REDDING DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE BYLAWS
Approved February 16, 2023
The Redding Democratic Town Committee (“Town Committee) welcomes and encourages the active participation of all registered Democrats in the Town of Redding. The Town Committee promotes democratic principles of inclusion, participation, and fair and open communications for the well-being of all Redding residents. These Bylaws, in connection with the Operating Rules for the Town Committee and the Connecticut Democratic State Party Rules (hereinafter, “State Party Rules”), are intended to guide the Town Committee towards the realization of its Mission.
Article I - Election of Town Committee
Section 1: The Redding Town Committee (“Town Committee”) shall consist of not more than forty (40) Members who shall be elected at large. Candidates for membership to the Town Committee will be chosen in accordance with the State Party Rules. No person shall be elected to or shall hold the position of Town Committee Member unless the candidate's name appears on the current enrollment list of the Democratic Party in Redding.
Section 2: Candidates for Town Committee members shall be selected by the enrolled members of such party in caucus or via a direct primary held in accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes. Any candidates who are endorsed at the caucus in the circumstances where there is no primary shall be deemed elected as of the primary date; and their term starts on the Wednesday after the first Tuesday in March in even numbered years.
Section 3: Members of the Town Committee shall serve for a term of two (2) years.
Section 4: Any vacancy on the Town Committee may be filled by a majority vote of the Town Committee Members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose. In the event that a vote is taken that results in a tie, such tie vote shall be followed by no more than two rounds of voting in an attempt to break the tie. Should the second re-vote result in a tie, it shall be dissolved by the vote of the Chair of the Town Committee, but this provision shall not affect the Chair’s right to cast any vote as a Member of the Town Committee, to which the Chair is otherwise entitled.
Section 5: The Town Committee, at a meeting called for that purpose, may, by a majority vote of those present and voting, increase its membership, provided that all new Members shall be duly elected and begin their term on the day following the day established for the holding of the primary for the election of the Members of the succeeding Town Committee. Membership changes must be made in accordance with State Party Rules.
Section 6: Associate Membership, a separate non-voting class of membership on the Redding Democratic Town Committee, is open to all Democrats registered in Redding. Candidates may be recruited, and/or express their interest to the Chair of the Town Committee. The Chair shall interview all such candidates. Following such interview and at the Chair’s discretion, candidate shall be presented by the Chair to the Town Committee for introduction and require a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of those present and voting. Terms of service shall take effect the day following the vote and coincide with the current Town Committee’s term. Associate Members may serve on any committees, with the exception of the Nominating and Executive committees.
Article II – Officers
Section 1: Within thirty (30) days after the date fixed for the holding of a primary election, the Members-elect of the Town Committee shall meet for organization and shall elect a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and such additional officers as determined by the Town Committee. The Chair of the Town Committee in office immediately prior to the date of said primary shall call said organizational meeting. If such Chair fails, for any reason, to call such organizational meeting within the period prescribed, it shall be the duty of a Vice Chair serving concurrently with said Chair to do so within forty-eight (48) hours of such failure. If such Vice Chair fails, for any reason, to call such organizational meeting, then State Party Rules shall apply.
Section 2: The officers of the Town Committee shall be elected from within the membership of the Town Committee.
Section 3: Officers so elected shall hold office for the term of the Town Committee electing them or until their successors have been elected. The position of Chair shall be limited to three (3) full consecutive terms, after which the Chair cannot stand for election to such office for at least one (1) term.
Section 4: Each officer shall have the duties usually incident to their office and such other duties as the Town Committee may from time to time prescribe.
Section 5: If there is an officer vacancy of the Town Committee, the Town Committee shall fill the same by a majority vote of the Town Committee Members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose.
Section 6: Officers of the Town Committee may be removed for just cause from their official position by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose. Reasonable notice of the time, place and purpose of such meeting shall be given to all Members of the Town Committee. Activities on behalf of candidates for Democratic Party nominations shall not automatically be considered as just cause for removal from office.
Section 7: In the event of a Democratic primary in a municipal election, officers of the Town Committee should take care to perform their official duties in an impartial manner.
Article III - Meetings
Section 1: The Town Committee shall meet at least six (6) times a year. Notice of each such meeting shall be given at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting.
Section 2: Special meetings of the Town Committee may be called by the Chair or upon written request, signed by one-third (1/3) of the Members of the Town Committee and presented to the Chair. Upon the decision of the Chair to call a special meeting or upon receipt of such written request, the Chair shall instruct the Secretary to give no less than 48 hours notice of the time, place and purpose of such meeting to all Members of the Town Committee.
Section 3: Two-fifths (2/5) of the membership of the Town Committee shall constitute a quorum.
Section 4: Robert's Rules of Order (newly revised) shall be construed as applicable, controlling and conclusive on parliamentary issues, except as herein otherwise provided.
Section 5: The use of secret ballots, or any form of secret voting, is prohibited for any vote being held at a Town Committee or committee meeting.
Section 6: The meeting may be conducted in person or virtually or both, at the discretion of the Town Committee Chair. If the meeting is to be held virtually, the town committee shall put in place measures to reasonably ensure that individuals who participate in the meeting are identifiable and are able to participate fully in the process. Such virtual presence shall satisfy the requirement in the State Party Rules, and town committee rules for members to be present for purposes of quorums and voting. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a town committee may enter executive session in appropriate circumstances per state party rules.
Article IV - Operating Rules
Section 1: Each new sitting Town Committee may adopt operating rules governing the functioning of the Town Committee. Such rules shall be adopted by a vote of a majority of those Members of the Town Committee present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose, and shall remain effective until new rules are adopted. In addition, the rules may be amended by the Town Committee pursuant to Section 2 of this Article. Such operating rules shall be in conformity with National Democratic Party Rules, the State Party Rules, these Town Committee Bylaws, and applicable law.
Section 2: Amendments to established operating rules may be made by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the Members of the Town Committee present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose.
Section 3: The Chair of the Town Committee shall appoint all Members of standing and ad hoc committees, except as otherwise provided in the operating rules.
Article V - Duties and Obligations
Section 1: Membership in the Town Committee requires a firm commitment to the Democratic Party. This commitment shall be fulfilled, at a minimum, by attendance at the regularly scheduled and special Town Committee meetings, subcommittees, fundraising and other events and participation in election activities. Attendance at a minimum of one- third (1/3) of Town Committee meetings is required in order to be nominated for a subsequent term. In addition, the Chair may set forth expectations for the activities of each Member. The Chair has authority to allow for exceptions to attendance requirements.
Section 2: Members of the Town Committee may be removed for just cause from their official position. For such removal to occur, the Chair must call a meeting for that purpose and move, at that meeting, for the removal of the Member; and the motion must receive the support of at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Members present and voting at the meeting called for that purpose. Article
VI - Endorsement of Candidates, Nomination of Municipal Officers, and Election of Delegates
Section 1: The Town Committee, at a meeting called for that purpose shall, by a majority vote of the Members present and voting, nominate a Town Committee-endorsed slate for election to municipal office to be presented at the Democratic Caucus.
Section 2: The enrolled members of the Democratic Party in the town of Redding at a caucus called for that purpose shall, by a majority vote of those present and voting, select party-endorsed candidates for each municipal office.
Section 3: The Town Committee, at a meeting called for that purpose, shall select delegates to conventions. The selection of delegates to any convention shall be by nomination of a slate or by nominations of individual candidates equal to the number of delegates to which the town is entitled under the timetable established by the State Party Rules. All nominees must be a duly enrolled party member.
Section 4: Candidate(s) for municipal office chosen as provided in Section 2 of this Article shall be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the office for which he or she is a candidate unless an opposing candidacy has been filed for nomination to such office in accordance with the State Party Rules. In such event, the candidate(s) for municipal office chosen as provided in Section 2 of this Article shall be the party-endorsed candidates.
Section 5: If for any reason the Town Committee fails to make sufficient endorsements of candidates for municipal office or selection of delegates to conventions, the State Party Rules shall apply.
Section 6: The party-endorsed candidate(s) and delegate(s) selected as provided in this Article shall be certified to the Redding Town Clerk according to State Party Rules.
Section 7: Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for the nomination of candidates for municipal office shall be made in accordance with the timetable established by the State Party Rules.
Section 8: Each selection of delegates to a state or district convention shall be made in accordance with the timetable established by the State Party Rules.
Section 9: In the event that a vote taken on the selection of a party-endorsed candidate or delegate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be followed by no more than two rounds of voting in an attempt to break the tie. Should the second re-vote result in a tie, it shall be dissolved by the vote of the Chair of the Town Committee or caucus, but this provision shall not affect the Chair’s right to cast any vote as a Member of the Town Committee or participant of the caucus to which the Chair is otherwise entitled.
Section 10: Each delegate to a convention selected in conformity with these Bylaws may in writing designate an alternate delegate or a proxy to act for the delegate in his or her absence.
Section 11: If a nomination has been made for a municipal office and the nominee thereafter but prior to twenty-four (24) hours before such opening of the polls on the day of the election for which such nomination has been made, dies, withdraws their name, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office or position for which they have been nominated, a nomination to fill such vacancy may be made by the Town Committee, by a majority of the Town Committee Members present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose. Tie votes shall proceed in accordance with Section 9 of this Article. In the case of a withdrawal, said nomination shall not be valid until the candidate who has withdrawn has filed a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate with the Secretary of the State and also has filed a copy with the Redding Town Clerk. The Chair of the Town Committee shall certify the nomination to fill such vacancy to the Secretary of the State, and shall file a copy with the Redding Town Clerk. Such certifications of a nomination to fill a vacancy due to death or disqualification shall include a statement setting forth the reason for such vacancy.
Section 12: Whenever the Town Committee is officially notified about a vacancy in which a Democrat is eligible for an elective or appointed Town office, the Town Committee shall, by a majority vote of Members present at a meeting called for that purpose, endorse a single candidate to fill that Town office, and certify that endorsement to the proper Town official in timely fashion.
Article VII - Primaries: Nominations to Office and Election of Committee Members and Delegates
Section 1: The nominations of the Democratic Party to all offices and the election of Members of the Town Committee shall be made in all respects as provided in the State Party Rules.
Section 2: Whenever a primary for nomination to a municipal office or election of Town Committee Members is to be held, the nominee of the Democratic Party for such office and the Members of the Town Committee shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast.
Section 3: If a party-endorsed candidate for nomination to a municipal office prior to twenty-four (24) hours before the opening of the polls at the primary, dies, or, prior to ten (10) days before the day of the primary, withdraws their name from nomination, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office or position for which they are a candidate, an endorsement may be made to fill such vacancy by the Town Committee, by a majority of the Town Committee Members present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose. Tie votes shall proceed in accordance with Article VI, Section 9. The Secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the endorsement to fill such vacancy to the Democratic Registrar of Voters. No candidate shall be deemed to have withdrawn until a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate is filed with the Redding Town Clerk.
Article VIII – Amending the Town Committee Platform and Adopting Positions on Issues Of Importance
Section 1: At a meeting called for that purpose, noticed no less than (7) days in advance, the Town Committee may amend its platform and/or adopt positions on issues of importance to the town and/or larger regions by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of those present and voting. Such positions shall be consistent with the Redding Democrats’ platform and principles.
Article IX – Amendments.
Section 1: The Town Committee may amend these Bylaws by a majority vote of its entire membership at a regular or special meeting called for that purpose, except as provided in Article I, Section 5. These Bylaws may also be amended by a caucus of enrolled party members called by the Chair of the Town Committee upon the filing of a petition signed by at least five (5) percent or five hundred (500) (whichever is less) enrolled party members with the Democratic Registrar of Voters. The Chair, or in the event of the Chair’s failure to act, a Vice Chair, shall call such caucus to take action on said petition within twenty (20) days upon filing of said petition with the Democratic Registrar of Voters.
Article X - Filing of Local Bylaws.
Section 1: A copy of these Bylaws, or any amendments thereof, shall be filed with the Redding Town Clerk, the Secretary of the State and the Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee within seven (7) days after adoption. Any amendments so filed shall set forth in full the section to be amended. These Bylaws or any amendments to these Bylaws shall not be effective until sixty (60) days after the filing of the same with the Secretary of the State, and shall be deemed to cover the operations of the Democratic Party in Redding until such time as the party adopts a rule or amendment on the same subject matter, consistent with these Bylaws and the State Party Rules.
Article XI - Conflict with Laws
Section 1: If any provision of these Bylaws is found to be in conflict with the provisions of the State Party Rules, the provisions of the State Party Rules shall govern. The nominations of the Democratic Party to all public offices and the election of Town Committee Members and delegates to conventions shall be made in all respects as provided in the State Party Rules.
Conclusion The above revised and amended Bylaws governing the Democratic Party of the Town of Redding were approved at a duly warned meeting of the Redding Democratic Town Committee on February 16, 2023.