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Proposal Details

Proposal ID1148
ProposalAmend Rules Procedures Article X: Recognition of Declared Candidates for President
PresenterMountain Party of West Virginia, Green Parties of Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, Hawaii, YES
Floor ManagerHolly Hart
PhaseClosed
Discussion07/10/2023 - 07/30/2023
Voting07/31/2023 - 08/06/2023
ResultAdopted
Presens Quorum31 0.6666
Consens Quorum64 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

The Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC) is tasked with facilitating the recognition process to assist GPUS, state parties, and media in determining which presidential candidates have adequately met the requirements for recognition, affording attention and support during the primary.

Previously adopted criteria were intended to set the pace for the Green Primary and establish minimum criteria for candidate success. The criteria for recognition in Rules and Procedures Article X were last revised on May 26, 2019. Based upon the observations of the process in 2020, the Green Party affiliate of West Virginia and its supporting co-sponsors are proposing revised metrics for a more attentive recognition process through a revision to Article X. The primary purposes of the revisions are to make the recognition criteria clearer, to make administration of the process more straightforward, and to protect the integrity of the Green Party.

 

Key improvements included in this revision:

- Acknowledging the Green Party’s commitment to supporting a viable presidential campaign with its fundraising criteria, with a qualifying threshold of $5,000 for one state (where no more than $250 per donor may count towards this threshold). Alternatively, a candidate is permitted to qualify through the small-donor route, with 250 individual donors each contributing at least $10, for a total raised amount of at least $2,500. Self-funded contributions are excluded from the metric, and no more than $250 per donor will count toward the metric.

- Amending the support criteria, requiring candidates to collect 250 verified signatures. In addition, candidates must develop and submit a nationwide ballot access plan.

- Assuring GPUS highlights only recognized candidates during the primary process, including those candidates who meet a new “provisional recognition” category, in which candidates who have met at least 50% of the financial requirement are eligible to participate in GPUS forums. Further, provisional status will expire January 1 of the election year, ensuring that only fully recognized candidates will be highlighted by GPUS in the election year.

- Clarifying the criteria for candidates’ websites, stating explicitly in the rules that social media does not fulfill the website requirement.

- Clarifying the affiliation criteria, allowing for dual affiliation with other progressive parties. In 2020, there was much confusion on this due to the lack of clarity in the rules, despite there being a precedent for the practice.

- Confirming the National Committee’s authority to rescind recognition, otherwise limited to the PCSC.

- Encouraging state parties and GPUS caucuses to adopt the criteria used by GPUS for their state’s own presidential primary procedures.

In summary, the revised Article X modestly raises the bar for presidential recognition, aiming to improve the presidential primary process while also establishing an inclusive, new provisional recognition system. This will clarify for candidates (and their supporters) the level of commitment necessary to launch a serious presidential campaign and help candidates plan ahead to meet necessary benchmarks toward GPUS recognition.

Proposal

Article 10 of the GPUS Rules and Procedures shall be amended as follows:

No change to the title of article 10; no change to the heading of 10-1; no change to paragraph 10-1.1:

ARTICLE X RECOGNITION OF DECLARED CANDIDATES FOR THE GREEN PARTY NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT

Section 10-1 Assessment Metrics

The campaign of individuals running for the Green Party nomination for President will be assessed by the Presidential Campaign Support Committee (PCSC) using the following criteria:

10-1.1 Candidate Questionnaire: Candidate has submitted a completed Candidate Questionnaire as provided by the PCSC.

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Paragraph 10-1.2 which currently reads:

10-1.2 Party Affiliation: Candidate is not a registrant or otherwise a party member of any state or national level political party in the individual’s primary state of residence except for a state party which has affiliated with GPUS or a party forming for the intent of GPUS affiliation in a state where there is no GPUS-affiliated state party.

Shall be replaced with paragraph 10-1.2, which shall read:

10-1.2 Party Affiliation: Candidate is not a registrant or otherwise a party member of any state or national level political party in the individual’s primary state of residence except for a state party that is affiliated with GPUS or a party forming for the intent of GPUS affiliation in a state where there is no GPUS-affiliated state party. Notwithstanding and consistent with precedent, an exception shall be made for dual membership with a GPUS-affiliated party and another organization that shares a progressive platform, to be determined as needed by the PCSC. The platform must explicitly include support for a living wage, an end to mass incarceration, and free education for all and healthcare for all. Dual membership shall not be applied to either the Democratic or Republican parties and is prohibited for the ruling Wall Street parties. Dual membership shall be void if the organization does not utilize a democratic process to elect its officers, provided it is a ballot-qualified, electoral political party. Additionally, dual membership shall be void if the party permits its candidate or political action committees to accept funding from corporations or Super PACs.

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Paragraph 10-1.3 which currently reads:

10-1.3 Ballot Lines: Candidate has pledged in writing to the PCSC to appear on all offered statewide Green Party ballot lines.

Shall be replaced with paragraph 10-1.3, which shall read:

10-1.3 Ballot Lines: Candidate has pledged in writing to the PCSC to appear on all offered statewide Green Party ballot lines. Candidate has also submitted a nationwide ballot access plan that includes a summary of the campaign's strategy demonstrating their plans to appear on statewide Green Party ballot lines.

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Paragraph 10-1.4 which currently reads:

10-1.4 Website: Candidate has a dedicated website to promote the candidate’s candidacy, where the website is publicly accessible via a provided URL, is controlled by the candidate, is not shared with another campaign, clearly identifies that the candidate is running for the Green Party nomination, and has an online donation capability. Social media pages do not satisfy this requirement.

Shall be replaced with paragraph 10-1.4, which shall read:

10-1.4 Website: Candidate has a dedicated website to promote the candidate’s candidacy, where the website is publicly accessible via a provided URL, is controlled by the candidate, is not shared with another campaign, clearly identifies that the candidate is running for the Green Party nomination, and has an online donation capability. Social media pages do not satisfy the website requirement.

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Paragraph 10-1.5 which currently reads:

10-1.5 Signatures of Support: Candidate has collected at least 100 signatures of support from Green Party members acquired via an online signature submission form provided by the PCSC. The PCSC, assisted by state party officers, shall be responsible for verifying that at least 100 of the submitted signatures are valid signatures of Green Party members. Of the 100 verified signatures, no more than 50 may be counted from any one state, and signatures must come from at least five state parties.

Shall be replaced with paragraph 10-1.5, which shall read:

10-1.5 Signatures of Support: Candidate has collected at least 250 signatures of support from Green Party members acquired via an online signature submission form provided by the PCSC. The PCSC, assisted by state party officers, shall be responsible for verifying that at least 250 of the submitted signatures are valid signatures of Green Party members. Of the 250 verified signatures, no more than 125 may be counted from any one state, and signatures must come from at least ten state parties.

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No change to paragraph 10-1.6 which currently reads:

10-1.6 FEC Filing: Candidate has established a federal campaign committee for the current presidential campaign, as recognized in public listings of the Federal Elections Commission (FEC).

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Paragraph 10-1.7 which currently reads:

10-1.7 Fundraising: Candidate has demonstrated fundraising success consistent with running a viable national campaign by either (1) raising at least $5,000 where no more than $250 from any individual donor may count towards this threshold and least $300 must have been raised from at least five states, or at least $100 from at least ten states OR (2) having received donations of at least $10 each from at least 100 individual donors. This metric shall be verified through campaign finance reports filed with the FEC and posted on the FEC’s web site.

Shall be replaced by paragraph 10-1.7, which shall read:

10-1.7 Fundraising: Candidate has demonstrated fundraising success consistent with running a viable national campaign by either (1) raising at least $5,000 from any one state where no more than $250 from any individual donor may count towards this threshold OR (2) having received donations of at least $10 each from at least 250 individual donors. This metric shall exclude self-funded candidate contributions. This metric shall be verified through campaign finance reports filed with the FEC and posted on the FEC’s website.

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Paragraph 10-1.8 which currently reads:

10-1.8 Participation in State Primary Processes: Candidate participation in state primary processes shall be assessed by the number of states in which the candidate appears on the state government’s Green Party primary ballot or is included by name in the state party-run presidential preference caucus, convention, or online voting process. No minimum criteria is required for official recognition.

Shall be replaced paragraph 10-1.8, which shall read:

10-1.8 State Party Primaries: State Green Parties and GPUS Caucuses are highly encouraged to adopt the criteria in this Article X for official candidate recognition for their own presidential primary procedures. State parties are highly encouraged to place on their primary, caucus, or convention ballots only the names of those candidates who are officially recognized by GPUS.

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No change to paragraph 10-1.9 which currently reads:

10-1.9 PNC Delegates: This metric consists of the number of committed Presidential Nominating Convention (PNC) delegates awarded to the candidate so far based on data obtained by the PCSC in collaboration with other Green Party committees. No minimum criteria is required for official recognition.

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No change to the heading of 10-2 nor to paragraph 10-2.1:

Section 10-2 Recognition Process

10-2.1 Granting Recognition: When a candidate feels that they have met the minimum criteria for metrics specified in Section 10-1, they must submit an application for recognition on a form provided by the PCSC. Once the PCSC confirms that the requirements of Section 10-1 have indeed been met, the PCSC will designate that candidate as “recognized”.

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Paragraph 10-2.2 which currently reads:

10-2.2 Rescinding Recognition: Once a candidate has been extended official recognition, such recognition may be rescinded by a proposal specifying cause and acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the Presidential Campaign Support Committee, with a 2/3 vote of the committee. Grounds for rescinding recognition include a finding of significant fraud or misrepresentation in the application for recognition or a determination that the candidate is no longer seeking the nomination.

Shall be replaced by paragraph 10-2.2, which shall read:

10-2.2 Rescinding Recognition: Once a candidate has been extended official recognition, such recognition may be rescinded by a proposal specifying cause and acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the Presidential Campaign Support Committee, with a 2/3 vote of the committee. Grounds for rescinding recognition include a finding of significant fraud or misrepresentation in the application for recognition or a determination that the candidate is no longer seeking the nomination. Recognition may also be rescinded by the National Committee.

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Paragraph 10-2.3 shall be added to read:

10-2.3. Provisional Recognition: During the year prior to the general election year, candidates who meet 50 percent of the financial requirement as well as completely meet all other criteria shall be granted provisional GPUS recognition and be allowed to participate in GPUS presidential forums and debates. Provisional recognition shall expire January 1 of the election year. Any candidate that fails to meet recognition requirements by this time will no longer be recognized by GPUS. The PCSC will maintain the status and publication of candidates with expired provisional recognition.

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Heading of 10-3 which currently reads:

Section 10-3 Access to Data and Resources

Shall be replaced with heading 10-3, which shall read:

Section 10-3 Access

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Paragraph 10-3.1 which currently reads:

10-3.1 Public Access: As part of its publicly-available information pages the PCSC shall include, as a minimum, the assessment metrics identified in Section 10-1 above for all candidates which the PCSC determines are actively seeking official recognition or which have already achieved official recognition. The PCSC shall also provide public access to the PCSC questionnaire submitted by each candidate.

Shall be replaced by paragraph 10-3.1, which shall read:

10-3.1 Public Access: The PCSC shall publish these requirements on its publicly available webpages. It shall also publish the status of officially recognized and provisionally recognized candidates, as well as these candidates' PCSC questionnaires. The PCSC shall not publish the status or questionnaires of unrecognized candidates.

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Paragraph 10-3.2 which currently reads:

10-3.2 Candidate Access: Candidates who are officially recognized shall, through use of fair, equitable and published procedures, be eligible for special campaign assistance offered at the discretion of the GPUS, which may include special postings on GPUS websites, use of GPUS contact lists, or special visibility on GPUS communication channels.

Shall be replaced by paragraph 10-3.2, which shall read:

10-3.2 Candidate Access: Candidates who are officially recognized shall, through use of fair, equitable and published procedures, be eligible for special campaign assistance offered at the discretion of the GPUS, which may include special postings on GPUS websites, use of GPUS contact lists, or special visibility on GPUS communication channels. GPUS shall not publish, on any of its websites, social media platforms, or other communications channels, including on the PCSC’s webpages, any news, features, positions, events, or other media of any presidential candidate who is not officially or provisionally recognized by GPUS.

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Paragraph 10-3.3 shall be added to read:

10-3.3 Candidate Forums: GPUS is not required to invite presidential candidates to any candidates’ forums, debates, panels, or other candidate events at its Annual National Meetings and other gatherings. During the general election year, should GPUS, its caucuses, or its committees hold a public forum or gathering to which it invites Green presidential candidates to speak, only officially recognized presidential candidates shall be invited to participate. During the year prior to the general election year, should GPUS, its caucuses, or its committees hold a public forum or gathering to which it invites Green presidential candidates to speak, only officially recognized and provisionally recognized candidates shall be invited to participate. State Green Parties are encouraged to adopt these requirements when inviting candidates to forums, panels, or other candidate events.

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No change to section 10-4 which currently reads:

Section 10-4 Vice-President

10-4.1 As per Section 5-11 of the GPUS Convention Rules, nomination of Vice-Presidential candidate to the Convention is made by the Presidential Nominee and the Convention votes on whether to affirm that individual. Therefore there is no official Green Party pre-convention ‘race’ or ‘contest’ for the Vice-Presidential nomination, nor shall recognition by the Presidential Campaign Support Committee or GPUS be considered or given to any individual claiming to seek the Vice-Presidential nomination.

Resources

IMPLEMENTATION/RESOURCES: The PCSC will promptly update its external and internal documents and tools used to gather and track candidates seeking recognition based on these metrics. In addition, the GPUS webmaster will update the GPUS Rules and offer their assistance to the PCSC in publishing and posting these changes elsewhere.

CONTACTS: Robert Smith, West Virginia Delegate & PCSC Member for West Virginia; Denise Binion, West Virginia Chair: contact@mountainpartywv.net

References

REFERENCES: Existing Article 10 as approved by National Committee on 5/26/2019: https://gpus.org/rules-procedures/#10

Changes to Article 10 with Strikethrough and Underline formatting: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17MGV5qx2KzQ3R2xu0RoceAzI-ZXVkl4sFQkq9f8tNCI/edit?usp=sharing



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