Duties of County Party Officers
County Central Committee organization
Party Caucus and Delegate Process
Election Rules
Nominating Convention
Organizing Convention
Legislative District Voting
How to Handle Vacancies
County Party Budget Process
County Party Committees
How to Modify Constitution
How to Creat New By Laws
How Meeting Notification Happens
By Laws
How County Party Votes
Amended August 8, 2001
ARTICLE I --- NAME, PURPOSE AND MEMBERSHIP
A. Name. The name of this organization shall be the Sevier County Republican Party, also referred to as the County Party or the Party.
B. General Purposes. The Party shall nominate and support the election of Republican candidates in all races for public office, both partisan and non-partisan, promote the principles set forth in the State Party platform, and perform Party functions set forth in the election laws of the State of Utah and the Constitution of the Party.
C. Membership. Party membership is open to any resident of Sevier County, Utah who identifies with the Republican Party as a member.
A. County Party Officers. The Officers of the County Party shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.
B. Duties of Officers.
1. Chair.
The County Party Chair shall serve as the chief executive officer of the County Party, as Chair of the County Central Committee. The term of office shall be two years.
2. Vice-Chair.
The County Vice-Chair shall serve as Vice-Chair of the County Party, as Vice-Chair of the County Central Committee. The Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in his or her duties and perform the Chair's duties in the Chair's absence. The term of office shall be two years.
3. Secretary.
The County Party Secretary shall serve as the Secretary of the County Central Committee, and as Secretary of the County Convention. The Secretary shall provide timely notices of all meetings and take and maintain minutes and attendance records. The term of office shall be two years.
4. Treasurer.
The County Party Treasurer shall serve as the Treasurer of the County Party. The Treasurer shall keep and maintain financial records and file all financial reports required by state law. The term of office shall be two years.
C. Election of Officers.
Delegates to the County Party organizing convention held on odd-numbered years shall elect the County Party Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary , and Treasurer.
D. County Party Officers shall be granted the right to be automatic State Delegates to the State Convention and automatic county delegates to the County Convention. The number of delegates available to the precincts shall be reduced by the number of county officers.
E. Replacement of Officers.
1. Vacancies.
Officer vacancies shall be filled within ninety (90) days of the vacancy by a meeting of the County Central Committee.
2. Removal.
Any officer may be removed by a 60% vote of all the voting members of the County Central Committee.
F. Executive Committee.
1. All County Party officers are members of the Executive Committee.
2. The County Party Chair may meet with the members of the Executive Committee at any time, with notice, to carry out their duties any time.
ARTICLE III --- COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
A. Powers.
The County Central Committee shall be the governing and policy-making body of the Party.
B. Membership.
The voting members of the County Central Committee shall consist of the County Party Chair, The County Party Vice-Chair, the County Party Secretary, County Party Treasurer, and the Chair and Vice-Chair of each Voting Precinct of the Sevier County Republican Party.
C. Meetings.
The County Central Committee shall meet as needed. The Chair or 25% of all the voting members of the County Central Committee may call Central Committee meetings.
D. Quorum.
A quorum of the County Central Committee is a majority of all the voting members of the County Central Committee. In order to conduct binding business, the County Central Committee must have a quorum in attendance.
E. Notice of Meetings.
Timely notice shall be sent to all members of the County Central Committee before any County Central Committee Meeting may be held.
ARTICLE IV --- MEMBERS OF THE STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
A. The County chair and Vice-Chair shall represent Sevier County on the State Central Committee. Any other county representatives to the State Central Committee shall be elected at the County organizing convention.
B. County representatives to the State Central Committee shall be seated after the state organizing convention and shall serve for two years
ARTICLE V --- PARTY CAUCUSES AND DELEGATES
A. Party caucuses shall be held in each even-numbered year. The State Party shall designate the date thereof at least four weeks prior to the Party Caucuses. The County Party shall designate the locations. The County Party shall designate the number of delegates to be elected in each individual caucus meeting by using the calculations given in the State Party Constitution.
B. The County Party shall give notice of each individual caucus meeting by notifying the local news media and requiring three notices be posted in the precinct. Each individual caucus shall be open to any Utah citizen who resides in the precinct who will be at least 18 by the time of that year's general election. The caucuses shall convene at 7:00 p.m.
C. Precinct officers consisting of a chair, vice-chair, secretary and/or treasurer shall be elected to serve two-year terms. They shall serve until the end of the next precinct caucus meeting. Precinct officers can be replaced by calling a special precinct caucus meeting by giving timely notice given in three locations inside the voting precinct and to all those who attended the previous caucus meeting.
D. Delegates shall be elected at each caucus to represent the precinct at the state and county convention. Alternate county delegates may be elected and ranked in order of succession.
E. If an elected delegate dies, resigns, or is disqualified prior to the convention, the precinct chair shall offer the delegate position to the qualified alternate ranked highest in order of succession who is able to serve. The precinct chair shall report the appointment of replacement delegates to the County Party no later than 21 days before the convention.
F. Complete listings of delegates, alternate delegates, precinct officers, and attendees shall be made available to any potential candidate for public or party office.
ARTICLE VI--- ELECTIONS AND CONVENTIONS
A. In the event that three or more candidates are nominated for the same office, the convention or caucus shall use multiple ballots or preference voting to choose party nominees, party officers, delegates, or precinct officers. Multiple balloting or instant runoff tabulation shall continue until a candidate for party office surpasses a 50% vote total in the final round or two candidates for party nomination remain. The County Party Central Committee shall certify the method of election to be used at least 6 months prior to the convention. Precinct caususes may determine at the meeting which of these two methods shall be used.
B. When the number of candidates filing declarations of candidacy is no greater than the number of nominees required for the next general election, those candidates shall be declared to be the Party=s nominees for those offices and shall not be required to run at either the nominating convention or the primary election.
C. Nominating Conventions.
1. The Party shall nominate candidates for partisan offices by a nominating convention and primary elections.
2. Nominating conventions shall be held in even-numbered years after the party caucuses.
3. The County Party shall provide timely notice regarding the county nominating convention to every county delegate.
4. The secretary shall certify to the county clerk the names of the Party's nominees within one week of the convention.
5. When two candidates are nominated by the county nominating convention for the same office, both candidates shall run in a primary election, in accordance with the Utah Code.
D. County Organizing Conventions
1. On or before August 15th in each odd-numbered year, a county organizing convention shall be held.
2. The county organizing convention shall be held to elect a county chair, vice-chair, a secretary and a treasurer and county representatives to the State Central Committee.
E. The number of delegates to the county convention shall be set by the County Central Committee by Bylaw. The county convention delegates shall be chosen at the precinct caucus meetings. Delegates shall be apportioned based upon the same calculations as listed above as defined in the State Party Constitution.
F. At the time and place set for the county conventions, the name of each person who has filed a declaration of candidacy may be placed in nomination for the office for which the declaration was filed.
G. Following the nominating and acceptance speeches made on behalf of the candidates for office, the delegates shall vote. The county convention shall provide time and voting facilities so that all delegates may vote.
H. Nomination of Legislative Candidates. When the boundaries of either the Utah House or Utah Senate districts are identical or completely within the boundaries of a single county, the candidates shall be chosen at the county nominating convention by the county delegates from within the legislative district. If a house or senate legislative district encompasses more than one county, the candidates shall be chosen at the state nominating convention by the state delegates from within the legislative district.
ARTICLE VII --- CANDIDATE VACANCIES
A. In the event that a Party candidate who is involved in a contested primary resigns, dies or becomes incapacitated before the primary election the remaining candidate shall be designated as the Party nominee.
B. In the event that a Party candidate resigns, dies or becomes incapacitated after nomination at the county convention or at the primary election, candidates for the following offices shall be replaced by the following method:
1. Candidates for county offices or legislative districts totally contained within a county shall be replaced by the County Central Committee in accordance with Utah law.
2. Candidates for legislative districts that encompass two or more counties shall be replaced by the state delegates elected from within the legislative district at a special legislative caucus.
A. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year for the County Party shall run from 1 July through the next June 30.
B. The County Party Officers may adopt a budget for each fiscal year.
ARTICLE IX --- PARTY COMMITTEES
A. Party Committees.
The County Party Chair may establish committees as desired and needed.
B Appointment of Committee Members.
The Party Chair shall appoint committee members with the advice and consent of
the Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer.
ARTICLE X --- MODIFICATION OF CONSTITUTION
A Ratification.
The Constitution shall be binding when approved by a majority vote of the delegates present at a County
Party Convention
B Amendments.
The Constitution may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members at a County Central Committee meeting with a quorum present, if subsequently ratified by a majority vote of the Delegates at the County Convention. This Constitution may also be amended by 2/3 vote of Delegates at the County Convention.
C. Severability.
If any portion of this Constitution is ever declared void, all other portions shall remain binding and effective.
A Bylaws.
The County Central Committee may adopt Bylaws to govern subjects not covered by the Constitution. Such
bylaws shall not be inconsistent with this Constitution.
B. Adoption and Modifications.
1. By the County Central Committee.
Any Bylaws adopted or modified by the County Central Committee shall be binding and in full force and effect when adopted by a majority of a quorum of the County Central Committee.
2. By the County Convention.
The delegates to the County Convention may adopt or modify Bylaws by a 2/3 vote.
ARTICLE XII --- RULES
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of the Party in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws and any special rules of order the Party may adopt.
ARTICLE XIII--- TIMELY NOTICE OF MEETINGS
A. Unless otherwise stated herein, timely notice of all meetings shall be given by:
1. Postmarked notice:
The county party officers shall notice convention delegates or committee members who haven't responded to an e-mail notice by postmarking an agenda at least two weeks before the meeting is to be held.
2. Electronic Mail notice:
Electronic mail notice shall occur according to bylaw, and must be acknowledged before the date on which a postmarked notice is required to be mailed.
B. No binding business may be conducted at any meeting requiring timely notice if notice is not given.
1. Delegates to the County Convention.
The number of delegates elected to the county convention shall be 204 delegates.
2 Electronic Mail (e-mail) notice:
A. Timely E-mail notice shall be given by:
1. The party shall notify convention delegates or committee members who have voluntarily given their e-mail address to the party by e-mailing an agenda to the e-mail address provided.
2. E-mail notifications may be considered valid only if the party receives a non-automated reply from the recipient.
3. All convention delegates or committee members not acknowledging receipt of an e-mail notice must be given a postmarked notice.
3. Multiple Ballots and Preference Voting
A In the case of multiple ballots, the first ballot shall be used to reduce the number of candidates to four if more than four candidates participate or by one if four participate. Each following ballot shall drop the lowest vote getter until:
1. A candidate for party office at an organizing convention surpasses a 50% vote total in the final round.
2. Two candidates for party nomination at a nominating convention remain.
B. In the case of preference voting, delegates may indicate a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc preference of all qualified candidates.
1. Delegates shall mark a 1st preference for the ballot to be valid.
2. Delegates may list additional preferences not to exceed the number of qualified candidates.
3. Preference votes for no candidate or for a candidate not officially nominated shall invalidate that preference position only.
4. Ballots containing only preferences for candidates for party office who have been eliminated will not count as an official ballot for purposes of vote percentage tabulation.
5. On the first ballot, the candidate receiving the fewest 1st preference votes shall be eliminated.
a. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate shall be reviewed for further preference. Votes for the highest preference candidate remaining shall be added to that remaining candidates total vote.
b. The candidate with the fewest votes after step B5a shall be eliminated.
c. The process will continue until:
1. A candidate for party office at an organizing convention surpasses a 50% total vote and is declared elected.
2. Two candidates for party nomination at a nominating convention remain.