2023 Reorganization Rules

Rules for 31st Legislative District Democrats Reorganization Meeting

1. Applicability
This set of rules shall govern all business that must be conducted at the 31st Legislative District Democrats’ biennial Re-organization meeting which will be held virtually pursuant to the organizational bylaws adopted January 12, 2019 and amended June 22, 2022, Article V. Section 6.

2. Conduct of Business
Business shall be conducted via electronic means such as a Zoom meeting or an equivalent online meeting service. Individuals are to remain muted throughout proceedings unless unmuted by the Chair or the Chair’s designee after being granted the floor. To prevent debate that circumnavigates the standard speaking order or distracts focus from the recognized speaker holding the floor, any chat functions may be limited to direct 1:1 messaging to individual participants. The decision to limit chat shall be at the discretion of the Chair and/or the Sergeant-At-Arms.

To be recognized to speak a Member must first communicate their desire to be recognized and the purpose for which recognition is sought. If a member would like to be recognized for debate or to provide a motion, or a nomination during the election of officers, they may use the “raise hand” function in Zoom, or similar applicable function in the software being utilized, provided the Chair or Chair’s designee will be able to monitor all participants equally well and assure fairness in recognition. The Chair or the Chair’s designee will keep a running list of individuals who have their hands raised and the order in which they raised their hands to recognize them to speak.

If conducting debate, the Chair may bypass the next speaker to hear from additional individuals who have their hands raised to alternate debate between pro and con.

Requests for recognition to make a motion that requires interrupting the current speaker and requests for recognition when no other business is pending should be made by direct messaging the Chair or the Chair’s designee directly using the most suitable chat function available within the platform being utilized.

3. Temporary Chair
The meeting shall be called to order by a Temporary Meeting Chair, who shall be either the King County Democratic Central Committee (KCDCC) Chair or their designee. The Temporary Meeting Chair:

a) shall appoint a Credentials Committee to administer sign-ins for the District’s Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs); this committee shall be comprised of members of the 31st District Democrats, to the greatest extent possible;
b) shall also appoint, for the meeting, a Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Tally Chair and Committee; and
c) shall preside until a District Chair has been elected.

The committee members appointed by the Temporary Chair may be confirmed in their roles by the newly elected Chair, or the new Chair may appoint new committee persons for the duration of the meeting.

4. Eligible Voters for Statutory Positions & Bylaws
Only District-resident PCOs elected at the August 2022 primary—including those elected by virtue of being the only candidate to file in a precinct— shall be eligible to vote on the adoption of bylaws or in elections for:

a) District Chair;
b) First Vice Chair (i.e., the office considered to be the Vice Chair of the organization for WSD Charter and Bylaws purposes, even if the actual title is different; e.g., “First Vice Chair”);
c) Two State Committee Persons who will represent the 31st LD Democrats as members of the Washington State Democrats Central Committee, who shall, to the extent possible, be of different genders;
d) One representative and one alternate to the King County Democrats Central Committee (KCDCC) Executive Board;
e) Three representatives to PCDCC Executive Board.

5. Adoption of Bylaws
After adoption of the Agenda and meeting Rules, the body may consider amendments to bylaws for the District Organization if it is the will of the body. Bylaws amendments may be postponed, either to later in the meeting or to a subsequent meeting; however, until and unless such time as the District Organization amends bylaws for the 2023-24 biennium, its existing bylaws are acknowledged as remaining in effect.

6. Amendments to the Bylaws
The process for proposing and adopting amendments to the Bylaws shall be as follows:

a) Only elected PCOs may introduce amendments to the Bylaws;
b) Amendments to strike language shall require one second;
c) Amendments to add or change language shall require five seconds;
d) Amendments to amendments shall be out of order;
e) Amendments shall require a simple majority of PCOs present and voting to pass;
f) Amendments for housekeeping (grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.) shall not require a motion or a second and may be accepted by the Chair provided there are no objections;
g) A simple majority of PCOs present and voting shall be required to adopt the Bylaws;
h) Failure to adopt the Bylaws as amended shall result in the previously existing Bylaws remaining in effect.

7. Order of Election for Statutory Positions
All votes will be conducted sequentially in the following order:

a) District Chair;
b) First Vice Chair;
c) Two State Committee Persons, who shall both be elected via a single ballot;
d) One representative and one alternate to the King County Democrats Central Committee (KCDCC) Executive Board;
e) Three representatives to the Pierce County Democrats Central Committee (PCDCC) Executive Board, who may be elected via a single ballot.

The order of election of officers may be modified by simple majority vote (e.g., to take into account positions created or removed per newly adopted bylaws) at any time prior to the election of the District Chair, provided that

a) The District Chair is elected first; and,
b) The proposed sequence includes election of all statutory positions persuant to Section 4, above.

8. PCO Vacancies
Persons seeking appointment to fill a vacant PCO position may present an application to the Chair and the Secretary after the election of the Statutory Postions. Since persons approved by the body to be appointed to fill a PCO vacancy do not become PCOs until appointment by the County Chair, no such appointment shall be effective prior to adjournment of the reorganization meeting; however, such persons shall be treated as members in good standing of the District Organization immediately upon approval of their PCO application and they may vote on non-statutory officers and other District business.

9. Eligible Voters for Non-Statutory Positions
All PCOs elected in 2022 are eligible to vote for non-statutory positions. In addition, newly appointed PCOs and non-PCO members of the District Organization in good standing may also vote on non-statutory officers, and any other district business, except the adoption of bylaws.

a) The Credentials Committee will issue voting credentials to all newly appointed PCOs and non-PCO members who were members in good standing of the organization at the end of the 2022 calendar year and who paid dues in 2022 and renewed dues for 2023 no later than January 12, 2023; and

b) Upon completion of the last statutory officer election and prior to those officer elections and subsequent business that non-PCO members may vote on:

  1. The meeting may, if necessary, recess to allow credentialing for all non-PCO members present at that time, following which,
  2. The Credentials Committee shall report on the non-PCO members, which shall include the total number of such members credentialed.

10. Order of Election for Non-statutory Positions

a) Second Vice-Chair

b) Secretary

c) Treasurer

d) Committee Chairs for Communication, Fundraising/Events, Membership, PCO Coordination, Website/Technology, and Outreach/Public Relations

11. Nomination of Officers
Any individual who is eligible to serve as an elected officer may submit their name and position for which they are running prior to any virtual election being held, to the current Chair and district Secretary. The Secretary will confirm receipt of intention to run within 24 hours of receiving the intention. An individual may submit their name for multiple positions but if they do, they need to expressly indicate whether they will accept the first position to which they are elected and withdraw their name from nomination for the other offices to be elected, or if they intend to occupy multiple offices if so elected. Any individual may be nominated from the floor.

The process for nominating and electing all positions shall include the following:

a) Call for nominations, which shall be repeated at least three times;
b) Closing of nominations;
c) Three-minute speech for each candidate, in which the order of speeches is determined by the order of nomination;
d) Two-minute seconding speech for each candidate;
e) Speakers for all races may be PCOs, candidates, or other residents of the 31st Legislative District willing to publicly declare themselves as Democrats.

12. Voting for Officers
Uncontested candidates, excluding the Chair, may be elected by acclamation. In the case of a contested election, a majority of votes cast by eligible voters is required for election. In the event that no candidate achieves a majority, the candidate receiving the fewest votes will be dropped and another round of voting for the position will be held. For the election of the Chair and any contested elections of statutory officers, an electronic ballot is required. The Chair and/or a designated individual or tally committee shall create and compile an electronic ballot that meets the following requirements:

a) Each ballot shall be open for voting only upon conclusion of all speeches for the respective position;
b) A ballot must contain the voter’s name, and email address to ensure the integrity of the election. Any ballot that does not have these identification criteria shall be considered spoiled and invalid;
c) Ballots must remain open for a minimum of ten (10) minutes;
d) Any member of the 31st LD Democrats in good standing shall be able to audit all ballots and election results upon written request to the Chair and/or another designated individual.

The Tally Committee shall count the ballots in consultation with the highest-ranking outgoing officer of the organization and a second individual designated by the outgoing Chair, neither of whom may be candidates themselves, and together they shall certify the election results in as timely a manner as possible after the close of voting and immediately transmit said results to all members present.

13. Parliamentary Authority
In all matters not expressly covered by these Rules or the Bylaws of the 31st LD Democrats, or by the WSDCC Charter or bylaws, or by the RCW, Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, latest edition, shall govern this meeting.