BYLAWS

I -VOTING PROCEDURES

All voting called for in the Bylaws shall be at regular or special membership meetings.

II – MEMBERSHIP DUES

Membership dues shall be set by a majority vote of the members present at a general or special meeting notice of which shall be mailed at least 10 days prior to the meeting.

III – ELECTION of OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

1. In October of each year, the president shall, with the approval of the Executive Board, appoint a nominating committee consisting of up to six club members, including the president. Members of the committee shall serve for a period of one year.
2. Prior to the May meeting, the nominating shall submit the names of nominees to serve as officers and as executive board members for terms to commence on the first day of July. The notice of the May meeting shall include the nominating committee’s recommendations. After the committee reports, additional nominations, if any, will be accepted from the floor at the May meeting. Elections will take place at the June meeting. The notice of the June meeting shall include the names of all nominees.
3. In addition to submitting nominees for the club’s annual election, the committee may during the year nominate additional persons to serve on the executive board subject to ratification by the membership.  Notice of such nominations shall be provided to the membership prior to its next meeting, and a ratification vote shall be held at that meeting.

[ AMENDED June 18, 2015 – new subsection added ]

ELECTION OF OFFICERS, EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS, AND REPRESENTATIVE(S) TO DEMOCRATIC PARTY REGIONAL PRE-ENDORSEMENT CONFERENCES

4. At the June membership meeting direct nominations shall also be made for a representative or representatives to attend meetings of the Democratic Party regional pre-endorsement conferences.  The term of such representatives is one year.  Representatives shall orally report back to the club on what occurred at such meetings and should also be prepared, at the request of the president, to submit a written summary for the club newsletter.

IV – STANDING RULE for ENDORSING CANDIDATES or BALLOT MEASURES

1. The rules of sections IV and V may not be suspended at an endorsement meeting.
2. Eligibility rules for endorsement: a. Only candidates registered as Democrats will be considered for endorsement. b. Ballot measures will be considered for endorsement only after discussion by the membership.

V – ENDORSEMENT

1. All balloting will be by secret ballot. The vote count shall be verified by a second group of ballot counters.

2. The actual vote tally shall not be disclosed to the press or general public.

3. Endorsement Requirement: (approved at the May 2006 General Meeting)

a. All candidate endorsement ballots shall include the choice “No Endorsement”. Ballot measures and propositions shall only have a “Yes” and “No” choice.

b. Any Democratic candidate running in the General Election should be listed on the MGO club ballot unless he/she was endorsed by the club in the Primary election.

c. In order to receive an endorsement from MGO, a candidate, ballot measure or proposition, must receive at least 60% of those voting for that office, ballot measure, or proposition including those who vote for “no endorsement” of an office.d. When there are more than two candidates in a race, Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) will be used with IRV ballot instructions (found in Standing Rules immediately below).e. Only candidates, ballot measures and proposition, or “No Endorsement” receiving 60% shall be published or mentioned in MGO ads, website or literature. If no candidate, ballot measure or proposition or “No Endorsement receives 60% the club’s position will be “No Position” and there will be no mention of that race in MGO ads, website and literature.

Standing Rules – Instant Run Off Voting Instructions

1. On the ballot the voter is asked to specify their first, second, third choice, etc., among all the candidates.

Each candidate may only be chosen once. You may choose to abstain from a choice, but by doing so you will not be taking part in the run-off and your favored choice will not benefit.

The number of cast ballots in each race is noted to determine the denominator for the 60% majority thresh-hold in each race.

2. When the votes are tabulated, only the first choice votes are initially counted. If no candidate has a 60% majority of the votes cast, the candidate with the lowest number of first choice votes is eliminated, and the second choice votes for those ballots are transferred to the remaining candidates accordingly. This process is repeated until one of the candidates receives a 60% majority and is declared endorsed or none of the candidates or “No endorsement”  receives 60%.

VI – ADOPTION OF A PLATFORM

1. A platform is a formal position taken by the membership of MGO.

2. A proposed platform may be presented to the membership for voting by the Executive Board or any club member in good standing. 

3. The text of any proposed platform shall be mailed to the membership at least 14 days prior to the general or special membership meeting at which the platform is to be considered. If the proposed platform is complex, or if it is controversial within the club, or within the general community, the president, in consultation with the executive board, shall promptly act to ensure that the arguments on all sides of the issue are included in the notice mailed to the membership. The final determination of whether the arguments fairly represent all sides of the issue shall rest solely with the president. No vote on the proposed platform shall occur unless the notice is in conformity with this bylaw.

4. A platform plank shall be adopted only by a majority of those voting.

COMMENT:   Club members have the right to review the arguments for and against any proposed platform before voting on whether to accept or reject it. This provision ensures that the membership receives that information in writing and well in advance of the membership meeting.  It also protects the credibility of the club’s decision-making process.

VII – USE of MGO MEMBERSHIP LIST

1. The editor of the MGO newsletter shall maintain the current membership list.

2. Any current member of MGO may have the membership list but shall not disseminate it.

3. Access to address and phone lists of MGO members shall be provided only to any candidate or ballot measure endorsed by the MGO membership.

VIII – GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

1. The Club shall hold general membership meetings once a month except for July, August and December.

2. General or special membership meetings may be called by the President or by the majority of the Executive Board.

IX – EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS 

1. The Executive Board shall meet once a month or upon a vote of the majority of the member of the Executive Board.

2. All Board meetings shall be open to the general membership.

3. All Executive Board members shall have no more than three unexcused absences per year. If a Board member has a genuine conflict and has notified the president of the board, an absence shall be excused. Failure to do so may be cause for termination as a member of the Executive Board, subject to an Executive Board recommendation to the membership for a vote.”

X – NOTICE OF MEETINGS

1. Notice of the general membership meeting shall be published in the MGO newsletter.

2. Notice of special membership meetings shall be mailed not less than fourteen days before the date of the meeting. The notices shall contain the time and place of the meeting, the subject of the meeting and the specific items which require a vote of the membership.

3. The time and place of the Executive Board Meeting shall be published monthly in the MGO newsletter.

XI – ENDORSEMENTS By EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS

No person may use any identification with MGO in any public endorsement of any candidate or ballot measure other than those endorsed by the membership.

XII – CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

1. A contribution to any endorsed candidate or ballot measure may be made upon the recommendation of the Executive Board and a majority vote of the membership.

2. The amount of any contribution shall not exceed the current assets of the club.

XIII – CHANGING THESE BY-LAWS 

The Bylaws may be adopted, modified, or suspended at any membership meeting by a majority of those voting. This section does not apply to sections IV and V.

(Last amended, July, 2004) 

In addition to submitting nominees for the club’s annual election, the committee may during the year nominate additional persons to serve on the executive board subject to ratification by the membership.  Notice of such nominations shall be provided to the membership prior to its next meeting, and a ratification vote shall be held at that meeting.

Prior to the May meeting, the nominating shall submit the names of nominees to serve as officers and as executive board members for terms to commence on the first day of July. The notice of the May meeting shall include the nominating committee’s recommendations. After the committee reports, additional nominations, if any, will be accepted from the floor at the May meeting. Elections will take place at the June meeting. The notice of the June meeting shall include the names of all nominees.

In October of each year, the president shall, with the approval of the Executive Board, appoint a nominating committee consisting of up to six club members, including the president. Members of the committee shall serve for a period of one year.