The 45th Legislative District Caucus (hereafter the 45th LD Caucus or Caucus) shall be held on Sunday, April 17, 2016 commencing at 1:00 PM, at the Juanita High School Fieldhouse, located at 10601 NE 132nd Street, Kirkland, Washington, 98034.
Delegates to the 45th LD Caucus shall be the delegates and alternates elected at the precinct caucuses on March 26th, 2016. An alternate shall not have a vote unless seated to replace an absent or ineligible delegate. Alternates must be of the same initial presidential preference, and, to the extent possible, of the same gender and from the same precinct as the delegate being replaced.
Any duly elected delegate or alternate who moves from his or her precinct prior to the 45th LD Caucus shall automatically forfeit his or her seat and an alternate shall be seated in his or her place.
At the time of signing in, delegates and alternates shall sign in by precinct, indicating their presidential preference as of the time of signing, which preference statement shall be reflected in the preliminary report of the Credentials Committee. There will be a registration fee for all participants to the 45th LD Caucus of $10 at the door. Payment of this fee shall not be a condition of participation or election.
The Chair of the 45th District Democrats or the Chair’s designee shall serve as the Temporary Chair of the 45th LD Caucus. The Temporary Chair shall appoint a temporary Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, Timekeeper, and Parliamentarian.
The Chair of the Credentials Committee shall present the preliminary report of the Credentials Committee which shall include: a. The total number of delegates certified elected within the 45th Legislative District. b. The total number of delegates registered and seated at the time the report is given. c. The total number of alternates eligible to be seated at the time due to the absence of elected delegates. d. Supervision by name and precinct of the seating of eligible alternates. e. Presentation of challenged precinct documentation for decision by the caucus as a whole, starting with the lowest numbered precinct or at the beginning of the alphabet and proceeding in alpha-numerical order until all challenges are resolved. If the challenged delegate is not sustained, he or she shall be removed immediately and replaced by a qualified alternate. A challenged delegate may not vote on the question of his or her own challenge. f. The number of seated delegates (including alternates to be seated as delegates) supporting each presidential candidate or uncommitted status.
The Temporary Chair shall announce the allocation of delegates to presidential preferences that will result if there are no changes in attendance or preference that occur before the adoption of the final credentials report. Following the report of the Credentials Committee, any delegate may change their presidential preference by registering a revised presidential preference with the Credentials Committee. These changes will be reflected in the final allocation of State Convention delegates. A delegate who changes presidential preference will participate in the election of delegates with their new presidential preference sub-caucus. The Credentials Committee may seat unchallenged delegates arriving after the Credentials Committee report.
The Chair of the Rules Committee shall present the report of the Rules Committee.
Any registered voter of the 45th Legislative District may be nominated by a delegate to the 45th LD Caucus for the position of Permanent Chair. Nominations, seconding speeches and speeches by the candidate on their own behalf shall not total more than two (2) minutes per nominee. A majority is required to elect. If no person receives a majority on the first ballot, the candidate receiving the least votes shall be dropped and balloting shall be repeated using the remaining names. This procedure shall be repeated until a candidate receives a majority.
The Permanent Chair shall appoint a Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, Timekeeper, and Parliamentarian.
The Chair of the Credentials Committee shall present the final report of the Credentials Committee which shall include an update of all items included in the Committee’s preliminary report.
Upon adoption of the final credentials report, the Chair shall announce the final allocation of State Convention delegates and alternates, reflecting the presidential preferences in the final report of the Credentials Committee, including the following information: a. The number of qualified delegates seated. b. The number of qualified alternates seated in place of disqualified or absent delegates. c. The total number eligible to vote at the caucus. d. Allocation of Congressional District Caucus and State Convention delegates and alternates supporting each presidential candidate or uncommitted status.
Congressional District Caucus/State Convention delegates and alternates shall be elected by presidential preference sub-caucus using the following procedures: a. Each candidate for Congressional District Caucus/State Convention delegate or alternate must be a resident registered voter in the 45th Legislative District and must be identified as to presidential preference. b. Each candidate for Congressional District Caucus/State Convention delegate or alternate shall self-nominate by signing the nomination list at the registration table. A self-nomination shall be assumed to be a nomination made during the presidential preference sub-caucus of which the self-nominator is a member at the time delegates are to be elected. No second is required. A candidate who is not present must signify in advance, in writing individually, their presidential preference, that they will serve if elected, and that they are a Democrat and are willing to be known as such. The letter of any absent candidate shall be read by the sub-caucus chair and shall constitute a nomination, no second required. Each candidate shall have up to (1) one minute (including the time spent by the sub-caucus chair reading an absent candidate’s nomination letter) for speech on their behalf. c. Voting shall be by signed ballot and a ballot to be counted must have all positions filled with no duplications. The chair of the sub-caucus shall give clear notice to the delegates that they must vote for the allotted number of candidates, give adequate time to do so, and ask voting delegates to check their ballots before turning them in. A plurality is required to elect. The Chair shall provide the ballots. After the votes are collected and tallied, the person receiving the most votes shall have been elected, the person receiving the next most votes shall have been elected, and so forth until all allotted delegate positions are filled. In case of a tie vote, the assignment of a delegate position shall be decided by a coin toss. d. Congressional District Caucus/State Convention alternates shall be selected from the same set of ballots used for the election of delegates. The candidate for delegate receiving the most votes after all delegate slots are filled shall become alternate number one, and the alternate receiving the next most votes shall be alternate number two, and so forth. In case of a tie vote, the assigning number to the alternates shall be decided by a coin toss. e. The delegation elected by the 45th LD Caucus shall be equally divided between persons identifying as women and persons identifying as men in both the delegate and alternate categories unless there are an insufficient number of nominees from one gender to fill available positions, in which case nominees of another gender may be elected to any remaining positions.
Following their election, each delegate and alternate shall be provided with registration materials for the State Convention.
The Chair 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 presidential preference of delegates and alternates elected at the legislative district caucus to the State Democratic Chair within five (5) days of their election. Alternates shall be listed in the order in which they were elected.
Motions to table or postpone shall be out of order at all times.
Debate shall alternate pro and con, limited to two speakers for and two speakers against any motion, with speeches limited to one minute per speaker.
A quorum shall consist of 40% of the number eligible to vote as shown on the credentials report, as most recently amended. Quorum calls shall not be entertained until the sub-caucuses have finished electing delegates and alternates to the Congressional District Caucuses/State Convention.
The 45th LD Caucus shall adopt a platform that spells out the basic values and core beliefs of the 45th District Democrats. The proposed platform shall be presented by the Platform Committee.
At the discretion of the Chair, consideration of the platform and any resolutions may commence at any time without amendment of the agenda or suspension of the rules.
A motion for adoption of the platform as presented will be placed on the floor by the Platform Committee. The Chair shall entertain motions for debate.
Motions from the floor to amend the platform by deleting language shall be in order with twenty-five (25) seconds. Amendments to add language will not be in order.
To be considered at the 45th LD Caucus, resolutions must be submitted in writing, and whenever possible on a Universal Series Bus (USB) flash drive, or by email to the Chair. Resolutions may be submitted prior to the Caucus through the 45th District Democrats’ website (www.45thdemocrats.org).
Resolutions shall be consistent with the platform. They shall address specific or transitory issues, include actionable language and be submitted for consideration by the delegates in the format required by the Washington State Democratic Party’s Rules for Resolutions.
The Platform Committee shall consider all resolutions submitted and may edit, consolidate, and make a recommendation on each of DO PASS or DO NOT PASS. Amendments and resolutions which are consolidated by the Platform Committee shall be presented as consolidated. Amendments to delete resolution language will be accepted from the floor with twenty-five (25) seconds. Amendments to add language will not be in order, but amendments to correct spelling or grammatical mistakes may be accepted by the Chair without objection.
Resolutions not acted upon at the 45th LD Caucus shall be referred to the 2016 King County Democratic Convention for action.
The Platform Committee will determine whether or not an amendment or resolution qualifies as a valid platform amendment or resolution. If such a determination is challenged, the Platform Committee Chair shall explain the determination and the determination shall not be debatable.
The 45th LD Caucus shall not endorse candidates or take positions on any ballot measures.
The Chair shall appoint a representative tally committee of alternates or non-delegates. All ballots shall be returned to the Chair and shall be retained by the Chair until the State Convention has adjourned.
The Unit Rule (a rule of procedure under which a jurisdiction’s entire vote must be cast for the candidate preferred by a majority of the jurisdiction’s delegates) shall not be permitted at any time.
Proxy voting shall not be allowed.
All possible efforts shall be made to ensure maximum participation of ethnic minorities, women, youth, persons over sixty-five years of age, LGBTQ, Labor, veterans, persons with a high school education or less, disabled, and persons of economic disadvantage.
The Chair may recognize candidates and other persons to address the 45th LD Caucus. Recognition of a candidate or other speaker is at the discretion of the Chair.
Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall prevail in other matters not specifically covered herein.
