Green Party of the United States

GREENLINE:

Subscribe to GreenLine to receive our email newsletter and other updates from GP.org.

GREEN LINKS:

Greens Worldwide
Global Greens
European Fed. of Green Parties
(Campaign Site)
Fed. of Green Parties of the Americas
Campus Greens Additional Links

Sitemap

Green Party Elections Database
Complete results for every Green candidate in the U.S. (as the results are submitted).

Greens in the News
Regularly updated news about Green candidates and state and local Green issues

back

Rules for Selecting State Delegations

Appendix C

Wisconsin Green Party Presidential Preference and Delegate Selection Procedures

Presidential Preference

The Delegate Selection Committee recommends that:

Ballots and return envelopes are bundled with the Spring Newsletter and sent out together, first class, on February 15. Depending on the cost, we recommend that our usual printer (Wells) prints all materials. Ballots must be returned to the Wisconsin Green Party by Thursday March 13 at 5 PM.

Additional ballots and newsletters are prepared for use by local chapters or other regional caucuses in the event of new membership or membership renewal needing ballots. At this point we anticipate needing 200 ballots for known members in good standing. We recommend printing an additional 100 newsletters and ballots for renewals and new membership.

The newsletter shall include biographical information and candidate provided information about each candidate on the ballot, as well as a detailed explanation of our balloting process and our delegate selection procedures.

In order to allow for ballot privacy, voters will be asked only to sign the return envelope, not the ballot itself. The exception is if the voter wishes to be considered a delegate for the candidate they are voting for, in which case they will need to provide their name, address, phone number, and any additional information on the ballot itself.

The ballot will provide for ranked choice voting, specifying that only the first choice of voters is used to determine the proportion of Wisconsin's delegates that each candidate receives. If a voter's first choice candidate doesn't receive enough votes for a delegate, his/her ballot will count towards the delegate proportion for his/her second choice candidate.

Ballot Counting

Ballots will be mailed to the PO Box in Madison. Someone will have to deliver the ballots to Oshkosh on Friday March 14.

On Friday March 14, members of the delegate selection committee (others are welcome to witness) will cross check names on the return envelopes against our voter list to verify eligibility, with those that appear ineligible set aside for verification.

Envelopes will then be opened with ballots placed unread in one pile, envelopes in another pile. (This process disconnects ballots from voters to allow for private ballots.)

Ballots will then be separated into groups based on which candidate was the top preference. Ballots that indicate the voter is willing to be a delegate for that candidate are grouped together.

The number of first choice votes each candidate receives is tallied.

Delegate Allocation

The number of Wisconsin Delegates each candidate (or "uncommitted") receives will be proportional to the first choice votes they get from our ballots. In order to determine how many delegates each candidate receives, we will use the following method:

For each candidate or option, the following formula is applied: Delegates = V / (T/D) where V is the total votes for a candidate, T is the total votes cast, and D is the total delegates available. Votes for a candidate are divided by the ratio of total votes cast to total delegates available. The candidate gets a number of delegates equal to the whole number portion of this number (left of the decimal point).

After each candidate has been given delegates based on whole numbers, determine how many delegates have yet to be assigned. These are given to the candidates in order of the highest fraction (from the formula above) until no delegates remain. In the event of a tie, we consider second choices among ranked choice ballots.

For those ballots specifying first choice candidates that did not receive enough votes to earn a delegate, the committee will use voters' second choices and the formula will be re-run.

Delegate Selection

At the Spring Gathering and Membership Meeting on Saturday Mar. 15, Delegates to the GPUS Nominating Convention will be selected in the following manner:

All members are informed of the total vote cast, the number of delegates each candidate (or uncommitted) received, and the number of voters who indicated that they are interested in being a delegate for each candidate.

Identity caucuses (Disability, Diversity, Lavender, Women, Youth) meet and are given a list of people who on their ballot indicated identification with that caucus and a willingness to be a delegate and whom they support. Each identity caucus may select one delegate to the Presidential Nominating Convention from among those willing to serve or those present. This delegate is bound to vote in Chicago in the first round of voting for the candidate they voted for on their ballot.

Candidate caucuses assemble. Each candidate caucus is given a list of people who on their ballot indicated a willingness to be a delegate for that candidate. Each group is asked to propose a slate of delegates from those willing to serve and/or from those present. Delegates selected by Identity caucuses are automatically delegates for the candidates they support, and count against the total delegates that candidate receives. Candidate groups are asked to consider gender balance and geographic representation in determining their delegates. Caucuses may also specify alternates.

The final slate of Wisconsin Delegates shall include at least one delegate from each Identity Caucus, one delegate from each congressional district, and gender balance to the extent possible. If there are unrepresented categories, the Delegate Selection Committee may suggest adjustments to the slate of candidates approved by the caucus groups.

The final slate of Wisconsin Delegates shall be voted on and approved by the membership present as a whole.

The Delegate Selection Committee will be responsible for contacting each chosen Delegate, verify ability to attend the July 13 Nominating Convention, and provide any instructions to delegates.