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Proposal Details

Proposal ID137
ProposalBylaws Amendment: Elections Eligibility and Timing for Coordinating Committee
PresenterGreen Party of Contra Costa County, Green Party of Los Angeles County
Floor ManagerMike Feinstein
PhaseClosed
Discussion02/19/2018 - 03/25/2018
Voting03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
ResultFailed: Quorum Not Met
Presens Quorum16 0.5001
Consens Quorum0 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

This proposal has two objectives, which would be accomplished by two changes in the GPCA Bylaws. The first objective is to clarify that to be eligible to run for GPCA state Coordinating Committee, one must be a registered Green Party member in the state of California as defined in Article 3 of the GPCA Bylaws (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2016-07-03#Article_3._Membership) at the time of application for the position and remain so through the conclusion of the election. This is accomplished by amending Article 8 Coordinating Committee to specify this condition of eligibility.

Why reference Article 3 in this clarification? Because GPCA Bylaws 3-2 specifies that only registered Green Party members in the state of California may serve on the Coordinating Committee.

The second objective of this proposal addresses timing for Standing General Assembly elections in months where there are five Mondays in May instead of four, by amending 8-4.2, 12-4 and 7-6.3(a) http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-06-23#Section_7-6_Standing_General_Assembly ).

The current bylaw provides for the discussion period for the annual spring Coordinating Committee (and GPUS Delegation elections) to begin on the first Monday of May. This timing was originally designed to allow for the six weeks discussion period and the one week voting period to end as late as possible in June, so that the GPCA could hold its spring budget General Assembly during this period. The reason for this was to ensure that candidates for the Coordinating Committee and the GPUS Delegation elections could have the opportunity to speak in person to the spring budget General Assembly.

For that reason GPCA Bylaw 8-4.4 reads "Candidates shall be given time to present themselves and respond to questions on a Standing General Assembly teleconference during the Standing General Assembly discussion period in 7-6.3. Where General Assemblies or Gatherings occur after the close of the submission date in 8-4.2, and before the close of the voting period in 7-6.3, candidates shall be given time to present themselves to any General Assembly or Gathering occurring this period. (http://www.cagreens.org/bylaws/2013-06-23#Section_8-4_Elections )

However in approving 7-6.3(a) and 8-4.4, it was not considered that in some years there are either five Mondays in May or in June. In that case, starting the spring Standing General Assembly discussion period on the first Monday of May could cause the voting period to conclude before the spring budget General Assembly. Since the new Coordinating Committee and the GPUS Delegation terms would not start until the ensuing July 1 of that year, regardless whether the election concluded a week early, the net effect of an early election only would potentially deprive the General Assembly from hearing the candidates. This proposed amendment would account for this by adding the following language to the end of Bylaw 7-6.3(a) as per below in the Proposal section: ", except that in years where there are either five Mondays in May or in June, the discussion period shall begin on the second Monday of May."

A earlier version of this proposal that was submitted to the SGA in 2016 to address this issue would have changed the submission date for candidate applications along with the change in date to begin the Standing General Assembly (http://sga.cagreens.org/vote/propresult?pid=120), potentially creating confusion for potential applicants on when they can apply depending upon the year. This proposal would leave the submission date the same (the last Monday of April) each year in order to eliminate any such confusion, while also adding clarity that the deadline would be 11:59pm on that last Monday.

Proposal

Part 1: That Article 8 be amended from its current text

8-4.1 Elections shall be conducted each year by the Standing Green Assembly by secret ballot, using Ranked Choice Voting with a No Other Candidate option, with the six week discussion period beginning on the first Monday of May and the one week voting period commencing immediately thereafter.

8-4.2 Candidates must submit an application to the Coordinating Committee by the last Monday of April to be eligible. Applications must include a biography and what they wish to accomplish on the Coordinating Committee.

to read as follows

8-4.1 Elections shall be conducted each year by the Standing Green Assembly by secret ballot, using Ranked Choice Voting with a No Other Candidate option. There shall be a six week discussion period beginning on the first Monday of May and the one week voting period commencing immediately thereafter, except that in years where there are either five Mondays in May or in June, the discussion period shall begin on the second Monday of May.

8-4.2 To be eligible, candidates must submit an application to the Coordinating Committee by the last Monday of April, be registered as a member of the Green Party in the state of California at the time of application for the position and remain so through the conclusion of the election. Any candidate who fails to remain registered as a member of the Green Party in the state of California during this period shall be removed from the ballot prior to the commencement of the voting period, should their registration from Green Party change prior to the commencement of the voting period; and should their registration from Green Party change during the voting period, the votes shall be calculated without inclusion of said candidate.

Part 2: Part 3: That Article 7 be amended from its current text

7-6.3(a) The discussion period for Proposals and Elections shall be six weeks, beginning on a Monday at 12:01 am and ending on a Sunday at 11:59pm. The discussion period for Coordinating Committee and GPUS Delegation elections shall begin on the first Monday of May.

to read as follows

7-6.3(a) The discussion period for Proposals and Elections shall be six weeks, beginning on a Monday at 12:01 am and ending on a Sunday at 11:59pm. The discussion period for Coordinating Committee and GPUS Delegation elections shall begin on the first Monday of May, except that in years where there are either five Mondays in May or in June, the discussion period shall begin on the second Monday of May.

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