| Green Party Committees:
Credentials Committee |
Committee Rules and Procedures (approved
January 6, 2008)
Table of Contents Article
I. Credentials Committee
Article II. Committee Structure
Article III. Committee Decision Making Before
the Convention
Article IV. Committee Decision Making During
the Convention
Article V. Additional Rules and Procedures of
the Committee
Article VI. Timeline for Implementation of this
Proposal 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.
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