Source: https://www.gpfl.org/gpfl-bylaws-2020/
Timestamp: 2020-07-14 18:37:12
Document Index: 152362570

Matched Legal Cases: ['§103', '§103', '§103', '§103', '§103', '§103', '§103']

GPFL Bylaws — 2020 - Green Party of Florida
ARTICLE II: General Structure
ARTICLE III: General Decision-Making
ARTICLE IV: Purposes of the Party
ARTICLE V: Membership and Organizations
ARTICLE VI: Green Party of Florida Member Organizations
B. Organizing Committees
C. Caucuses
ARTICLE VII: State Coordinating council
ARTICLE VIII: State Board of Trustees
ARTICLE IX: State Executive Committee, Election Organization and Rules
ARTICLE X: Decision-Making
The Green Party of Florida is a grassroots electoral party dedicated to Eco-socialism and the Green New Deal, in opposition to the U.S. corporate-controlled establishment parties. The GPFL is dedicated to its 10 Key Values and fights to mitigate the crises of climate change, pollution, war, austerity and rising fascism, that have been created by and maintained by the rich and powerful.ARTICLE I: Name of the Party
The name of the Party shall be the Green Party of Florida (hereinafter “GPFL” or “the Party”).
A. The defining authority for the Green Party of Florida is its membership, both Active and General, organized into democratically run Affiliates which constitute a democratically run representative structure. The Coordinating Council (CC) is the principle governing and decision making body of the GPFL . Some Affiliates may also be recognized as County Executive Committees by Florida’s County Boards of Elections, but that designation is merely a legal distinction in order to meet certain requirements of those Boards of Elections. Within the GPFL itself, there is no distinction between County and non-County Affiliates as regards their representation, responsibilities or powers within the GPFL, and they are collectively referred to as the Affiliates.
B. Operating under the authority of the CC are the GPFL Board of Trustees (hereinafter the “Board”) and the GPFL State Executive Committee (the “SEC”). The base membership of both the Board and the SEC is identical, although the CC is officially part of the SEC. Both include the GPFL’s statewide elected officers. The Board has the option of adding a limited number of at-large Board members, either by election at the GPFL State Annual Membership Meeting (AMM) or by co-optation by the Board itself between AMM meetings.
C. The duties of the Board are primarily advisory and administrative, but can be assigned other leadership functions at the direction or behest or discretion of the CC.
D. The sole purpose of the SEC is to provide the legal interface between the GPFL as a whole and the State of Florida Board of Elections, in order to maintain the GPFL’s status as a minor party with ballot access.
A. The preferred method of decision-making is consensus. Should consensus fail, the relevant decision-making body can decide to put any matter to a vote. In general, a vote carries by receiving a two-thirds majority of eligible voters, unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws. (See Article X, Decision-Making)
B. We reaffirm adopting the GP.ORG meeting guide (https://www.gp.org/meeting_process_manual) as our standard for meetings, and Robert’s Rules of Order for circumstances not addressed in our bylaws.
Overall, the purpose of the party is to provide and promote a politics independent of corporate and other large financial interests, a politics of, for and by the people, placing their/our interests and those of our planet, and of our peaceful co-existence and mutually flourishing survival, as pre-emninent objectives. More specifically, objectives and purposes of the GPFL shall be:
A. To foster greater understanding and to advance the authority and reality of the Green’s Ten Key Values in society. These values are:
B. These values will first be demonstrated and made real in all the actions and words of the GPFL and its members.
1. To promote these values through the electoral process, the media, education, research, and diverse party actions.
2. To foster the creation and development of new GPFL Affiliates in each county of Florida, while continuing to support those Affiliates already existing.
3. To serve as a network facilitator among Party Affiliates.
4. To facilitate electoral campaigns for offices at all levels in the State of Florida.
5. To engage in official and fraternal association with the Green Party of the United States (GPUS) — as recognized and registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) — and the member State Green Parties of the GPUS.
6. To be in collaborative unity of spirit and movement with non-affiliated local, regional, state, national and global Green associations, societies or groups.
7. To work in concert with other associations, groups, and societies when their goals and objectives advance and promote the Ten Key Values.
A. Individual Membership:
A person shall be a General Member of the Green Party of Florida if he or she is registered as a Green Party member with their county’s Supervisor of Elections.
1. A person shall be an Active Member of the Green Party of Florida if she or he is registered as a Green Party member with their county’s Supervisor of Elections; and
(a). She or he has filled out an Active Membership Form with a GPFL Affiliate, or with the State GPFL should there be no local affiliate where they reside.
(1) Such form must include language to the effect that the signer is at least 14 years of age, and agrees to adhere to the Ten Key Values and respect the Bylaws of the Party.
(2) Such form must also include options for those who are prohibited by law from registering to vote due to being a non-citizen, felon or under-aged individual.
(3) Such form must be current (i.e., have been signed within one year).
(4) One cannot be an Actve Member of more than one Affiliate at the same time.
2. If she or he is unable to register to vote with the Supervisor of Elections due to being a non-citizen, felon (depending on the status at the time of the Felon Restoration Amendment 4) or under-aged person, they must so indicate when filling out their Active Membership Form.
(a) All accredited GPFL Affiliates shall collect signed and dated GPFL membership enrollment forms from their Active Members and submit copies to the GPFL Secretary.
(b) The GPFL and its Affiliates shall provide Active Membership Forms to anyone expressing interest in joining the GPFL.
(c) The GPFL Secretary or her/his designee shall maintain a current statewide database of all Active Members, based on Active Membership Forms submitted by each Affiliate and by individual Active Members. This database will be accessible to members of the CC and the Board.
C. Annual General Membership Meeting (AMM)
1. A general membership meeting shall be held at least annually. The general membership may meet at such other times and places as may be determined by the CC).
2. Annual meetings shall be called by the CC. The CC shall select an “Annual Meeting Organizing Committee (hereinafter Meeting Committee),” which shall be responsible for:
(a) Organizing the meeting: The Meeting Committee shall propose the date, time and place for the meeting, which proposal shall be submitted to the CC for approval.
(b) Meeting Agenda: In consultation with the CC, and with input from any General or Active Member, or Affiliate, the Meeting Committee shall draft an “Agenda Proposal” which shall be submitted to the CC for approval.
(c) Meeting Announcement: The general membership shall be given a minimum of thirty (30) days advance notice of the date, time, place and agenda for the AMM, by publishing a notice on the Party’s public and functioning website.
(a) Partake in the nomination and selection of officers and members of the Board (hereinafter the “Board”).
(b) Approve or disapprove proposed and recently approved changes to the Bylaws. Bylaw amendments can be presented to the General Membership by any member at the AMM for approval or disapproval. If the body fails to reach consensus on a particular amendment, and an actual vote on it is not held by the end of the AMM, that amendment shall be dismissed without prejudice. Each bylaw amendment approved by the CC since the previous year’s annual meeting shall be reaffirmed or rescinded at the annual meeting. In the event that consensus is not obtained, such amendment can be rescinded by a two-thirds vote of the CC.
(c) Approve or disapprove general proposals or resolutions, which may be presented for consideration or approval.
(d) Network together, socialize, solidify relationships and plan for the future.
(e) Consider and accomplish such other business as would seem appropriate and right to the general membership.
A quorum must be present at any general membership meeting, virtual or electronic, in order for the CC or the membership to exercise any of their duties and/or responsibilities. A quorum shall be constituted when there are delegates and/or members representing at least two-thirds (⅔) of participating affiliates.
3. It is permissible for multiple Affiliates to be recognized in a single county. However, there cannot be more than one County Executive Committee (CEC) per county. (See Section IX.B.)
4. It is permissible for an Affiliate to include and geographically span several contiguous counties, where the included counties do not have sufficient members to constitute individual Affiliates. These multi-county Affiliates may continue to function as individual Affiliates until such time as members who reside in one of the counties seek status or “stand-alone” Affiliate status.
5. Recognition of a Local shall not be unreasonably withheld:
6. An Affiliate may be declared “Non-Participating” if it fails to have a delegate attending a CC monthly meeting for two consecutive months.
(a) In such case, an e-mail or other communication will be sent to that Affiliate’s Active Members. Responsibility for this lies either with the Secretary or one of the Co-Chairs.
(b) A Non-Participating Affiliate is not to be counted when determining quorum for a CC meeting.
(c) A Non-Participating Affiliate maintains full voting rights when a vote is taking place on the ListServ.
(d) A Non-Participating Affiliate can remove that status by attending a CC monthly meeting, and maintaining five (5) Active Members.
7. An Affiliate may be declared “Inactive” if it fails to have a CC delegate attend for four consecutive monthly CC meetings, and is declared Inactive by vote of the CC.
(b) An Inactive Affiliate is not to be counted when determining quorum for a CC meeting, and furthermore loses its voting rights on the CC.
(c) An Inactive Affiliate can restore its Active status by petitioning the CC and resume attending monthly CC meetings.
8. An Affiliate may also be declared Inactive if it fails to maintain the required five (5) Active Members.
(a) In this case, an Affiliate will be given a two-month grace period to make good on having at least five (5) Active Members.
(b) An Affiliate can only be declared Inactive by a vote of the CC.
There may be groups of active Greens in those Florida counties which do not yet have recognized Affiliates, but do not have the means or the numbers to become full-fledged Affiliates themselves, yet are committed to building the GPFL. In such cases, granting them the status of “Organizing Committee” would give them credibility in seeking to identify themselves as part of the party, to represent the party, and to build it.
1. An Organizing Committee (OC) may be officially recognized by:
(a) Having at least two members who are:
(2) Have filled out an Active Membership Form.
(3) Carry out some level of Green Party activity on at least a monthly basis.
2. The process for becoming an OC is as follows:
3. The OC shall be assigned to one or both party co-chairs, or their designee(s), who shall be responsible for maintaining communications and providing guidance to the best of their ability.
4. The OC shall:
5. Status as an OC shall not carry with it voting rights on the GPFL Coordinating Council.
6. The OC shall cease to exist as a GPFL-recognized entity:
(a) Once an official Affiliate (CEC or otherwise) is created for that county.
The GPFL can have caucuses for the purposes of bringing together Greens with particular interests or needs. To become a recognized Caucus of the GPFL, a Caucus must:
1. Have 3 or more Active Members of the GPFL.
2. Send a written request for Caucus status to the CC, which may not be unreasonably withheld.
3. Be democratic in its internal dealings.
4. Uphold the 10 Key Values of the GPFL.
The principal governing and decision-making body of the GPFL shall be the CC.
The membership of the CC shall consist of delegates from each organized and recognized Affiliate.
Each Affiliate shall select its delegates to the CC (no more than three per Affiliate) and register their names, addresses and contact information to the Board. Delegates are to serve for no longer than a one-year term, but can run for re-election.
Each delegate is authorized to speak and act by the Active Members of their Affiliate. An Affiliate’s position and vote on matters of policy and direction for the State Party should represent the will of their Affiliate. If the Affiliate is divided on a question, it can choose to also divide its weighted votes as they see fit, including half votes (e.g., 7 Active Members, if divided, could split their 5 votes 2.5/2.5, or 3/2, 2/2 plus one abstention, etc.). No fractions less than one-half shall be allowed.
Each Affiliate must select a minimum of two delegates, preferably one of each gender. Alternate delegates may be selected if necessary.
4. Weighting of delegate votes for each Affiliate:
(a) Determination of each county’s Active Members for the purpose of apportioning the votes by accredited Affiliates shall be accomplished by means of collecting a signed and dated form from each Active Member that verifies Green Party membership in a manner consistent with GPFL bylaws, and that affirms affiliation with the local Affiliate.
(b) For any Affiliate not part of a CEC’s County Council:
(1) Each Affiliate shall be granted (1) vote for every Active Member of their affiliate up to maximum of (15) votes.
(2) At the Annual Membership Meeting (AMM), the body may nominate up to three Active Members residing in areas without an Affiliate, to serve until the next AMM. Such “at-large” members shall have one (1) vote each.
(c) In those counties where there is a County Council with multiple Affiliates, see Section IX below.
5. Termination of a Delegate on the Coordinating council
A delegate’s position on the CC shall terminate when the delegate:
(c) Is recalled by the Affiliate; or
(d) Registers with another ballot status party.
(e) Is recalled by the Council through the formal processes laid out in the GPFL Constitution and/or the bylaws.
6. Membership Involvement in another political party
CC members shall not serve on another political party’s decision-making body. CC members shall disclose registration in any other political party to the CC immediately after such membership begins.
B. Duties of the CC:
1. To provide vision, leadership and direction to the GPFL in the spirit of the Ten Key Values.
2. To coordinate state-wide GPFL actions (political, issue-based or electoral) among the GPFL Affiliates.
3. To establish and maintain a network and a system of communications among the CC and the GPFL Affiliates.
4. To establish standing and ad hoc committees to carry out the work of the GPFL on a state level.
5. To select and name delegates to represent the GPFL within or with other national and state organizations. Delegates so named are guided and mandated in their representation by the CC, and are responsible to and report to the CC.
6. To encourage and assist Affiliates to establish themselves and carry out their individual purposes and mandates.
7. To oversee and supervise the activities of the Board. The Board shall receive its direction and mandate from and is directly responsible to the CC.
8. To take responsibility for the effective state-wide communication and dissemination of Green values, issues and projects to the Florida general public.
9. To periodically review and where necessary propose or recommend changes to these bylaws to be ratified by the General Membership.
10. To recognize and welcome newly established Affiliates.
11. To provide for the official endorsement of GPFL candidates, as provided for in these bylaws, and by Florida Statute. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted in a way which would limit the freedom of an Affiliate to endorse and run candidates at their level of political responsibility.
12. To call and organize, at least once annually, a general membership meeting (AMM).
13. To call for nominations to the Board prior to the AMM.
14. To prepare an agenda for the AMM, through the Annual Meeting Organizing Committee, and to give final approval to the agenda.
The CC shall meet at such times and places as it determines.
1. The CC shall meet, however, at least once each year.
2. One meeting of the CC may be designated as the CC Annual Meeting. It may be at the same time and place as the AMM.
The CC and general membership shall be given a minimum of thirty (30) days advance notice of the date, time, place and agenda for the AMM, by publishing a notice on the Party’s public and functioning website
(a) All meetings, in-person, telephonic or video, shall be open to participation by delegates and individual members of the GPFL.
(b) During the AMM, individual members may also vote.
(c) If, during the AMM, a member chooses to participate directly in the decision making process and personally cast her or his vote, then that person’s party membership must first have been verified.
(d) The CC shall decide how voting is to be determined at the AMM, and the general membership shall be given a minimum of thirty (30) days advance notice of such.
(d) During CC meetings, voting is restricted to delegates.
Written minutes shall be kept to include: agenda items, actions taken, actions to be taken, and person(s) responsible for the actions.
The minutes shall be made available to the general party membership, through each Affiliate’s delegates to the CC.
In order to facilitate the continuity of the business and work of the CC and the state committees, it is permissible for the participating delegates and/or committee members to communicate and vote through the use of telephonic communications, email, or other similar communications.
7. The CC shall develop and adopt written rules for the presentation of proposals, and the official decision-making process for deciding upon proposals, through the medium of email or through the mixed medium of email, telecommunications and mail. Until these rules are formulated and passed, the following minimum rules shall apply:
A quorum must be present at any CC meeting, virtual or electronic, in order for the CC or the membership to exercise any of their duties and/or responsibilities. A quorum shall be constituted when there are delegates representing at least two-thirds (⅔) of participating affiliates.
Through the CC, the GPFL shall constitute such standing and ad hoc committees as are necessary to do its state-wide work.
1. Committee members shall generally consist of such interested CC and Affiliate members who may volunteer to participate on them.
2. Where it is necessary for the efficient functioning of a committee, the CC may cap the number of committee members of a particular committee.
3. The committees shall follow democratic process.
4. Working with the state committees, the Board shall:
(a) Coordinate the work of the state committees;
(b) Aid the committees in developing strategies, objectives, work plans and individual committee budgets;
(d) Provide counsel and advice to the individual committees.
The AMM shall elect Delegates to the National Committee (NC) of the Green Party of the United States (GPUS). A Delegate is first, and overall, a representative of the Green Party of the GPFL.
1. Responsibilities of a Delegate include:
(a) To the extent reasonable, reporting in writing to the CC on issues coming before the NC.
(b) Voting to the best of their ability voting in according with the will of the CC and the party membership in general.
(c) In cases where the “will of the CC and the party membership” is divided, Delegates are not required to cast identical votes.
(d) The CC may also — at its discretion — provide direct instructions to its Delegates as to how to cast their votes, as a bloc or individually.
If a Delegate realizes that her/his own personal positions and objectives are in conflict with the state CC and s/he cannot subsume her/his ideas, objectives or positions to those of the state CC, then such Delegate should tender her/his resignation to the state CC. Delegates should also resign if they find themselves unable to properly carry out their duties.
Should the CC realize that a conflict has arisen between themselves and an elected Delegate, the CC must make a good faith effort to resolve the conflict. If resolution of the conflict has been unsuccessful, the CC may recall the Delegate. The CC may also recall a Delegate who fails to fulfill her/his responsibilities as defined above. In such cases, the Delegate’s position shall be filled by the CC per ARTICLE VIII(D)(8).
In order to meet the requirements of the state’s electoral and corporate laws, and in order to serve the needs of the CC, a State Board of Trustees (hereinafter Board) shall be instituted. The Board shall receive its direction and mandate for action directly from the CC, and is responsible directly to the CC.
A. The Board will serve as an advisory-working committee for the GPFL. The members of the Board should be chosen from among the state membership for their experience, wisdom, dedication, proven party work and leadership abilities.
B. In its leadership role as the state party’s advisory-working committee, the Board shall assist and help guide the Party in strategic planning, party building, leading state-wide initiatives, and other such projects as are necessary or directed by the CC.
C. The Board may be granted powers that are not enumerated in these bylaws in situations where prompt and decisive action is required and the party is threatened with serious economic damage, legal liability, threats of death or physical harm to members, or other circumstances of comparable severity.
1. Such powers may be granted by the CC by a four-fifths (4/5) vote at a regularly scheduled meeting of the CC, or by consensus or by a regular vote at the AMM.
2. All such powers shall be of limited duration and expire when the circumstances requiring their being invoked no longer exist. They can be rescinded at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the CC. If these powers are in effect by the time of the next AMM, the AMM may reaffirm them by a four-fifths (4/5) vote. If such a vote to reaffirm fails, or the AMM otherwise fails to reaffirm, the same or similar powers may not be proposed or regranted again before the next AMM.
The Board shall be composed of at least seven (7) working members. The number of Board members shall be determined by the AMM.
The working Board shall consist of seven “Officers,” which are: two co-chairs of different genders, an official Florida state listed treasurer, an assistant treasurer, an official Florida state listed secretary, a recording secretary and a communications secretary. The AMM may, at its discretion, also select one or two “at-large” members for the Board.
4. Each board member must be a member of the GPFL.
5. Selection of Board
(a) The CC may, but is not required to, propose a slate of candidates for the Board to the general membership.
(b) GPFL members may nominate qualified individuals to serve on the Board.
Gender, ethnic, and regional diversity shall be considered, encouraged, and promoted in the nomination of Board members.
7. The Board is elected at the AMM.
Elections are held annually during the AMM. With the exception of the Co-Chairs who are elected to staggered 2-year terms, all other officers, and roles such as Spokespersons, National Delegates, and Board members serve 1 year terms. GPFL Members who wish to serve on GPUS Committees or Caucuses are approved at the AMM for 1-year terms, unless a longer term is required by the Committees and Caucuses. Observers on any lists are likewise approved annually at the AMM.
(a) Where the number of nominated members does not exceed seven (7), (with one nomination for each Officer) then the slate may be approved without further voting. If there only one or two nominations for at-large members, then they shall be likewise approved without further voting.
(b) If there is more than one nomination for any position, then a vote for such position(s) shall be taken by the AMM,
(c) Each open position shall be voted on individually, and the Board candidate receiving the highest votes for each office shall be elected.
(d) If there are more than two nominations for at-large member, then the top two vote-getters shall be elected.
8. Per Article IV(5) of the GPFL Constitution, any vacancy occurring in any office by death, resignation or otherwise may be filled for the unexpired portion of the term by the CC at any regular or special meeting.
E. Composition & Responsibilities of the Board
The leadership positions held by Board members should be considered primarily administrative rather than authoritative. Board members perform functions in the GPFL’s day-to-day activity. At the same time, Florida election law requires that Board members also serve as officers on the State Executive Committee (SEC), to carry out state and federal election law and state corporation law requirements.
The GPFL Board Co-Chairs also serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the SEC (Vice Chair is the Co-Chair serving the term elected at the most recent AMM. The Board Official Secretary serves as Secretary of the SEC). The duties they perform as SEC officers will be described in more detail in a later section.
1. Designated Officers of the Board and Their Responsibilities
While Members elected to the Board also serve as members of the State Executive Committee, as Board officers they are primarily responsible to the Board, which in turn answers to the CC.
(1) Providing unifying direction to the State Board;
(2) Drafting an agenda and chairing regular meetings of the Board;
(4) Assisting the Board in coordinating and assisting the work of the GPFL committees.
Receives and sends official party correspondence, keeps copies of all official documents, and maintains a database of GPFL Active Members.
(c) Official Treasurer
Serves as the official treasurer of the GPFL for the purpose of fulfilling state and federal election law and state corporation law requirements. The treasurer is also responsible for presenting financial reports to the Board, CC and the AMM.
(d) Deputy Treasurer
Trains under the official treasurer and is in charge of state fund-raising efforts.
Maintains the minutes of the meetings of the Board, CC and General Membership. Records and reports CC proposals, votes, and resolutions.
(f) Communications Secretary
Liaison to the state IT team. Has access to GPFL’s information resources to maintain party communications between and among the CC and the various Affiliates as well as outside inquiries. Keeps track of delegate and local contact information, adds new delegates and contacts the appropriate official state spokespersons for comments or appearances.
(1) Serve as the members of the SEC;
(2) Develop a State Party strategic plan (to be approved by the CC);
(3) Do party building;
(4) Lead state-wide initiatives, and other such projects as necessary or directed by the CC; and
(5) Serve as liaison to the various state committees.
The Board shall meet monthly or as often as deemed necessary to fulfill its responsibilities.
The Board should meet immediately after the AMM. Board meetings shall be run by in the manner of general meetings. The Board shall conduct its business by correspondence, email and telephone conferences. The Board shall keep and publish minutes from its meetings.
A quorum must be present at any Board meeting, in person, virtual or electronic, in order for members to exercise any of their duties or responsibilities. A quorum shall be constituted when 2/3 of the Board is present (5 members).
ARTICLE IX: State Executive Committee, County Executive Committees,
and Election Organization and Rules
It is the intent and purpose of these bylaws to conform to the requirements of all Florida election law, regulations and rules. To the extent that any provision of these bylaws conflicts with any provision of Florida election Law, regulation or rules, then such provision shall yield to the relevant Florida Law, regulation or rule to the extent of such conflict.
For the purposes of conforming to the requirements of the Florida Statues, including but not limited to Florida Statute §103.091, the State Executive Committee (hereinafter, SEC) shall be constituted and shall function under the following terms and conditions:
1. The Board and the members of the CC shall serve as the SEC.
2. The SEC shall elect officers consisting of a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer at the Annual Membership Meeting, for the purpose of complying with Florida Statute including but not limited to Section §103.091. The chair and vice chair shall serve as co-equal co-chairs of the SEC and the Board.
3. In the event that a member of the Green Party of Florida is elected to any of the offices as provided for in the Florida Statute including but not limited to §103.091 (e.g., U.S. Senate, House of Representatives, a statewide office, etc.), then such person shall be a member of the SEC as provided for in the above-referenced statute.
4. The term of office of the SEC shall correspond to the terms of office of the Board.
5. Duties of the SEC
In keeping with the Green Party philosophy of democratic decentralization and grass roots participation, the foundational authority of the SEC comes from the CC, which is in turn empowered by the represented Affiliates. These duties, as specified in including but not limited to Florida Statute §103.091,are as follows:
(a) To file with the Department of State the names and addresses of its chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer and members in accordance with ARTICLE VII Section A(2) of these Bylaws;
(b) To file a copy of its constitution, bylaws, and rules and regulations with the Department of State;
(c) To sign and certify a constitution of the Green Party of Florida once a constitution is drafted and approved by the membership of the Green Party of Florida;
(d) To sign and certify such bylaws or amendments to the bylaws as may be approved by the Green Party of Florida;
(e) To certify any party nominations approved by the CC, when required by law;
(f) To oversee the conduct of campaigns for party nominees, as approved and authorized by the CC;
(g) To oversee the raising and expenditure of party funds, as approved and authorized by the CC;
(h) To certify candidates for presidential elections as approved and authorized by the CC, delivering a certified copy thereof to the Governor prior to September 1 of each presidential election year.
(i) To be accountable to the State Party for the funds of the Party and their proper expenditure. The SEC shall ensure that all accounts are maintained according to the requirements of state law and that all required reports are made in a timely, correct fashion.
(j) To conduct its meetings according to accepted practices on consensus seeking as determined by the bylaws of the County Green Party, shall serve as the CEC.
B. County Executive Committee (CEC)
Any GPFL Affiliate has the option of becoming a CEC, officially recognized by the State of Florida, providing there is no already recognized CEC in that county.
1. In the case where more than one Affiliate wishes to apply for recognition to become a CEC in a particular county and there is no existing CEC in that county, the following procedures shall apply:
(a) First each competing Affiliate shall be informed of the competing petitions. The competing groups shall be asked to meet and attempt to reconcile their differences, so as to encourage them merging into a single Affiliate. Both groups should be encouraged to exercise the values of consensus, diversity, and party unity in such reconciliation efforts.
(b) If such county level efforts at reconciliation and merger are not successful, then the CC shall select a panel of three individuals who are skilled in mediation, reconciliation and consensus to serve as facilitators in new reconciliation and merger efforts. None can be a member of either of the contending Affiliates.
(1) Prior to the panel beginning its work, each competing group shall agree to abide by the final consensus decision of the whole CC.
(2) The panel will examine and compare each county group in light of ARTICLE IV, A.2.[a-e].
(c) If the appointed mediators report back to the CC that they have been unsuccessful at achieving reconciliation and merger, then the CC will determine which Affiliate has the right to apply to apply to the State of Florida for CEC status.
2. Relationship to the State of Florida.
For the purpose of conforming to the requirements of the Florida Statutes, including but not limited to Florida Statutes §103.091, the CC shall recognize County Executive Committees for each County Green Party requesting such designation, in order to require their adherence to applicable State of Florida statutes.
To apply for CEC status, an Affiliate must have at least 10 Active Members, rather than the usual 5. These CECs shall be constituted and shall function under the following terms and conditions:
(a) The CEC will form a County Council, to include itself and such other Affiliates within the county which wish to assume (initially or thereafter) the privileges and responsibilities of adhering to applicable Florida Statutes. Such County Council will be designated the CEC’s governing body.
(b) For the purposes of constituting the CEC, the County Council shall designate from among themselves a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer.
(c) In the event that a member of the Green Party in that county is elected to any of the offices as provided for in Florida Statute §103.091 (e.g., state legislature), then such person shall be a member of the CEC as provided for in the above referenced statute.
(d) The terms of office of the members of the CEC shall correspond to terms of office of the members of the County Council of the CEC.
(e) Duties of the CEC
In keeping with the Green Party philosophy of democratic decentralization and grassroots participation, the foundational authority of the CEC comes from the Active Membership of the County Council. The duties of the CEC are to be in accord with state statutes, including the following:
(1) To file with the SEC and with the Supervisor of Elections the names and addresses of its officers and members, as specified in Florida Statute §103;
(2) To sign and certify a constitution of the County Green Party, once a constitution is drafted and approved by the membership of the County Council;
(3) To sign and certify such bylaws or amendments to the bylaws as may be approved by the general membership of the County Green Party;
(4) To certify any party nominations approved by the County Green Party general membership, when required by law;
(5) To oversee the conduct of campaigns for County Party nominees for county and Local elections, as approved and authorized by the County Party general membership;
(6) To oversee the raising and expenditure of County Party funds, as approved and authorized by the County Party general membership;
(7) To be accountable to the County Party and their Supervisor of Elections for the funds of the County Party and their proper expenditure. The CEC shall ensure all accounts are maintained according to the requirements of state law and all required reports are made in a timely correct fashion;
(8) To conduct its meetings according to accepted democratic practices of decision-making.
3. Other GPFL Affiliates within a county may choose to join with the CEC as part of a County Council, under terms and conditions no more strict than those for Affiliates seeking to join the GPFL itself. Terms and conditions for such a County Council are to be set by the CEC in its bylaws, and must be open and democratic under standard GPFL democratic standards. Any Affiliate doing so comes under the direct jurisdiction of the State of Florida Statutes. Affiliates may join such a County Council for the following purposes:
(a) Endorsing or nominating candidates for county, municipal or state legislative offices.
(b) Electing officers of the CEC (co-chairs, secretaries, treasurers, etc., and including delegates to the CC, National Committee, and other positions.
(c) Ability to raise and spend money.
(d) CEC input into matters coming before the GPFL’s CC.
Any Affiliate doing so falls under the direct jurisdiction of the State of Florida and shares collective responsibility for official county and state filings, and other matters that come with being under State of Florida jurisdiction.
4. The CEC and the County Council become one and the same once the County Council is formed. The CEC represents the will of the County Council, and the County Council determines the policies and officers of the CEC, similar to the way the GPFL Board represents the CC to the State of Florida.
5. Any registered Green may become an Active Member of the CEC.
6. In cases where a county has both a CEC recognized by the State of Florida, and one or more other Affiliates as part of its County Council, CC delegates are weighted as follows:
(c) When there are two or more Affiliates within a given county, and when one of those Affiliates is also a CEC and one or more non-county Affiliates is part of that county’s CEC County Council:
(1) Total representation on the CC will be based on the combined number of Active Members for those Affiliates which constitute that county’s CEC, per the formula in Section 4(b) above.
(2) Those Affiliates not affiliated with the county’s CEC shall retain and cast their votes on the state CC as separate Affiliates.
C. Candidates for OfficeAny candidate for public office who desires to run as a member of the GPFL may be nominated by the GPFL provided that member and that member’s campaign committee (if applicable) agree to:
1. Promote the Ten Key Values and the platform of the GPFL; and
2. Be solely responsible for all financial obligations incurred by the candidate’s electoral campaign; and
3. Be solely responsible for compliance with all requirements of law for reporting campaign income and expenditures; and
4. Accept campaign contributions in accordance with state and federal law, the Ten Key Values and any additional limits which may be set by the GPFL.
D. Endorsement Process
1. Statewide offices, U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate:
(a) The CC shall determine if a candidate meets the qualifications for receiving the official endorsement of the GPFL.
(b) In the event there is more than one qualified candidate for the same office, the CC shall:
(1) Attempt to encourage a consensus between the potential candidates, wherein one would seek an alternative available office or withdraw and support of other.
(2) In the event no consensus is available, then the issue of which candidate shall receive the official endorsement of the GPFL shall be determined by the nomination process as described in Nominating Process (E) below.
2. State Legislature, County or Local office:
If there is a recognized CEC, and if there are Affiliates which are not part of the County Council then that county’s CEC will convene a Special County Council of all of that county’s Affiliates to determine if a candidate meets the qualifications for receiving official endorsement of the GPFL.
(b) If there are not GPFL CECs in the constituency of the office, then the candidate may apply to the CC for endorsement.
(c) In the event that there is more than one qualified candidate for the same office, then the CEC shall follow the procedures as provided for the CC in such circumstances (See ARTICLE VII, C.2.a.2).
1. Notice of the nomination process shall be provided as follows:
Notice shall be provided to each member of the CC by the method commonly used to announce meetings. Notice shall provide:
Notice shall be provided to each member of the County Council and each Active Member of that county by the method provided in their bylaws.
2. Nominating Meeting
(a) A nominating meeting of the appropriate body(ies) shall be conducted after due notice to members, following the above guidelines for making endorsements.
(b) The candidates shall have sufficient time allotted which allows each of them and their supporters to speak for their candidacy.
The CC shall choose their nominee after consultation with and direction from their Affiliates.
All Active Members of the county(ies) may vote.
The appropriate governing body (CC or County Council shall fix a vote deadline. All Active Members may vote by mail, written ballot, or e-mail, as permitted in the notice. The candidate receiving the largest vote shall be endorsed.
A. The preferred method of decision-making within the GPFL shall be consensus seeking.
B. Where consensus is not reached within the time allocated on the agenda, a vote may be called. The process for calling a vote and voting is as follows:
C. It is necessary for there to be a 2/3 majority of votes on the question in order to put a proposal or other matter to a vote.
D. A vote of a 2/3 majority is required in order to confirm decisions brought to a vote.
E. The percentage of the vote is calculated by first counting the number of votes cast. A member may vote “for” or “against,” or may abstain from voting. If the member abstains from voting, the abstention will not be considered a vote cast for the purposes of calculating the percentage of the vote.
F. Elections for the Board members and Officers. The Board and Officers shall be elected by the method provided for in the appropriate section of these bylaws (See ARTICLE VI, A.4 and ARTICLE VI, B.2).
These bylaws may be altered or repealed, or amended by a 2/3 vote of the CC voting on the issue at the annual meeting as described in Article III(B)(3)(c). These bylaws may be amended by the CC between annual state meetings under the following circumstances:
Proposals for change may be put forth by the CC, a state bylaw committee, GPFL Affiliates or individual general members.
B. Consultation with Affiliates
The delegates of the CC have a positive and affirmative obligation to provide appropriate notice (as provided in their bylaws) to their Affiliate members of a proposed change or amendment of the bylaws. The delegates should then obtain clear direction from their Affiliate membership, and they should vote according to such direction.
Changes to the bylaws may be made through consensus, or failing that, by a 2/3 vote of the CC delegates voting on the issue.
1. All consensus seeking and/or voting for bylaw amendments must be conducted during a regularly scheduled monthly CC meeting or call with quorum.
2. Any proposal for bylaw amendments must be discussed and finalized at a scheduled monthly CC meeting and a final vote must be taken at a subsequent such meeting.
3. Any bylaws amendment proposal not passed or rejected within ninety (90) days of finalization shall be dismissed without prejudice.
4. Approve or disapprove proposed and recently approved changes to the Bylaws. Bylaw amendments can be presented to the General Membership by any member at the annual meeting for approval or disapproval. Bylaw changes shall be settled by the end of the annual meeting or dismissed without prejudice.