Green Party of the United States - National Committee Voting

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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	311
Proposal	Implementation of Standards for Recognizing Presidential Candidates
Presenter	Presidential Campaign Support Committee
Floor Manager	Jason Nabewaniec
Phase	Closed
Discussion	08/29/2007 - 09/11/2007
Voting	09/12/2007 - 09/18/2007
Result	Adopted
Presens Quorum	34 0.6666
Consens Quorum	83 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

The Presidential Campaign Support Committee has attempted to create a wide-open nomination process for 2008. One of the hallmarks of this has been trying to establish a transparent, balanced system where no candidates are the benefit of any institutional bias.

Several individuals have already gone through the steps required to become recognized candidates. The process, however, has proven to be fraught with unexpected problems. Candidates who are clearly not intending to run serious campaigns and candidates with seemingly no Green credentials have announced.

Unlike the corporatist parties, for the Green Party, the imprimatur of identifying which candidates are seeking the nomination falls squarely upon the party itself. When the Green Party releases a list of official candidates and some of those candidates include people who are clearly not credible candidates, the effect is to marginalize both the party and the remainder of the candidates. Similarly, when the party extends resources to candidates, it should not be extending resources to any random person who has submitted a questionnaire. Listing a candidate's name and website on the GPUS website constitutes providing a significant resource, and PCSC has also been developing information resources for candidates. It is not good practice to squander the time and efforts of Greens on candidates who are not serious, or worse, who may misrepresent themselves and the position of the Green Party and use the imprimatur of GPUS recognition to do so.

The purpose of this proposal is to establish clear standards for the formal recognition of presidential candidates, where such recognition may qualify a candidate for GPUS identification and other resources. Such recognition is not intended to imply any status with regard to the conduct of voting at the Presidential Nominating Convention, and is not intended to exclude the participation or consideration of any individuals at the convention. It should be noted, though, that the list of recognized candidates may be employed by state parties in determining the roster of candidates to submit to their membership for the presidential preference voting process in their respective states. This may require future action from PCSC.

It is also understood that there are numerous individuals who might best be considered "prospective candidates". Such persons are understood to be undeclared and undecided, and perhaps not engaged in a formal "exploratory" process in the eyes of the FEC. Nevertheless, these individuals could reasonably be asserted to be informally considering their options and they might therefore have some need for certain resources generated by PCSC or other elements of GPUS. The potential popularity of such candidates compels facilitating the potential for such candidates to seek the party nomination while respecting certain issues that may arise from being considered a formal or "exploring" candidate in the eyes of the FEC. A category of "draft candidate" is therefore included in this proposal, where "draft candidates" are understood to be undeclared and undecided but desirous of certain party resources.

Proposal

The Green National Committee formally adopts the following policies for recognizing declared and draft candidates for the Green Party nomination for President:

Policy for Recognition of Declared Candidates for the Green Party Nomination for President

1. An individual may become an officially recognized candidate for the Green Party nomination for President provided that he/she:

a. submits an official Candidate Questionnaire to the Presidential Campaign Support Committee;

b. is not a registrant 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;

c. has pledged to use all offered Green Party ballot lines;

d. has a website for his/her candidacy.

2. Provided that the above standards have been met, any such individual should also:

a. receive verifiable support from 100 Green Party members, including members from at least 5 state parties, no later than December 1, 2007;

b. establish a campaign committee and file with the Federal Elections Commission, no later than December 31, 2007;

c. raise at least $5,000, not including self-financing, for the purpose of his/her campaign, no later than February 1, 2008.

3. If any such individual meets all standards identified above, then the Presidential Campaign Support Committee shall consider the matter of whether such individual shall be extended official recognition as a candidate for the Green nomination. The PCSC co-chairs shall report when an individual has met such standards. If no action is taken within seven days of such notification, then the candidate shall be extended official recognition. Within those seven days, any member of PCSC may introduce a proposal, specifying cause, to refuse to extend official recognition to an individual who meets the delineated standards. Such a proposal will be acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC, and candidate recognition shall only be refused upon a standard 2/3 vote of the committee. Should such a proposal fail, the candidate will be extended official recognition.

4. Once a candidate has been extended official recognition by the PCSC, such recognition may be rescinded by a proposal, specifying cause, acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC, with a standard 2/3 vote of the committee. Such cause may include failure to comply with the time-specific standards delineated in Section 2 of this policy.

5. Individuals who are officially recognized candidates may be eligible for GPUS provided resources, including information on GPUS sponsored websites, contact lists, and other resources that GPUS might provide.

Policy for Recognition of Draft Candidates for the Green Party Nomination for President

1. An individual may become an officially recognized draft candidate for the Green nomination for President provided that he/she:

a. has demonstrable, verifiable support from 100 Green Party members, including members from at least 5 state parties;

b. is not a registrant 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;

c. is aware of the draft candidacy and has not formally notified the PCSC that he/she does not wish to be considered a draft candidate as per this policy; lack of notification will not be considered as an indication on the part of the individual that he/she is a declared or otherwise formal candidate.

2. If any such individual meets all standards identified above, then the Presidential Campaign Support Committee shall consider the matter of whether such individual shall be extended official recognition as a draft candidate for the Green nomination. The PCSC co-chairs shall report when an individual has met such standards. If no action is taken within seven days of such notification, then the candidate shall be extended official recognition as a draft candidate. Within those seven days, any member of PCSC may introduce a proposal, specifying cause, to refuse to extend official recognition to an individual who meets the delineated standards. Such a proposal will be acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC, and draft candidate recognition shall only be refused upon a standard 2/3 vote of the committee. Should such a proposal fail, the individual will be extended official draft candidate recognition.

3. Upon recognition of a draft candidate, the individual shall be notified, and shall be requested to meet the conditions of being an official declared candidate, per the relevant policy, no later than December 31, 2007 if the individual wishes to maintain status as a recognized candidate for the nomination.

4. Once a draft candidate has been extended official recognition by the PCSC, such recognition may be rescinded by a proposal, specifying cause, acted upon per the standard policies and procedures of the PCSC, with a standard 2/3 vote of the committee. Such cause may include failure to comply with the time-specific standards delineated in Section 2 of this policy.

5. Individuals who are officially recognized draft candidates may be eligible for GPUS provided resources, including information on GPUS sponsored websites, contact lists, and other resources that GPUS might provide.

Resources

As specified, or as to be determined.

References

None

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