Revision to endorsement procedures

Summary

This document summarizes revisions to the 45 th  LD’s Endorsement Procedures. Most revisions clarify wording or delete a few redundancies.  The more meaningful revisions are as follows:

• Added the purpose of the endorsement process (Overview, Paragraph 2).
• Clarified endorsement timing and importance of the due dates for Voter’s Pamphlet submission due date (Rule 1, Sections 1 and 2).
• Added that candidates are deemed ineligible for a 45 th  endorsement if they do not respond to or ignore an invitation to interview (Rule IV, Section 4).
• Tightened the rule for re-opening an endorsement vote when no candidate earned an endorsement during a prior meeting.  (Rule V, Section 6).

Revisions in more detail

Below are the specific amendments. Each section has a bullet-point explanation of the changes that uses italic. Following that is the amendment. Editorial conventions used:

Additions are marked by red text with a light gray background.	This is a new provision.
Deletions are marked by strikethrough red text with a light gray background.	This is a deleted provision.
Simple edits not shown for clarity are given as directives in curly braces.	{Renumber other sections as appropriate.}

Overview

• Added second paragraph. It covers the purpose of the endorsement process.

Overview

Endorsements are a public declaration of support by the 45th District Democrats on behalf of a candidate for public office or for a person seeking appointment to a public position of responsibility. Endorsements also signify support or opposition to ballot measures. Endorsements represent a determination by the 45th District Democrats that the success of a particular campaign will further our Democratic values and ideals.

The endorsement process is designed to foster a culture of respect, trust, and collaboration; to enable well-informed endorsements that best further our Democratic values and ideals; and to mobilize volunteers in support of the endorsed candidates and ballot measures. It provides each eligible candidate for a position with an equal opportunity to gain an endorsement based on their track record, alignment to Democratic values, and commitments, whether an incumbent and well-connected or not.

Rule I – Timeframe and Criteria for Endorsements

• New Section 1 addresses timing and importance of completing endorsements prior to Voter’s Pamphlet submission due date.
• New Section 2 notes the yearly election calendar and importance of filing due dates
• Deleted prior version’s Section 3 which stated that State Party’s rules supersede these rules.

Section 1: The 45th District Democrats shall attempt to complete its endorsement process , including the Endorsement Committee recommendation and member vote,  prior to the Voter’s Pamphlet submission due date for each election cycle. In its work plan, the Committee shall note the filing deadline and submission due dates for each election cycle. However, since the duration between the filing deadline and submission due date might be 12 days or fewer, it might not always be possible to complete the endorsement process for some offices.

Section 2.  The Endorsements Committee shall note the filing due dates on the Washington Secretary of State’s elections calendar for the April special election ballot, August Top Two ballot, November general election ballot, and the February special election ballot and shall develop a work plan to prepare for endorsement recommendations.

Section 1 3 .  Every candidate endorsement shall be for a specific candidate, office and term. A candidate may not be endorsed for more than one office simultaneously

Section 2 4 .  Endorsements may be considered for any candidate or ballot measure for which at least one registered voter in the 45th District is entitled to vote.

Section 3.  Any process sanctioned by Washington State Democratic Party for endorsing candidates supersedes these endorsement procedures if they conflict with that process.

{Renumber other sections as appropriate.}

Rule II – Endorsements Committee

• Revised Section 2: Deleted “Except in case of emergencies” to simply state that endorsement requests first go to the Committee. (Note: Section V and Robert’s Rules of Order specify how an endorsement request may be brought before the membership should the Committee not bring forth a recommendation.)

Section 2.  E xcept in case of emergencies, e ndorsement requests shall first be directed to the Endorsements Committee for review prior to consideration by the general membership.

Section 6.   Whenever possible, the Committee shall attempt to provide the membership with information about recommendations it intends to present at an upcoming meeting. If the committee is still deliberating close to the day of the membership meeting, the committee may simply identify the office or ballot measure for which it anticipates presenting a recommendation. The Committee shall provide the Chair or Communications Chair a list of the offices and measures that will be brought to the membership for endorsement no later than noon of the day of the meeting for distribution to members . The Committee may provide additional information at that time such as links to candidate questionnaires or ballot measures or the Committee’s written recommendation.

Section 7.   Prior to bringing recommendations to the membership for positions in a city or school district not wholly contained within the 45th, the Committee must request to meet with the endorsements committees of any neighboring Democratic legislative districts that also have precincts in that city or school district. If the neighboring districts’ endorsements committees are amenable to the request, the Committee shall make representatives available to participate in a joint meeting to discuss the electoral landscape of that city or school district. The Committee is not required to conduct joint interviews or joint deliberations with the endorsements committees of other district organizations, but it may do so at its discretion.

Section 9.  Only committee members who have participated in all of the interviews for a given contest shall have a vote in that contest’s deliberations. If the interview was held online, then watching a recording of the interview or reading the transcript shall be considered as participating.

Rule III – Significance of Endorsements

• No changes other than minor edits.

Section 1.  Endorsements represent a directive by the 45th’s membership to its executive board and other committees to make every reasonable effort to support those worthy  campaigns and ballot measures .

Section 2.  Endorsed candidates are entitled to all services the 45th provides to candidates; for example, access to databases and lists, a listing in the 45th’s Endorsements Guide, ability to promote events through the 45th’s calendar, and the right to list the 45th as an endorser in campaign materials.

Section 5.  In the absence of an endorsement, the executive board and other committees are expected to may make case-by-case decisions on providing specific non-financial services in furtherance of the 45th’s goals of electing Democratic candidates and advancing Democratic values and ideals.

Rule IV – Eligibility for endorsement

• Section 2: Deleted requirement that the Committee develop a candidate questionnaire (since the committee usually uses the KCD questionnaire).
• New Section 3:  Added, “If the Endorsements Committee has reached out to a candidate to request a questionnaire or interview, and the candidate did not respond or turned down the invitation, then the candidate is not eligible for an endorsement.”  (Limits a candidate’s ability to go around the committee.)

Section 2.  A candidate must request the 45th’s support to be considered for endorsement. Submission to the Endorsements Committee of a candidate questionnaire published by the 45th or the King County Democrats constitutes a request.  The Endorsements Committee shall make blank candidate questionnaires available for download to candidates seeking legislative, judicial, and executive office on the 45th’s website and shall provide an email address or web form for candidates to use when submitting their questionnaires.

Section 3.  If the Endorsements Committee has reached out to a candidate to request a questionnaire or interview, and the candidate did not respond or turned down the invitation, then the candidate is not eligible for an endorsement.

Section 4 5 .   No request from a coalition is necessary for the 45th to take a position on a ballot measure. Positions may be taken The 45th may take a position on any ballot measure (such as an initiative, referendum, constitutional amendment, or local proposition) for which the language is finalized and a number assigned , regardless of whether there is an active campaign requesting the organization’s support or not. When there is an active campaign requesting support for a ballot measure position, or when a member sends a written notice to the chair of the committee asking for the same, the Endorsements Committee shall prioritize consideration of that request .

{Renumber other sections as appropriate.}

Rule V – Consideration of Endorsement Requests by the Membership

• Replaced Section 6 with part of Section 5 and added a limitation on who may participate in a repeated endorsement vote.
• Simplified wording in Sections 9 and 12.
• Removed non-procedural rationale from Section 14.

Section 1.  Endorsement requests from candidates, ballot measure coalitions, and members shall may be considered at every regular meeting between the close of filing and the general election with no advance notice required. At other times of the year, the membership must be notified at least seven days in advance that an endorsement request will be on the agenda for consideration. On seven days’ notice, the Chair may also call a special meeting of the membership to consider time-sensitive endorsement requests.

Section 4.   In accordance with Section 3 of this rule, m M otions to endorse more than one candidate for a position shall be deemed out of order at all times , and the organization shall have no more than one endorsed candidate for each office in any election .

Section 5.  Endorsement requests for a given office shall ordinarily be voted upon once per election cycle. In the event an endorsed candidate is eliminated in the Top Two round, dies, or withdraws from campaigning, consideration of endorsement requests for that office may begin anew.  If the membership fails to endorse any of the eligible candidates for an office, that office may be considered for endorsement again only if two-thirds of members present and voting wish to revisit the membership’s prior decision at a subsequent meeting.

Section 6.  The provisions in Section 5 of this rule shall not bar the organization from holding a revote on an endorsement motion or set of endorsement motions in the event the Chair, the tally committee, or a member identifies a problem with the original vote that would necessitate voting again in order to correct.

Section 6.  If the membership fails to endorse any of the eligible candidates for an office, that office may be considered for endorsement again only if two-thirds of members present and voting wish to revisit the membership’s prior decision at a subsequent meeting. Voting shall be limited to those who attended the earlier meeting at which the decision was made  or, in the case of voting outside of a meeting, participated in voting for an endorsement for the office ^[a] .

Section 9 ^[b] .  For any contests in which the Endorsements Committee does not have a recommendation, but in which there is at least one candidate who is eligible for endorsement and is not waiting on the Committee to finish deliberations, the process shall begin with a member bringing forth a motion to consider making an endorsement for that office.  Motions must be made in the following form: “I move that the 45th consider making an endorsement for [state name of position] in the upcoming [state month] election.” If there be a second, the Chair shall open nominations, and follow the applicable procedures described in this rule. ^[c]

Section 12.  To be endorsed, a candidate must earn the votes of at least two thirds of the members voting present in the meeting  as specified in Section 11 of this rule . In the event that multiple candidates for a position earn the votes of at least two thirds of the members voting present in the meeting as defined in Section 11 , the organization shall award a sole endorsement to the candidate with the highest number of approvals.

Section 14.   Because endorsements are not ratings, and because the voters of the 45th District may legally only vote for one individual per position on their ballots, the organization shall have no more than one endorsed candidate for each office in any election. Once a candidate has been endorsed for a position, other candidates for that same position shall not be eligible for endorsement unless the organization rescinds the endorsement it previously made for that office.

Section 16.   As set forth in Section 6 of this rule, t T he Chair may limit debate to a fixed number of statements of a limited time for each nominated candidate and for a position of no endorsement, such as two statements for and against lasting no longer than two minutes each, and appoint a timekeeper to enforce the rules. When such a debate limitation is in place, motions to terminate debate or call an immediate vote shall be out of order.

Section 17.  Endorsement motions are only in order during the portion of the meeting designated on the agenda, as adopted by the membership, for consideration of endorsements. Before concluding that meeting’s endorsements business and proceeding to the next item on the agenda, the Chair shall thrice ask the body: “Are there any further endorsement motions at this meeting?” If there be none, the endorsements business for that meeting shall be concluded.