By-Laws – Nye County Democrats

NYE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE BYLAWS

ARTICLE I – NAME AND PURPOSE

Section 1.1: Name

The name of this organization shall be the Nye County Democratic Central Committee (“County Central Committee). The County Democratic Central Committee in its public pronouncements may refer to itself alternatively as the Nye County Democratic Party (NCDP).

Section 1.2: Purpose

The purpose of the Nye County Central Committee is: to actively support Democratic candidates for national, state, county, and local offices, promote the growth and development of the Democratic Party within Nye County, Nevada; and carry out Democratic Party campaigns in any requested manner that is practicable.

Section 1.3: Governance

These Bylaws shall, to the extent not inconsistent with local and state laws of Nevada, operate under the charter and bylaws of the Nevada State Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee.

If any portion of these Nye County Democratic Central Committee bylaws is found to be in conflict with the charters and bylaws of the Nevada State Democratic Party and/or the Democratic National Committee and/or other provisions pursuant to the authority of the National Charter, the applicable national provision shall govern.

If any portion of these Nye County Democratic Central Committee bylaws is found to be in conflict with Nevada state law, the Nye County Democratic Party shall take immediate and measurable steps to bring such laws into conformity with said Party provisions.

ARTICLE II – MEMBERSHIP

Section 2.1 Committee Members

The number of County Central Committee members shall be one (1) member from each precinct for each 50 registered voters or major fraction thereof.

The County Central Committee shall be comprised of an elected body of members made up of one Precinct Captain and one Member from each precinct.

Precincts with 50 or fewer registered Democrats shall have one Member on the County Central Committee, who shall serve as the Precinct Captain.

The composition of the County Central Committee may be changed by the county central committee to reflect changes in the organization of precincts and in the number of registered voters of the party, using the same standards adopted by the party to elect delegates to the county convention.

The number of County Central Committee members determined pursuant to this paragraph must be used to determine the number of delegates to the county convention.

Precinct Captains must be elected as delegates to the county convention in even-numbered years in order to be elected to the county central committee during the convention. In the event of a vacancy in either position, an eligible Democrat, under Section 2.2, shall be nominated by the County Chair in accordance with Section 2.1.

Section 2.2: Eligibility

An individual is eligible to serve as a Member of the County Central Committee if he or she is a registered Democrat residing in Nye County.
Should a member be found to not meet these eligibility requirements they shall be removed from membership.

Section 2.3: Duties of Members

Maintain the Democratic organization within the Precinct.
Coordinate get out the vote efforts within the Precinct.
Gather and report information to the County Central Committee to maintain the most accurate record on all registered voters in the Precinct.
Other duties assigned by the County Executive Board.

Section 2.4: Ex-Officio Members

Democratically elected officials may serve on the County Central Committee as either regular members or ex-officio members. No member may hold more than one position at a time on the County Central Committee.

Regular membership requires an election to the committee and provides voting rights in all circumstances where provided in these bylaws.
Ex-officio membership is extended by virtue of their office and allows for discussion and vote on all matters when in personal attendance except for the election, removal, and filling of vacancies of officers, and amendments to these Charter and Bylaws. Special Members have no proxy.

The Special Members of the County Central Committee may be:

United States Senators from the State of Nevada if Democrats.
United States Representatives from the State of Nevada if Democrats.
State Constitutional Officers of the State of Nevada if Democrats.
Democratic Party members of the Nevada Assembly.
Democratic Party members of the Nevada State Senate.

Section 2: Term

Members of the County Central Committee shall be elected to a term of two (2) years and shall take office after the County Convention at which they were elected, and serve until the adjournment of the next succeeding County Convention once their successors have been elected.

Section 2.6: Resignation

A Member of the County Central Committee may resign by giving written notice to the Chair at any time.

Section 2.7: Termination

A Member of the County Central Committee may be terminated for just cause (Section 2.10) by a vote of two-thirds of the membership present at a regular meeting of the County Central Committee.

Section 2.8: Residency

Any Member not having their primary residence in Nye County shall no longer be eligible to be a Member of the Nye County Central Committee.

Section 2.9: Attendance

Any Member who misses three (3) consecutive meetings or five (5) meetings in a calendar year shall be considered to have vacated his or her membership unless prior notification of a legitimate reason for non-attendance is made.

Section 2.10: Just Cause

Removal for cause shall include, but is not limited to:

Change in party affiliation;
Malfeasance;
Moving outside of Nye County;
Publicly supporting a candidate of another party running against a Democrat for office.

Section 2.11: Vacancies

If any position on the County Central Committee remains unfilled following the County Precinct Caucuses, the chair shall nominate individuals at regular county central committee meetings who meet the requirements for Membership.

The County Central Committee Secretary shall keep a list compiled of interested individuals in the order in which their request is received.

The Chair shall nominate individuals (who reside in the Precinct where the vacancy exists) from the list in sequential order.

Section 2.12: Voting Rights

All Members of the Nye County Central Committee shall be eligible to vote in all meetings of the County Central Committee following the adjournment of the County Central Committee meeting at which they became Members.

All members of the County Central Committee shall have an equal voice and vote in the affairs of the CCC unless these Bylaws or the State Charter direct expressly to the contrary.

ARTICLE IIl – OFFICERS

Section 3.1: Officers

The elected officers of the County Central Committee shall be the Chair, First Vice-Chair, Second Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 3.2: Eligibility

Any individual seeking one of the offices described in Section 3.1 must meet all the requirements of Membership outlined in Article II.

Section 3.3: Term of Office

Officers of the County Central Committee shall be elected for two-year terms by the Members of the County Central Committee.

Section 3.4: Officer Elections

All officers shall be elected at a special meeting (“Election Meeting”) of the County Central Committee held in the month of April during odd-numbered years.
Notice of the Election Meeting shall be given to County Central Committee Members not less than sixty (60) days prior to the Election Meeting.
Elections shall be by a simple majority vote of the County Central Committee.
Voting for all offices shall be by non-secret signed ballot unless no opposition exists for an office, in which case it may be voted on by resolution passed by a majority vote of the Members present at the Election Meeting.
Only those candidates who provide written notice of their candidacy to the Chair at least forty-five (45) days prior to the Election Meeting shall have their names printed on the ballots distributed at the Election Meeting.
Notice of the declared candidates shall be distributed to the County Central Committee Members not less than thirty (30) days prior to the Election Meeting.
If there is a tie vote between two candidates, the office shall be elected by drawing cards in accordance with the Nevada Constitution.
Any candidate wishing to withdraw their application must do so, in writing, fifteen (15) days prior to the scheduled election.

Section 3.5: Removal of Officers

Upon written petition of twenty percent (20%) of the County Central Committee Members, a special meeting (“Removal Meeting”) of the County Central Committee may be called for the purpose of considering the removal of an officer.
Special notice shall be provided to the officer for whom removal is sought within three (3) days of receipt of a petition in accordance with Section 3.5(A) herein.
Notice of the Removal Meeting shall be given to the County Central Committee Members not less than ten (10) days prior to the Removal Meeting.
A petition for the removal of an officer shall be carried upon a two-thirds vote of the County Central Committee Members present at the Removal Meeting.
Voting on any petition for removal shall be voting card and hand-counted tally.

Section 3.6: Vacancies

If the office of Chair becomes vacant, the First Vice-Chair shall become the Acting Chair until the procedures outlined in Section 3. 8(D) can be implemented.
If any other officer position becomes vacant, the current Chair may appoint a replacement officer to serve for the remainder of the unexpired two-year term.
Any individual appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve the unexpired portion of the term.

Section 3.7: Duties of the Chair

Be the Chief Executive Officer of the County Central Committee and preside at all meetings of the County Central Committee and the Executive Board.
Be the solely authorized spokesperson for the Nye County Democratic Party, unless an alternate is designated by the Chair for a special purpose and a fixed period of time.
Be charged with the responsibility of implementing the policies of the County Central Committee and the Executive Board.
Provide for the call and proposed agenda for all meetings of the County Central Committee and its Executive Board.
Appoint a Parliamentarian, Sergeant-at-Arms, Counsel, and such other individuals as may be necessary for the efficient and fair conduct of meetings.
Hire and terminate County Central Committee office staff within budget limitations.
Be an ex-officio voting member of all committees of the County Central Committee and the Executive Board.
Perform such other duties as the County Central Committee or its Executive Board shall delegate.

Section 3.8: Duties of the First Vice-Chair

The First Vice-Chair shall serve as Chair of both the Fundraising and Communications Committees and be responsible for the fundraising and communication efforts of the County Central Committee.
In the absence of the Chair, the First Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair and succeed to the position of Acting Chair should the office of the chair be vacated for any reason.
Should the office of the chair be vacated for any reason, the First Vice-Chair shall call a special election meeting of the County Central Committee for the purpose of electing a Chair, following the procedures outlined in Section 3.6(B).
Perform such other duties as the County Central Committee or its Executive Board shall delegate.

Section 3.9: Duties of the Second Vice-Chair

The Second Vice-Chair shall be responsible for Precinct Organizing and Volunteer Recruitment and Retention.
Serve as Chair of the Precinct Organizing Committee.
Serve as Vice-Chair of the Volunteer Committee.
Perform such other duties as the County Central Committee or its Executive Board shall delegate.

Section 3.10: Duties of the Secretary

Prepare the minutes of all meetings of the County Central Committee, the Executive Board, and the County Convention.
Maintain attendance records, including absence notification, of the County Central Committee, Executive Board meetings, and County conventions.
Keep all records of the County Central Committee and maintain a record of its operating rules and those adopted by its Executive Board.
Draft correspondence and other notices to County Central Committee Members.
Draft correspondence on behalf of and at the direction of the County Central Committee Executive Board.
Perform such other duties as the County Central Committee, its Executive Board or Chair delegates.

Section 3.11: Duties of the Treasurer

Maintain the financial records of the County Central Committee and its committees.
Be responsible for the accurate and timely filing of reports required by public disclosure or taxing authorities.
Oversee the assets of the County Central Committee and maintain an inventory of all County Central Committee property.
Supervise the deposit and disbursement of funds of the County Central Committee pursuant to state law and Public Disclosure Commission regulations, the bylaws adopted budget, any operating rules established by County Central Committee, and its Executive Board.
Prepare and distribute a written financial report to the Executive Board at each of its meetings.
Serve as the Vice-Chair of the Fundraising Committee.
Perform such other duties as the County Central Committee, its Executive Board, or Chair delegates.

ARTICLE IV – EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 4.1: Powers and Duties

The Executive Board serves as the governing body for the County Central Committee between meetings, implements the policies of the County Central Committee, reviews legal and personnel matters for presentation to the County Central Committee, and carries out other duties as required by these Bylaws.

Officers of the County Central Committee shall also be current members of the CCC in good standing.

Section 4.2: Members

The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the County Central Committee and two (2) at large directors nominated and ratified by a majority of the membership present at the next regular or special meeting of the County Central Committee.

Section 4.3: Meetings

The Executive Board shall meet at least two weeks prior to each regular meeting of the County Central Committee.

Section 4.4: Quorum

A quorum shall consist of four (4) members or a majority of currently serving Executive Board members.

Section 4.5: Notice

Special meetings of the Executive Board may be convened as needed to conduct the duties of the Board with 48-hour notice to all Executive Board Members. Notice shall be sent to the email address on file for Executive Board Members. Emergency action may be taken by the Executive Board via electronic (telephone, fax, email) voting of Board Members.

ARTICLE V – STANDING COMMITTEES

Section 5.1: Standing Committees

The Chair shall establish the following Standing Committees, which shall operate under the guidance of these Bylaws and at the direction of the Executive Board:

Fundraising
Precinct Organization
Rules and Bylaws
Communications
Volunteer
Trustee Committee

Section 5.2: Fundraising Committee

Committee Composition: The First Vice-Chair shall chair the Fundraising Committee; the Treasurer shall be the Vice-Chair of the Fundraising Committee. The Fundraising Committee Chair shall appoint all remaining members of the Fundraising Committee. The Fundraising Committee shall consist of an odd number of members not to exceed seven (7).
Committee Duties: The Fundraising Committee shall:

Develop a budget for each calendar year and submit the proposed budget to the Executive Board for review and approval;
Propose policies and procedures to the Executive Board to govern County Central Committee fiscal operations;
Propose methods of raising funds for the County Central Committee and, with the approval of the Executive Board, implement and coordinate fundraising plans;
Develop short-term and long-term strategies for meeting the financial obligations of the County Central Committee.

Section 5.3: Precinct Organizing Committee

Committee Members: The Second Vice-Chair shall chair the Precinct Organizing Committee. The Precinct Organizing Committee Chair shall appoint all remaining members of the Precinct Organizing Committee. The Precinct Organizing Committee shall consist of an odd number of members not to exceed seven (7).
Committee Duties: The Precinct Organizing Committee shall:

Develop and implement strategies to recruit and train Precinct Captains;
Develop and implement strategies to retain, develop, and train Members of the County Central Committee.

Section 5.4: Rules and Bylaws Committee

All motions for adoptions and amendments to the Nye County Democratic Central Committee Bylaws shall be referred to the Rules and Bylaws Committee for review and report at least forty-five (45) days prior to being presented to the County Central Committee for a vote.
All reports of the Rules and Bylaws Committee shall be in writing and shall contain the full text of action recommended and shall identify recommendations not approved by the Committee for adoption.
The Rules and Bylaws Committee shall interpret rules of procedure for the conduct of the County Central Committee meetings and activities.
The Chair shall call on the Rules and Bylaws Committee for the formulation of the Temporary Rules of the County Convention to be included in the Call to the Convention, and the E-board may adopt the recommendations of the Rules and Bylaws Committee as such Temporary Convention Rules.
The Rules and Bylaws Committee shall conduct a continuing study of the Bylaws, Rules, and Charter and make periodic recommendations for amendment, extension, or other action, provided that any such recommendations be submitted to members of the County Central Committee at the time the agenda is presented.

Section 5.5: Communications Committee

Committee Members: The First Vice-Chair shall chair the Communication Committee; The Communication Committee Chair shall appoint the remaining members of the Communication Committee. The Communication Committee shall consist of an odd number of members not to exceed seven (7).
Committee Duties: The Communication Committee shall:

Communicate throughout Nye County;
Evaluate communications with the surrounding community and recommend policies and procedures to improve community outreach and communications;

According to your bylaws, this is done by the secretary.

Section 5.6: Volunteer Committee

Committee Members: The Second Vice-Chair shall chair the Volunteer Committee. The Volunteer Committee Chair shall appoint all remaining members of the Volunteer Committee. The Volunteer Committee shall consist of an odd number of members not to exceed seven (7).
Committee Duties: The Volunteer Committee shall:

Develop and implement strategies to recruit and train volunteers for the Central Committee office and sanctioned events.

Section 5.7: Trustees

Committee Members: The Executive Board shall oversee the Trustees; two (2) Trustees shall be appointed by the Chair from the Members of the Central Committee with Executive Board approval.
Committee Duties: The Trustees shall:

Conduct semi-annual (or whenever a change of officers takes place) reviews of the records of the Central Committee, including, but not limited to, the financial statements, inventory of Central Committee assets, meeting minutes, and legal filing documents.
The Trustees shall prepare and present a report of their review to the Central Committee of their findings.

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

Section 6.1: Regular Meetings

Regular Meetings of the County Central Committee shall be held at a time and place determined by the Executive Board. At least two (2) meetings per calendar year shall be held outside of Pahrump.

Section 6.2: Special Meetings

Special meetings may be called either by the Chair or by written petition signed by at least twenty percent (20%) of the County Central Committee members and presented to the Chair.

Section 6.3: Quorum

The quorum for meetings of the County Central Committee called for the purpose of electing or removing officers, amending the Bylaws or making endorsements shall be thirty percent (30%) of the County Central Committee Members. All other meetings of the County Central Committee shall not require a quorum.

Section 6.4: Notice

Notice of all County Central Committee meetings shall be made at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting, except as otherwise provided herein. Notice shall, wherever possible, be made in a format least costly to the County Central Committee.

Section 6.5: Rules

In the absence of other provisions, Robert’s Rules of Order (as most recently revised) shall govern the conduct of all Democratic Party meetings.

ARTICLE VII – DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATIONS

Section 7.1: Caucuses

The Chair of the County Central Committee may form one or more caucuses to serve the official outreach arm of the County Central Committee.
The Chair shall nominate the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary of any caucus to be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
Should a caucus elect to draft its own bylaws, any such bylaws must receive prior approval from the Executive Board.

Section 7.2: Clubs, Caucuses, and Support Organizations

A Democratic Club may seek a charter from the County Central Committee to be recognized as the Democratic Club for a defined geographic area or issue-based community. The County Central Committee shall charter no more than one (1) geographic club in any defined geographic area, but may alter the boundaries of any area or issue-based community. It shall be the obligation of a geographic club to organize Democrats residing within its defined area.
Upon the recommendation of the Executive Board, the County Central Committee may charter, on a non-exclusive basis, support organizations that provide support for and enhance communications between Democratic clubs in their area.

Section 7.3: Chartering

Any club or support organization seeking a charter from the County Central Committee to use the Democratic Party name must meet the following minimum requirements:

It must maintain at least twelve (12) active members;
All members shall be registered Democrats or have expressed the intention of becoming Democrats as soon as they are eligible to register to vote: and
Membership shall be open to all Democrats regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

A club or support organization seeking to charter shall comply with the following procedure:

Charters will be granted on an annual basis;
Initial chartering requests must be submitted to the Chair for review and vote by the Executive Board;
The club or support organization shall provide the Chair with a copy of its proposed constitution and/or bylaws and its officer and membership list;
Clubs and support organizations shall be subject to annual review by the Executive Board to determine continued compliance with the charter minimum requirements and the club’s bylaws;
Upon initial chartering and annual renewal, the club or organization shall pay an annual chartering fee of $25.00. The fee requirement may be waived by a vote of the Executive Board if the club or organization demonstrates that payment of the chartering fee will constitute an economic hardship.
The payment of the annual chartering fee shall entitle its president or other designated member to be an associate member of the County Central Committee. Membership in the County Central Committee should be encouraged for all members of “Democratic” clubs or organizations.

Suspension, revocation and/or denial of renewal of a charter:

If alleged good cause exists for suspension, revocation or denial of renewal of a charter, such alleged cause shall first be presented to the Executive Board at its regularly scheduled meeting;
The Executive Board shall, by majority vote, determine if it will give a hearing to an allegation and if so, will place it on its agenda for a designated subsequent meeting;
A minimum of twenty (20) days written notice shall be provided to the president of the affected club or support organization to the mailing address filed with the County Central Committee specifying the allegation and giving notice of the date the allegation will be heard;
The club or support organization’s president or other designees shall be allowed to respond to the allegation at the Executive Board meeting noticed;
If the Executive Board by a two-thirds vote determines to recommend suspension, revocation, or denial of renewal of the club or support organization’s charter, it shall provide written notice to the club’s president within seven (7) business days of reaching its determination.

Final approval or rejection of the Executive Board’s recommendation shall require two-thirds (2/3) vote by the Members of the County Central Committee present and voting at the next scheduled County Central Committee regular or special meeting.

If the County Central Committee approves the recommendation of the Executive Board to suspend, revoke or deny renewal of a charter, the Secretary shall provide written notice to the club’s president within seven (7) business days of reaching its determination.

If a club or support organization’s charter is revoked or not renewed, no other club or support organization shall be chartered using the same name for the twelve (12) months immediately following such action.

ARTICLE VIII – STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Members and Officers of the County Central Committee may also be members of the State Central Committee but must be elected to each.
When vacancies for Nye County become available on the State Central Committee the Chair of the Nye County Central Committee or his/her designee shall nominate prospective members from a waiting list of County Central Committee Members who have expressed a desire to become a member of the State Central Committee.
The Secretary shall keep a list of individuals who request a nomination in the order in which their request is received. Nominated individuals shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term of the position to which they are elected.

ARTICLE IX – ENDORSEMENTS

Section 9.1: Endorsements Not Permitted

Endorsement of any candidate for public office is not permitted by the County Central Committee, Executive Board, or any caucus, club, or support organization appointed by or chartered by the County Central Committee before a primary election.

Nothing in this section shall prohibit any individual member of the County Central Committee from endorsing a candidate in his or her personal capacity.

ARTICLE X – BYLAWS AMENDMENTS

Section 10.1: Proposed Amendments

Proposed amendments to the Bylaws shall be in writing and filed with the Chair at least forty-five (45) days prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered. The Executive Board shall consider the proposed amendment(s) and shall make a written recommendation to the County Central Committee at least ten (10) days before the meeting at which the proposed amendments are to be considered.

Section 10.2: Approval

Approval of any new bylaws or amendments will be with the understanding that they will supersede any and all previous bylaws.
Approval of any amendments to the Bylaws shall be by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the County Central Committee at a regular or special meeting, provided a thirty percent (30%) quorum is met in accordance with Section 6.3 herein.

Section 10.3: Effective Date

Any amendment(s) to the Bylaws approved in accordance with Section 10.2 shall be effective immediately upon approval and shall supersede any previous Bylaws.

Section 10.4: Severability

If any of these Bylaws, or any part thereof, shall be determined to be in violation of any Nevada or United States law, all other Bylaws contained herein shall have the same force and effect.

ARTICLE XI: REVOCATION

Section 11.1: Revocation

All previous bylaws and amendments to those bylaws thereto are hereby revoked.