolution approved by a majority vote of the Town Committee membership.

1. Within one week after organization of the Town Committee, the Secretary shall file with the Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee a list of the names and addresses of the Officers and members of the Town Committee and the name and address of the Democratic Registrar of Voters.

1. Officers of the Town Committee may be removed for cause from their official position by a majority vote of the Town Committee membership, according to the procedures described in section 1-2.2.  Vacancies in any office or position shall be filled by an election conducted in the same manner as provided above, after the entire Town Committee membership has been provided at least twenty (20) days written notice of the vacancy.
2. Each voting district shall have a district captain, who shall serve at the pleasure of the Town Chair. District captains shall meet with district members periodically to coordinate the field operations of the Town Committee within their respective districts, and perform such other duties as may be designated by a majority vote of the Town Committee membership.

Section 1-4 – District organization, Executive Committee, Nominations Committee

1. The district captains in good standing, together with the officers of the town committee and such other persons as the town committee may designate, shall constitute an Executive Committee, to make such recommendations to the full town committee as they shall deem proper.

1. There shall be a Nominations Committee consisting of the four Town Committee officers; a member of the Town Council selected by the Council Democratic caucus; a member of the Board of Education selected by the Board of Education Democratic caucus; and five at-large members of the Town Committee who are nominated by the Chairperson or by any other Town Committee member, and approved by a majority of the Town Committee members present and voting. (The Town Committee may also elect an Alternate that can act as a substitute for any Nominating Committee member who may not be able to attend a meeting.) The Nominations Committee shall be reconstituted every April following the Town Committee primary and commencement of a new term of the Town Committee.

1. The nominations committee shall evaluate all interested persons for nomination to municipal office, convention delegations, Town Committee membership and, if desired, appointed boards and commissions, and report to the full town committee with its recommendations.  The report shall include a general discussion of the selection process followed by the Nominations Committee, and the selection criteria and factors evaluated.  The Nominations Committee shall make diligent attempt to interview all persons interested in nomination to municipal office.

1. The Town Committee may create and appoint any ad hoc advisory committee, composed of any Town Committee members or other registered Windsor Democrat, to investigate, study, or execute any special matter or business the Town Committee deems proper; and it may also create standing committees to organize and discharge certain tasks, such as: recruitment, voter registration, publicity, fundraising, hospitality and cheer, and other activities.

1. Any policies or actions recommended by an Ad Hoc Committee or a Standing Committee shall be approved by a majority vote of the Town Committee members present and voting.
2. The Town Committee shall regularly meet on the first Thursday of each month, unless a different regular meeting date is scheduled by the Town Committee. The Town Committee shall conduct the lawful business of the party as defined by the state party rules and these Rules.  The Town Committee may request that state and local Democratic elected officials provide a report to the Town Committee at its meetings.  Regular meetings of the Town Committee shall be held in the evening, and in a convenient and accessible place, such as space atWindsorTown Hall, unless otherwise directed by the Town Committee.

Section 1-5 – Meetings

1. Special meetings of the Town Committee may be called by the Chairperson or upon written request signed by one-third of the members of the Town Committee presented to the Chairperson. In the event of a call for a special meeting, the Chairperson shall cause at least three days notice in writing to all members of the Town Committee of the time, place, and purpose of such special meeting. However, an emergency special meeting may be called with less than three days notice, but only where immediate action is required to protect the electoral interests or other urgent interests of the Windsor Democratic Party.

1. No business shall be taken up at a special meeting not announced on the written call of the meeting.

1. Two-fifths of the members of the Town Committee shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

1. All meetings of the Windsor Democratic Party shall be open to all registered members of the Democratic Party. However, deliberations (but not interviews) of the Nominations Committee may be conducted in executive session, open only to members of the Nominations Committee.  the time and place for all meetings of the Windsor Democratic Party shall be publicized fully and in such a manner as to assure timely notice to all interested persons.

1. Notice of regular meetings of the Town Committee may be given at any time by email or by first class mail.  Every member of the Town Committee shall provide the Officers of the Town Committee with prompt notice of any changes in their mailing address, email address, and telephone numbers. Notice of a special meeting may be given by email, by first class mail, or by hand delivery.

1. With respect to every notice requirement in these Rules, the day of email transmission, or postmark, or in-hand delivery, as the case may be, and the day of the meeting or caucus, shall be excluded when calculating the number of days of notice.

Section 1-6 — Full participation

The Democratic Town Committee shall encourage full participation by all Democrats in the candidate selection process and in all party affairs, and shall endeavor to widely publish and promote its procedures, and its mission: to recruit, elect, and support qualified Democratic candidates for public office.

CHAPTER TWO — ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATES

Section 2-1 — Definitions

As used in these rules, “municipal office” means any elective office under the charter of the Town ofWindsor, and the offices of Registrar of Voters, and Judge of Probate, and Town Committee members. The other terms used in these Rules shall have the same meanings as described in Title 9 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended.

Section 2-2 — Nomination of Municipal officers

1. The Democratic Party members, at a caucus called for that purpose, shall, by a majority vote of the registered Democratic members present and voting, select candidates for each municipal office.

1. The candidates selected by the caucus shall be declared and designated in the primary for such office as the party-endorsed candidates. such party endorsed candidate shall be the nominee of the Democratic Party in the general election if no opposing candidate has filed a valid primary petition in accordance with the applicable provisions of Title 9 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
2. The Town Committee, by majority vote, of those present and voting, shall select delegates to each convention for multi-town office by full slate composed of a number of persons equal to the number of delegates to which the Town is entitled under the state rules of the Democratic Party. Such a slate shall be endorsed as a unit.

Section 2-3 — Nomination of Delegates to a Convention

1. 2.      The slate of candidates for delegates to a convention chosen as provided above shall run in the primary for delegates to such convention as the party-endorsed slate; provided such slate of candidates shall be deemed elected if no valid opposing candidacy by a complete slate including persons other than party-endorsed candidates has been filed in accordance with applicable provisions of Title 9 of the Connecticut General Statutes.

   -3. 2  Each delegate to a convention elected in conformity with law and with these rules may in  

            writing designate an alternate delegate or a proxy to act for him in his absence. The delegates to

            any convention may elect a chairperson and the chairperson shall be notified of any alternates

            to the convention.  If the delegation fails to elect a chairperson, or if there is a tie vote in such

            election, the chairperson of the Town Committee may appoint a delegation chairperson or

            dissolve the tie vote, as the case may be.

  -4. 3   If a vacancy arises in a delegate convention due to the death, disability or resignation of a  

             delegate, or for any other cause, the Chairperson of the Town Committee may appoint a new

             delegate to fill that vacancy, consistent with State party rules and any other applicable law.

Section 2-4 — General Provisions

1. The Chairperson and the Secretary of the Town Committee shall certify to the Town Clerk the names and street addresses of all party-endorsed candidates selected as provided above, the title of the office or position as committee member or delegate for which each person is endorsed, and the date upon which any primary is to be held, and otherwise shall comply with any other applicable provisions of Title 9 of the Connecticut General Statutes..

1. In the event that a vote taken on the selection of a party-endorsed candidate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by the vote of the Chairperson of the Town Committee, but this provision shall not affect his right to cast any vote as a member of the town Committee to which he is otherwise entitled.

1. If a party-endorsed candidate for nomination to a municipal office,  prior to twenty-four hours before opening of the polls at the primary, dies or, prior to the day of the primary, withdraws his name from nomination, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold office or position for which he is a candidate, an endorsement may be made to fill such vacancy by the Town Committee. The Chairperson and the Secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the endorsement to fill such vacancy to the Democratic Registrar of Voters.

1. If a nomination has been made for a municipal office and the nominee thereafter but prior to twenty four hours before the opening of the polls on the day of the election for which such nomination has been made, dies, withdraws his name, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office for which he has been nominated, a nomination to fill such vacancy may be made by the Town Committee. The Secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the nomination to fill such vacancy to the Secretary of the State and to the Town Clerk.

1. The nominee of the Democratic Party for municipal office, members of the Town committee, and the delegates to conventions, shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast in the primary.

1. At any caucus, the Chairperson of the Town Committee shall act as acting Chairperson, and the Secretary of the Town Committee shall act as acting Secretary until the caucus has selected a permanent Chairperson and a permanent Secretary.  The caucus may adopt specific rules to govern voting procedures and the conduct of business at the caucus.

CHAPTER THREE — PROCEDURES

Section 3-1 — Parliamentary Procedure

All caucuses and town committee meetings shall be conducted according to the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, except when superseded by statute, state party rules, these rules, or specific rules adopted by the caucus or Town Committee meeting.

Section 3-2 — Special Caucuses

Special caucuses may be called for any lawful purpose by a majority of the Town Committee or by not less than then five percent of the registered Democratic voters in the town. The call for any such special caucus shall be in writing and signed by each of the persons issuing the same, and notice of the time, place, and purpose of said special caucus shall be given to all registered Democratic voters in the town, at least five days in advance of such caucus, by publication in a newspaper having a circulation in said town and by posting a notice in a public place.

Section 3-3 — Amendments

1. These rules may be amended in any caucus, by majority of those present and voting, with due notice of the amendment given in the call for said caucus.

1. When changes in the laws of theUnited Statesor of the State ofConnecticutor changes in the Democratic State Party Rules make amendment to these rules necessary, the Democratic Town Committee may do so by a two-thirds vote of its entire membership.

Section 3-4 — Severability

Each provision of these rules shall be considered a separate unit for purposes of severability.