Democratic Party of Orange County Bylaws

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Section 11. Convention Committee

The Convention Committee shall be responsible for planning and conducting the biennial convention held in the even numbered year. The committee chair shall be chair of the convention.
This Committee shall be responsible for assisting the Convention Chair in the collection and organization of permanent convention records.

Section 12. Information Systems Committee

The Information Systems Committee shall be responsible for providing expertise, and knowledge and skills to support the maintenance and up-grading for operation of the County Committee equipment, including but not limited to the computer, phone and fax systems.
This Committee shall provide the training necessary to volunteers in order to use the available information systems.

Section 13. Environmental Committee

The Environmental Committee shall investigate environmental issues, establish liaisons with relevant organizations, and make recommendations on environmental issues to the County Committee.

Section 14. Special Committees

Special Committees may be appointed by the Chair to perform specific tasks and the Chair may terminate Special Committees at his/her discretion. Such committees automatically terminate at the end of the County Committee term in which they were appointed.

Article XV. Quorum

Section 1. Quorum for the County Committee

Nineteen (19) of the elected members and appointed members shall constitute a quorum

Section 2. Quorum for the Executive Committee

A majority of the membership of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum.

Section 3. Quorum for Standing Committees

A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.

Section 4. Business

No business shall be transacted in the absence of a quorum. Actions necessary by time limits may be taken by members present and submitted to County Committee at the next meeting for approval.

Article XVI. Voting

Section 1. Eligibility to Vote

All votes shall be cast by the elected, appointed and ex-officio members or their designated alternates who are present. Pursuant to Article XVIII, members must have paid dues in order to be eligible to vote.

Section 2. Manner

All actions of the County Committee shall be by an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting, unless otherwise expressly provided for in the Bylaws. The manner of voting shall be by a show of voting cards unless otherwise specified in these bylaws. Whenever there is a division on any issue, the Chair shall grant the request of any member for a roll call vote. A request for a roll call vote, however, shall not be in order when electing positions pursuant to Article II, Section 8; Article IV, Section 2; Article XII; and Article XIII, which shall be done by signed ballot. There shall be no secret ballot in accordance with the Bylaws of the Democratic National Committee and the California Democratic Party.

Section 3. Restrictions

No elected, ex-officio, appointed member or alternate shall be entitled to vote or participate in the County Committee unless he/she has paid their annual dues, as specified in Article XVIII

Article XVII. Rules of Procedure

Section 1. Authority

All regular and special meetings of the County Committee shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, except when the County Committee bylaws conflict.

Article XVIII. Dues

Section 1. Amount

Dues shall be sixty dollars ($60.00) per year for each member including alternates and are due and payable within sixty (60) days of assuming membership. No dues are assessed for associates.
Section 2. Deferral or Waiver of Dues
A. Any member may apply for a deferral or a waiver of dues to the Treasurer, in writing or in person, on the grounds of economic hardship. The Treasurer will present the request to the officers for approval.
B. Dues are waived for members and alternates of the County Committee who are Sustaining Members of the DPOC, and who contribute a minimum of $120 per year.

Article XIX. Amendment of Bylaws

Section 1. Procedure

Any member of the County Committee may propose any amendment to these bylaws.
Such amendments shall be presented to the Bylaws/Rules Committee for consideration.
If any amendment is approved by the Bylaws/Rules Committee, then that Committee shall forward the proposal to the Secretary prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting of the EC.
The Secretary shall include said amendment(s) in the notice of meeting sent out prior to the next regularly scheduled Executive Committee meeting.
The Executive Committee shall review the proposed amendments and make a recommendation either for, against or no recommendation for the County Committee.
The Secretary shall include said amendment(s) in the notice of meeting sent out prior to the next regularly scheduled County Committee meeting.
The proposed amendment(s) shall be read at the next regularly scheduled County Committee meeting, but no action may be taken on it at that time. The proposed amendment(s) shall be scheduled for action on the agenda for the following regularly scheduled County Committee meeting.
If the Bylaws/Rules Committee fails to act on a referred proposed amendment within sixty (60) days, or if said committee recommends against the proposed amendment, a request to discharge the proposed amendment may be presented to the County Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting:
The discharge request must bear the signatures of ten (10) members. Sufficient copies of the discharge motion and the proposed amendment must be presented to the Secretary in time and in sufficient quantities to make distribution to the County Committee prior to their meeting.
Debate before the County Committee on the discharge motion shall be limited to no more than twenty (20) minutes and no amendments are in order. Passage requires a majority vote of the members present and voting.
If the discharge motion passes, then the proposed amendment shall be placed on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Changes in these bylaws shall become effective upon approval.

Section 2. Vote

The County Committee may adopt an amendment(s) to its bylaws, subject to the restriction in Section 1 of this Article, by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership present and voting.

Article XX. Resolutions/Legislation Committee Procedures

Section 1. Resolutions/Legislation Committee Procedures

The Resolutions/Legislation Committee, hereafter called RLC, shall, at the direction of either the EC or the County Committee, propose in a timely manner, language for a resolution, according to the direction given, stating the County Committee position on a given topic, for consideration and possible subsequent adoption by the County Committee.
The RLC shall be responsible for recommending to the EC and the County Committee whether resolutions, proposed and provided for in Article XIV, Section 3, should be adopted.
The EC shall, upon receiving the recommendation of the RLC on a properly proposed resolution, make its own recommendation on the resolution and schedule the resolution(s) along with any arising from the direction of either the EC or the County Committee to be put to a vote at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Prior to a vote on a resolution, either acted upon by the RLC or prepared by the same at the direction of the EC or the County Committee, the RLC shall report to the County Committee on the resolution. The report shall include the background of the resolution and any recommendation arising under these by-laws. The members making the report should be prepared to answer the County Committee’s questions regarding the resolution. To the extent possible, the RLC should report to the County Committee in writing as well as orally, preferably including their written report with the regular meeting notice.
If the RLC fails to respond on a properly proposed resolution(s) within ten (10) days, the proponent/s may submit fifteen (15) copies to the Secretary for distribution to EC to be considered at their regularly scheduled meeting.
After verifying the failure of RLC to respond, and that the resolution was properly proposed, the EC shall determine its recommendation to County Committee, to be included in the Chair’s report at the next regularly scheduled meeting. If the EC recommends approval, the resolution shall be considered by County Committee at its next regularly scheduled meeting.
If the EC does not approve the proposed resolution, the proponents may submit seventy-five (75) typewritten copies of the resolution, signed by ten (10) supporting County Committee members, to the Secretary to be included in the mailing for the next regularly scheduled meeting and its consideration listed on the meeting agenda.
If a resolution’s proponents state that a time factor must be considered because, if the regular procedure, as outline above, if followed, the resolution would be moot.
Therefore, when a time factor is important, the resolution’s proponent may distribute typewritten copies of the resolution at a regular meeting, within one (1) hour of its beginning, to all County Committee members. The resolution must show support of ten (10) members, identified by their signatures on the resolution.
All resolutions shall be discussed, within a ten (10) minutes time frame, and then voted up or down. Approval requires 60% of the voting members.
No resolution previously defeated by County Committee, nor a resolution contradicting an approved resolution, may be considered without documented new circumstances. After consideration by the Chair, the proponents may follow the above procedures for the resolution to be considered by County Committee.

Article XXI. Candidate Endorsement Procedures for
Partisan and Nonpartisan Office

Section 1. President of the United States

In accordance with the CDP bylaws, no official unit of the CDP may endorse any candidate for delegate to the Democratic National Convention or endorse candidates for President of the United States until the Democratic National Convention has been held.
Individual members may endorse delegates or a candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination. The political party or office held by such members who make such an endorsement may only be indicated in that endorsement solely for identification purposes.

Section 2. Partisan Public Offices Other Than President

The endorsement of candidates for other pubic offices is authorized on two levels. The first level is called a “Pre-endorsing conference”, held in each CDP Region. The final caucuses take place during the “Endorsing convention” held by CDP where CDP members resident in the relevant district shall vote on candidates requesting CDP endorsement.
Voting at all endorsing caucuses shall be by roll call vote. Fifty percent plus one (50%+1) of the credentialed members of an endorsing caucus shall constitute a quorum.
Members of an endorsing caucus shall be presented with a “no endorsement” option on all endorsement votes.
No endorsing caucus may endorse more candidates than there are seats for the office in question
Candidates and all interested parties must receive notice of the time, place and agenda of all steps in the proceedings leading up to endorsement.
County Committee cannot endorse when CDP has not endorsed in partisan races.
A Pre-endorsing conference, conducted by the Orange County CDP Regional Director, shall be held prior to the State Endorsing Convention for all Democratic Candidates in the Region who have requested endorsement and paid the one hundred dollar ($100.00) fee for statewide public office and fifty dollar ($50.00) fee in all other cases.
Absentee ballot voting shall be allowed for each office, provided that a minimum of five (5) delegates eligible to vote for that office are present to constitute a quorum. In the absence of such quorum no recommendation for endorsement shall take place.
Voting participants at each pre-endorsing conference shall be:
All CDP members resident in the district.
All regular County Committee members resident in the district.
The designated representatives from chartered clubs and organizations may only vote in the districts in which they reside.
No proxy voting shall be allowed at pre-endorsing conferences. Thirty (30) days before a pre-endorsing conference, it shall be the responsibility of the Regional Director, with the assistance of County Committee chair and ADC chairs to identify by name, eligible voters and to transmit the names of all such voters to the State Chair, along with the Assembly District, Senate District and Congressional District in which each resides.
Eligibility to vote with respect to a given office shall be limited to those conference participants resident in the election district in question.
A candidate’s name may be place on the consent calendar of CDP’s Endorsing Convention, upon receiving a seventy percent (70%) vote at a pre-endorsing conference.
At the CDP Endorsing Convention, the consent calendar shall be approved by a simple majority vote of eligible voters attending the convention.
A name may be removed from the consent calendar by any five (5) members of CDP members resident in the District in question, or by three hundred (300) members of CDP by filing an objection with the State Chair no later than ten (10) days prior to the State Endorsing Convention. If a name is removed from the consent calendar, the CDP bylaws regarding endorsements shall apply.
The final endorsement procedures, as listed in the CDP bylaws, take place at the CDP Endorsing Convention where decisions of endorsing caucuses and the recommendation of pre-endorsing conferences which appear on the consent calendar, shall be subject to ratification by the full membership of CDP at a time certain noticed in the printed convention agenda, except with respect to candidates for statewide public office.

Section 3. Nonpartisan Public Offices

Endorsement of candidates for all local nonpartisan offices within Orange County, shall be the exclusive responsibility of the County Committee, and shall be extended only to registered Democrats. All endorsements shall be made in accordance with County Committee bylaws duly adopted at least six (6) months prior to making such endorsements. The option of “no endorsement” shall be provided in any endorsement caucus. The County Committee may endorse by affirmative vote of sixty percent (60%) of those members voting for any Democrat who has filed for nonpartisan office. The County Committee shall not endorse more candidates for an office than the number to be elected for that office. Endorsement procedures shall only take place when requested in writing by a candidate who has taken out papers for a non-partisan office who have requested endorsement and paid the fifty dollar ($50.00) fee. When an endorsement procedure is requested by a candidate, all candidates who are registered Democrats shall be notified in writing of the date, time and place of all relevant meetings and of their right to consideration. The Committee shall maintain a proof of service of notice. No endorsement shall take place until the deadline for filing has passed.
All members of the County Committee, including alternates and associate members, have voting rights for nonpartisan offices, in accordance with CDP bylaws.
A Democratic candidate for nonpartisan office who has been endorsed by the County Committee shall also be considered to be the endorsed candidate of the CDP and shall be entitled to such privileges and benefits as may be attached thereto, e.g., an opportunity, where appropriate, to include his/her name in informational material distributed with the CDP’s mailing permit.
It is the intent that the County Committee shall make every reasonable effort:
To see that at least one qualified, registered Democrat is a candidate for each local nonpartisan office within its endorsing jurisdiction.
To raise funds sufficient to provide significant support to endorse candidates needing and wishing support.
To persuade Democrats running against endorsed candidates to withdraw from their races and to extend their support to those carrying the endorsement.
To protect the integrity of its endorsement power by precluding, including through the use of legal process, other entries from representing themselves as purveyors of an official Democratic Party endorsement.

Section 4. Local Ballot Propositions

The County Committee’s position on local ballot propositions may be communicated in informational material, distributed with the CDP’s mailing permit so long as:

The County Committee’s position has been duly adopted and its bylaws have been reviewed and approved by the CDP.
The material does not express endorsement of a candidate for nonpartisan office who is not also an endorsed candidate of CDP as in this Article, Section 3 A.

Article XXII. Election Committee Procedures

Section 1. Ballots

After the votes are tallied, ballots shall be placed in a sealed envelope by the Election Committee and delivered to the Secretary who shall retain said ballots for sixty (60) days, at which time said ballots shall be destroyed.
The Chair shall announce the results of all elections, and the Election Committee shall immediately post the election results.
Each candidate is entitled to select one (1) observer during the counting of the ballots.

Article XXIII. General Policies

Section 1. Access to the Handicapped

The County Committee meetings shall be held in quarters accessible to the physically handicapped.

Section 2. Open Meetings

All public meetings of the County Committee shall be open to all members of the Democratic Party regardless of race, gender, age, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnic identity or economic status.

Section 3. Full Disclosure of Meetings

The time and place of all County Committee meetings should be publicized fully and in such manner so as to assure timely notice to all interested persons. Such meetings shall be held in places accessible to all Party members and large enough to accommodate all interested persons.

Section 4. Full Registration

The County Committee supports the broadest Democratic voter registration without discrimination on grounds of race, gender, age, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnic identity or economic status.

End of Bylaws

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