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Proposal Details

Proposal ID	330
Proposal	Rules, Policies Procedures for the National Nominating Convention Credentials Committee
Presenter	BRPP
Floor Manager	Jim Coplen
Phase	Closed
Discussion	12/10/2007 - 12/30/2007
Voting	12/31/2007 - 01/06/2008
Result	Adopted
Presens Quorum	34 0.6666
Consens Quorum	74 0.6666 of Yes and No Votes

Background

Previous documents adopted to govern the conduct of business by a Credentials Committee serving the Green Party's previous Quadrennial Presidential Nominating Conventions included provisions sunsetting those rules. It is therefore necessary to adopt a new set of rules to govern this process for subsequent Conventions. Your Committee on Bylaws, Rules, Policies and Procedures, having reviewed those rules sunset following previous Conventions, has considered and endorsed for National Party consideration the adoption of the following rules.

To provide for a Credentials Committee; to provide for its size, officers, structure, the method of its election, and for the filling of vacancies; to provide for rules governing the conduct of its business; to provide that the Credentials Committee shall makes its report to the Presidential Nominating Convention.

Proposal

Resolved, that the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States establishes the Credentials Committee for the Presidential Nominating Convention of the Green Party of the United States and adopts the following Rules, Practices and Procedures to govern the election of and the conduct of business by that Committee.

ARTICLE I. CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE

Section 1-1 Establishment of the Credentials Committee.

A Credentials Committee shall be elected by the National Committee to serve each Presidential Nominating Convention. The committee shall serve from the time of their election and until twelve months after the adjournment of each Presidential Nominating Convention.

Section 1-2 The Charge of the Credentials Committee is:

1-2.1 Disseminating to the member state parties and to Greens seeking to form member state parties the Rules of the Presidential Nominating Convention of the Green Party of the United States,

1-2.2 Soliciting and receiving from state parties their Delegate Plans and their applications for delegate credentials;

1-2.3 Making a preliminary ruling on each application;

1-2.4 Developing and publishing an official roster of convention delegates and alternates;

1-2.5 Administering delegate on-site registration and credentialing;

1-2.6 Administering the credentials challenge resolution process, both prior to and at the location of the convention;

1-2.7 operating such email listserves and building and maintaining a website as required by the Convention Rules as necessary to provide transparency of the credentialing process to members of the National Committee, and to Delegates and Alternates granted preliminary credentials by the committee; and

1-2.8 Within twelve months of adjournment of each Presidential Nominating Convention, filing a report to the National Committee, evaluating the credential process used and the lessons learned, and making recommendations to the National Committee on changes recommended for subsequent conventions.

ARTICLE II. COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

Section 2-1 Committee Members

2-1.1 The Credentials Committee shall consist of not more than fifteen members.

2-1.2 No more than two members of the committee shall be from any one state. Members of the National Committee, in the election of the Credentials Committee, are urged to give preference to maximizing the number of states participating in the work of the Credentials Committee.

2-1.3 Any member of the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States and any other member of an accredited state party of the Green Party of the United States participating in the national convention endorsed by their state party, is eligible to be a member of the Credentials Committee, except that:

2-1.3(a) In states where party membership is defined by voter registration - and one can legally register Green ? one must be a registered Green Party member; or

2-1.3(b) In states where party membership is defined by voter registration - but one cannot legally register Green - one must be a member of the Green Party in that state, according to the state party?s rules, and one cannot also be a registered voter in another party; or

2-1.3(c) In states where party membership is not defined by voter registration, one must be a member of the Green Party in that state, according to the rules used by the state party, and one cannot also be a member of another party.

2-1.3(d) No member of the Steering Committee may simultaneously serve as a member of the Credentials Committee. Should a member of the Credentials Committee be elected to the Steering Committee, their election shall serve as notice of their resignation from the Credentials Committee. Should a member of the Steering Committee be elected to the Credentials Committee, their election shall serve as notice of their resignation from the Steering Committee.

2-1.3(e) No person shall be eligible for election to the Credentials Committee unless they have made a written declaration of their intention to attend the Presidential Nominating Convention and to participate in meetings of the Credentials Committee, including those meetings of the Credentials Committee held during and at the venue of the Presidential Nominating Convention.

2-1.4 Once elected, a member of the Credentials Committee shall continue to serve until the end of their Credentials Committee term, their resignation, or the certification of their ineligibility to serve, even if their term as a member of the National Committee has come to an end.

Section 2-2 Term Length

2-2.1 Terms for committee members shall commence from the time of their election and continue until the release of the committee?s post-convention report, or twelve months after the convention, whichever comes sooner.

2-2.2 There are no term limits for committee members.

Section 2-3 Election Procedure

2-3.1 Committee members shall be elected by the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

2-3.2 Beginning in 2011 and for subsequent Presidential nominating cycles, elections for committee member shall be held in April of the year preceding the Presidential Nominating Convention. If all seats are not filled in the first election, a second election to fill the remaining seats shall be held three months later. If all seats are not filled by the second election, the committee shall proceed to function with as many members as have been elected, except that subsequent elections to fill vacancies may be conducted as herein provided.

2-3.3 For purposes of the 2008 Presidential nominating cycle, the members of the committee shall be elected in two elections held four months apart, to name first eight members and then seven members. The first such election shall be held within four weeks of the adoption of these rules.

2-3.4 Each such election of committee members shall be conducted by preference voting, consistent with the process as defined in the Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States, Article 7. Preference Voting Rules for Steering Committee Elections.

2-3.5 If, during the election process, two members of any state party are elected, then no other member of that state party shall be deemed to be eligible to be elected. At the conclusion of that round of the tabulation, any other candidate from that state shall be deemed to be defeated, and ballots cast for that candidate shall transfer at full value to the next most preferred candidate named on each such ballot.

Section 2-4 Vacancies

2-4.1 A vacancy shall be considered to occur when a committee member resigns, is no longer a Green Party member as defined under 2-1.3 above, or is no longer an active member as defined under 2-7.1 below.

2-4.2 Notice of a vacancy occurring shall be sent to the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States no later than seven days after the vacancy occurs.

2-4.2(a) In the case of a resignation, notice shall be sent no later than seven days after the resignation has been submitted to either the Co-chairs of the Credentials Committee, the Credentials Committee as a whole, or the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

2-4.2(b) In the case of a change of Green Party membership under 2-1.3 above, notice shall be given no later than seven days after such a change has been communicated to either the Co-Chairs of the Credentials Committee, the Credentials Committee as a whole, or the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

2-4.2(c) In the case of a member no longer being active under 2-7.1 below, notice shall be given no later than seven days after such a change has been communicated to either the Co-chairs of the Credentials Committee, the Credentials Committee as a whole, or the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

2-4.3 Vacancies may be filled by a special election, whenever a majority of the active members of the Credentials Committee or a majority of the members of the Steering Committee find that the fulfillment of the committee's charge is jeopardized by its vacancies. Such special elections shall not be held more often than once every seventy-five days, except that such vacancies may be filled at the meeting of the National Committee held at the venue of and immediately preceding the Presidential Nominating Convention.

2-4.4 Any such special election to fill a vacancy shall be conducted by rules consistent with the process defined in the Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States, Article 7. Preference Voting Rules for Steering Committee Elections.

2-4.5 Candidacies to fill vacancies shall be accepted beginning two weeks after the publication of notice for such special election and no later than four weeks after such notice; except that in the case of such a special election held at the venue of and immediately preceding the Presidential Nominating Convention, nominations may without such notice be opened and closed by such meeting with nominations being accepted from the floor and an election being immediately held to fill such vacancies.

Section 2-5 Co-chairs

2-5.1 Once seated, the Committee shall elect two Co-chairs.

2-5.2 The responsibility of the Co-chairs shall be to convene meetings of the Committee; administer the Committee?s decision-making process, reporting the results of each decision taken; and other duties as assigned by the Committee.

2-5.3 Gender balance among the Co-chairs shall be sought, but is not required.

2-5.4 Co-chairs shall be elected by preference voting, consistent with the process as defined in the Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States, Article 7. Preference Voting Rules for Steering Committee Elections. Such elections shall be conducted online to permit the participation of every committee member.

2-5.5 Should five or more committee members find themselves at the convention site and both of the Co-chairs are absent from the site, the committee may, with appropriate notice, convene and hold an election to elect interim Co-chairs to fulfill the duties of an absent Co-chair until their arrival at the convention.

Section 2-6. Clerk

2-6.1 Once seated, the Committee shall elect a Clerk.

2-6.2 The responsibility of the Clerk shall be to

2-6.2(a) Serve as the custodian of all Delegate Applications, and maintain a chain of custody log, which documents the handling of each application.

2-6.2(b) Provide on the convention site a complete file of applications and the chain of custody log for the Credentials Committee; and delegate where necessary to shifts of two or more committee members the custody of the file and log.

2-6.2(c) Be responsible for any other task as defined in the Rules governing the Convention Delegate Credentials process for the Presidential Nominating Convention of the Green Party of the United States.

2-6.3 The Clerk shall be elected by preference voting, consistent with the process as defined in the Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States, Article 7. Preference Voting Rules for Steering Committee Elections.

2-6.4 Should five or more committee members find themselves at the convention site and the Clerk is absent from the site, the committee may convene and hold an election to elect an interim Clerk to fulfill the duties of an absent Clerk until the Clerk's arrival at the convention.

Section 2-7. Active Membership

2-7.1 ?Active? shall mean a member of the Credentials Committee who in the last forty-five days has participated in committee activities, either by contributing to discussion of committee or subcommittee business, attending a face-to-face or phone conference of the committee, casting a vote on matters before the committee, or serving on a Challenge Panel. "Active" shall not mean a member of the Credentials Committee who has communicated to the committee or to any of its officers their inability or unwillingness to attend the Presidential Nominating Convention and fulfill their duties as a member at such Convention.

2-7.2 Once each month, and immediately preceding the Presidential Nominating Convention, the officers of the Committee shall review the participation of each committee member and publish to the committee and to the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States, their findings of which members elected to serve the committee are inactive and not subject to consideration in the tabulation of quorum.

ARTICLE III. COMMITTEE DECISION MAKING ? BEFORE THE CONVENTION

Section 3-1. Conduct of business

3-1.1 The committee shall provide for an email listserve, used to conduct and archive the business, deliberations and decisions of the committee. The committee shall provide for a website for the archival of Delegate Plans and Credentials Applications received and the minutes of its actions on each such Application. The Committee may use such voting application as may be certified for use, by the Credentials Committee or by the National Committee. In addition, the committee shall provide for a distinct listserve to serve each Hearing Panel convened prior to the Presidential Nominating Convention, for the conduct and archival of its hearings.

3-1.2 Prior to the Convention, the committee may conduct its business either via teleconference, on-line vote or at the Annual National Meeting of the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States.

3-1.3 For any decision-making conducted online, a proposal shall be published with a subject line that identifies it for committee action, and voting shall not be opened for one week and shall not remain open for less than one nor more than two weeks. For any decision making conducted at a face-to-face meeting or by phone conference, the Clerk shall provide a record on the web site of the committee of each resolution considered and each vote taken.

Section 3-2 Quorum

3-2.1 Quorum for decision-making shall consist of a majority plus one member of active members.

Section 3-3 Approval Threshold

3-3.1 Committee members shall seek to achieve consensus within the committee by attempting to address concerns of other committee members.

3-3.2 If outstanding concerns remain after consensus has been sought, proposals may be taken to a vote.

3-3.3 If a vote is taken, a minimum support of two-thirds of those voting is necessary for approval. Abstentions count toward quorum, but not towards the two-thirds approvals threshold.

ARTICLE IV. COMMITTEE DECISION MAKING ? DURING THE CONVENTION

Section 4-1. Meetings

4-1.1 Each meeting of the committee conducted at the site of the convention shall be convened by one or both Co-chairs; in their absence from the convention site, by another committee member designated in writing by the consent of the Co-chairs; or where neither of the Co-chairs nor a member designated in writing by the consent of the Co-chairs is present, by an interim Co-chair named by a majority of the committee members voting where notice has been published by three or more members of their intention to name an interim convener to serve the committee in the absence of its Co-chairs.

4-1.2 An on-site meeting may be called by posting six hours or more in advance, or twelve hours or more in advance for meetings considering a final report of the Committee to the Convention, and in a conspicuous manner the time, place and agenda of the proposed meeting:

4-1.2(a) In a public place designated by the Convention for the posting of such notices;

4-1.2(b) At the regular place of business of the committee;

4-1.2(c) At the door of the committee's usual meeting place;

4-1.2(d) As appropriate, at the door of the meeting place assigned to the meeting in question.

Section 4-2 Quorum

4-2.1 Except for a meeting considering only preliminary actions, a quorum for the conduct of business shall consist of a majority of the active committee members who have checked in with the committee at its booth or office as being on site and ready to work, and who have not yet left the convention.

4-2.2 For meetings considering only preliminary actions, business may be conducted when five or more committee members from five or more states are present at the time and place designated in a notice posted at the regular place of business of the committee.

Section 4-3 Approval Threshold

4-3.1 Committee members shall seek to achieve consensus within the committee by attempting to address concerns of other committee members.

4-3.2 If outstanding concerns remain after consensus has been sought, proposals may be taken to a vote.

4-3.3 If a vote is taken, a minimum support of two-thirds of those voting is necessary for approval. Abstentions count toward quorum, but not towards the two-thirds approvals threshold.

ARTICLE V. ADDITIONAL RULES AND PROCEDURES OF THE COMMITTEE

5-1 The committee may adopt such additional rules as it may deem appropriate to govern the conduct of its internal business which are not inconsistent with these rules, nor the Rules of the Presidential Nominating Convention, nor of the Bylaws or the Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of the United States.

5-2 All rules so adopted shall be reported to the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States within seven days of their adoption.

5-3 Where it does not conflict with said rules or bylaws, the rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the committee in all cases to which they are applicable.

5-4 The committee may develop and adopt such forms and other materials as may be consistent with the policies governing its work.

ARTICLE VI. TIMELINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROPOSAL

6-1 Upon adoption, the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States shall publish this policy and a call for nominations to the Credentials Committee.

6-2 The committee may begin to conduct business once the National Committee of the Green Party of the United States has certified the results of the election of members to the Credentials Committee. The Secretary of the Green Party of the United States shall serve as custodian of all committee correspondence and applications until the committee begins to operate and elects a Clerk and Co-chairs.

Resources

Contacts:
Hugh Esco hesco@greens.org
Audrey Clement aclement65@hotmail.com

References

None

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