Proposed Rules for 2022 Caucus

Proposed Rules for March 26, 2022 31st Legislative District Caucus

Note: These rules have been drafted in accordance with the 2022 Delegate Selection and Affirmative Action Plan (DSAAP). Although Legislative Districts may adjust these rules to meet local caucus customs, no Legislative District may amend these rules in a way that conflicts with the DSAAP. These rules specifically outline a process of holding a wholly VIRTUAL 31st Legislative District Caucus.

The 31st Legislative District Caucus shall be held on Saturday, March 26^th 2022 commencing at 10:00 AM, on the 31st Legislative District’s Zoom Platform, with the following access information:

Voters at the 31st Legislative District Caucus shall be any member of the Legislative District residing in the 31st Legislative District who had a valid membership as of February 24^th, 2022.
Candidates for Delegate shall be any individual residing in the Legislative District who is willing to identify publicly as a Democrat.
The Legislative District Chair or the Chair’s designee shall serve as the Chair of the 31st Legislative District Caucus. The Chair shall appoint a temporary Secretary, Sergeant- at-Arms, Credentials Chair, and Parliamentarian.
Near the start of the general assembly, the Chair shall announce the allocation of State Convention delegates and alternates as well as the Affirmative Action goals assigned to the 31st Legislative District. These delegate numbers shall be provided by the Washington State Democratic Party, based on the Democratic vote share of the 31st Legislative District in 2020.
The Chair of the Credentials Committee shall present the preliminary report of the Credentials Committee which shall include:
1. The total number of members who have been issued Unique Voter Identification Numbers (UVINs) and are eligible to vote at this meeting
2. Whether the number of eligible voting members meets the quorum specified in these rules
3. The number of challenged voting members.
  1. For each challenged participant, the chair of the credentials committee shall present the documents and statements relating to the challenge.
  2. After the time at which votes may be taken, the body of the caucus shall vote to determine if the participant’s eligibility will be sustained.
  3. If the challenged participant is sustained the participant will be seated.
  4. If the challenged participant is not sustained, the participant shall be removed from the voting assembly immediately.
  5. A challenged participant and the participant raising the challenge may not vote on the question of the challenge.
All voting members are considered “seated” upon completion of a ballot, and members may be seated during any ballot.
State Convention delegates and alternates shall be elected using the following procedures:
1. Candidates for Delegate may either nominate themselves ahead of the beginning of the Caucus using the prior distributed sign-in form no later than Thursday, March 24^th, 2022, or may nominate themselves by using the “Raise hand” function in Zoom when the Chair calls for nominations.
  1. No second is required
  2. Each candidate shall have an amount of time designated by the chair for all candidates – between 30 to 90 seconds, inclusive of any technical difficulties – to provide a speech to the voting members in support of their candidacy. It is the responsibility of the delegate to have tested their audio/visual systems prior to the Caucus. The statements from candidates who self-nominated using the sign-in form will have been accessible to all voting members prior to the beginning of the meeting.

1. 1. Candidates will speak in the order listed on the candidate filing list starting with those candidates that self-nominated before the meeting.

1. If there are insufficient candidates to fill the delegate positions available, no vote is required and all candidates are assumed to be elected.

1. If there are more than enough candidates to fill all positions but insufficient males or females to comply with the requirement to balance within 1, the candidates from the insufficient gender and all individuals identifying as gender non-binary are assumed to be elected, and a single ballot will be used to select the remainder of the delegates from the candidates who identify as the other gender.

1. Voting shall be by Google Form secured through a Unique Voting Identification Number, and a double-blind ballot (meaning those tabulating the votes shall not have access to which unique voting code is associated with which voting member), and a ballot to be counted must have all positions filled with no duplications (This prevents attendees from skewing the vote by only voting for one candidate and leaving the other positions blank.)
  1. The chair shall give clear notice to the participants that they must vote for the allotted number of candidates.
  2. The chair shall also indicate that voters can also choose any number of non-binary candidates, but the number of male and female candidates a voter chooses cannot differ by more than one.
  3. The chair will give the participants adequate time to complete their ballots, and ask voting participants to check their ballots before turning them in.
  4. After submission of their ballot but while the voting window is still open, a voting member may request that the Sargeant at Arms check whether their ballot is spoiled due to equal division problems, and if so, submit another ballot.
  5. Ballots will be emailed to all voting members at the commencement of the voting window, and provided in the Zoom Chat.
  6. The balloting window will remain open for no less than thirty (30) minutes.

1. A plurality is required to elect. After the votes are collected the male, female, and non-binary candidates with the most votes will be elected consistent with the requirement that the number of male and female delegates shall differ by no more than one. In case of a tie vote, the winner will be determined by lot.

1. If there are insufficient male or female candidates to make the required division differ by no more than one, the remaining candidates with the highest vote totals shall complete the delegation.

1. Once the delegates are selected, State Convention alternates will be selected such that the number of male and female individuals for all elected positions differ by no more than one.
  1. Alternates will be rank ordered by votes received. In case of a tie vote, the rank order will be determined by lot.
  2. If there are insufficient male or female candidates to make the required division, the remaining candidates with the highest vote totals shall complete the delegation.

Following their election, the Caucus Chair shall provide each delegate and alternate with registration materials for the State Convention.

The Caucus secretary shall provide the chair with minutes including the following information:
1. Actual time the meeting was called to order.
2. The names of the Chair, Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, Credentials Chair, Tally Chair, and Parliamentarian.
3. Preliminary credentials report
4. Time of the adoption of rules and agenda
5. Preliminary registration forms for elected delegates and alternates.

The district Chair, or their designee, shall transmit the Affirmative Action Report, and the names, demographic profiles germane to the delegate selection and affirmative action plan, mailing addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and whether delegates and alternates intend to attend the Convention Virtually or In-Person within five (5) days of their election. Alternates shall be listed in the order in which they were elected.

At the discretion of the Chair, and in compliance with any local party organization rules, consideration of resolutions or platform may commence without suspension of the rules.

The motion “to table” shall be out of order at all times.

A quorum shall consist of 10% of the number eligible to vote as shown on the credentials report, as most recently amended.

The Caucus Chair shall appoint a Tally Chair and a representative tally committee of non-candidates for delegates. All ballots shall be returned to the Legislative District Chair and shall be retained by the Chair until the State Convention has adjourned.

The Unit Rule* shall not be permitted at any time.

Proxy voting shall not be allowed.
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised 12th edition, shall prevail in other matters not specifically covered herein.

* The Unit Rule is a rule of procedure at a political convention or caucus under which a delegation’s entire vote must be cast for the candidate preferred by a majority of the delegates.

This would be in conflict with the current system which allows for proportional representation, as well as conflict with the WSDCC and DNC governing documents.

Proposed Rules for 2022 Caucus

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