Bylaws
Article I – Name
The name of this organization shall be San Diego County Libertarian Party (SDCLP), hereinafter referred to as the Party.
Article II – Purpose
The purpose of the Party is to proclaim and implement the Statement of Principles of the Libertarian Party of California (LPC) by engaging in political and information activities and other means consistent with those principles; to grow the membership and get Libertarians elected to office.
Article III – Membership
Section 1: Central Committee
The county central committee (hereinafter referred to as “Central Committee”) shall consist of those individuals who choose to affiliate with the San Diego County affiliate and who are not members of any other county central committee, and qualify as a member of the central committee under the Bylaws of the LPC by:
A. Becoming a holder of California public office that is subject to election other than a County Central Committee, or
B. Making application and paying such dues as prescribed by the LPC Executive Committee and signing the following certification: “I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goals,” providing that the individual is not a registrant of or holding office in any political party other than the Libertarian Party.
Section 2: Annual & Special Conventions of the Central Committee Members
The Party shall hold an annual convention to elect its Executive Board and conduct other business as shall properly come before it. Notification shall be sent to all county members at least thirty days, but not more than sixty days, in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall specify the reason for the meeting and a time and place reasonably accessible to the membership.
A. Delegates to the convention shall be current Central Committee members, and shall either hold public office or shall have been a Central Committee member for a minimum of ninety consecutive days prior to the convention.
B. “None of the Above” shall always be included as an option for election of all Party offices.
Article IV – Officers
Section 1: Officers
The officers of the Central Committee shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair, a Treasurer, and a Secretary.
Section 2: Qualifications
Only a person who is a member of the Central Committee and who has expressed a willingness to serve shall be eligible for election to any elected position of the party.
All Party officeholders shall be registered in the Libertarian Party in California, if eligible.
Section 3: Chair
The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Party. The Chair shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Party.
Section 4: Vice-Chair
The Vice-Chair shall act as an assistant to the Chair and shall assume the duties of the Chair in the event that the Chair is unable to perform them. In addition, the Vice-Chair shall be responsible for organizing the Annual Convention & Election of Officers, chairing any committee formed for that purpose.
Section 5: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall have responsibility for receipt, disbursement, and accounting of the funds and assets of the Party, and shall compile financial statements on the cash basis of accounting, on a monthly basis. The Treasurer shall also present an annual report to the membership at the annual convention. Initiating expenditures under $250 must have the prior approval of the Chair and initiating expenditures of $250 or more must have prior approval of the Executive Board, and be substantiated by appropriate documentation.
Section 6: Secretary
The Secretary shall be the recording and corresponding officer of the Party. The Secretary will also be responsible for maintaining a membership roster and providing a monthly report of the current number of members.
Article V – Executive Board
Section 1: Duties
The Executive Board is charged with conducting all Party business consistent with these Bylaws, and any standing rules or resolutions which may be adopted in the convention.
Section 2: Membership
The Executive Board of the Party shall be composed of the following members of the Central Committee:
A. The four officers elected by the Central Committee at Convention;
B. One At-Large member to be elected by the Central Committee Members at the Annual Convention.
Section 3: At-Large Member
The At-Large member shall participate in all discussions, debate, and vote on all SDCLP business matters and perform other duties per the direction of the Central and Executive committees.
Section 4: Removal
If any member of the Executive Board is absent for two consecutive meetings, then that member shall be subject to removal by a majority vote. For other offenses, a member of the Executive Board may be removed only by a four-fifths vote of the Board.
Section 5: Appointment
The Executive Committee shall appoint any replacement officers if vacancies occur. Such appointed officers shall serve until the next Annual Convention of the Central Committee.
Section 6: Meetings
The Executive Board shall meet at such time and place as may be determined by action of the Board, by a call of the Chair, or by the written request of one-third or more of the members of the Executive Board. A written or verbal notice of the time and place of all meetings shall be given to each member of the Executive Board, with written notice sent to all the Central Committee members, not less than seven (7) days prior to said meeting. A meeting agenda will be provided to all Executive Board members, as well as posted on the party website. All meetings of the Executive Board shall be open to all Central Committee members.
Section 7: Quorum
A majority of the Executive Board is required to conduct business. Vacancies shall be excluded in the determination of quorum requirements.
Section 8: Transactions of Business by Email or other Electronic Means
The Executive Board may transact business by email balloting when a motion is moved and seconded via email. All votes shall be counted and recorded by the secretary as roll call votes. E-mail motions will require the same number of votes as motions made at regular meetings. Voting will end after 48 hours have passed and votes from 2/3 of the committee members have been received or in 120 hours, whichever occurs first. Up until the vote is finalized, a member may change their vote. If at the expiration of the applicable period, a quorum of the Executive Board has not voted, the measure being voted upon shall be deemed to have failed.
The Executive Board may also transact business by telephone conference or other electronic communications where the members can meet in real-time. In such meetings, the normal rules of the Board apply as to quorums and voting. At least 7 days’ notice is required if business is to be transacted in such a fashion.
The Secretary shall keep a record of the motions and votes from email, telephone, and electronic balloting, and make them available in the same fashion as minutes from Executive Committee meetings.
Section 9: Term of Office
Each Executive Board member shall take office upon adjournment of the Annual Convention of Central Committee and serve thereafter until the selection of his or her replacement or until his or her position is vacated.
Article VI – Committees
Committees, both standing & special, shall be established by the Executive Board as needed for the continued health and growth of the party and shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board. The Chair of each committee shall be appointed by the Executive Board and may serve until replaced or the committee is deemed to have completed their assigned task.
The following Standing Committees shall be defined in these Bylaws:
A. Annual Convention Committee – The Annual Convention Committee is responsible for the planning and operation of the party’s annual meeting and election of the Executive Board.
Article VII – Endorsements
Section 1:
The Central Committee members may make endorsements, make recommendations, or otherwise take positions with respect to elections, nominations, measures, or other matters appearing on a public ballot by a majority vote of the Central Committee at a meeting that has given notice that such action will be considered. “Public Ballot” includes any general, special, primary, or other election conducted by any level of government.
Section 2:
The Executive Board may endorse candidates for any office to be voted on in San Diego County, subject to a majority vote of the Executive Board when there is no scheduled meeting of the Central Committee prior to the election.
Article VIII – Parliamentary Authority
The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered by these Bylaws or any Special Rules of Order the Party may adopt.
Article IX – Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Central Committee members at the Annual Convention unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, so long as advanced notice of all proposed amendments has been sent to all members, or posted on the Party’s website, a minimum of 60 days prior to the convention. All amendments made from the floor at Convention require a 2/3 vote of the Central Committee.
Article X – Conflicting Authority
The Bylaws of the Libertarian Party of California shall take precedence in the event of any conflicting provisions with these Bylaws.