CDTC Bylaws

RULES GOVERNING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
OF THE TOWN OF CHESTER

Pursuant to the authority granted in Section 9-374 of the General Statutes of the State of Connecticut, the rules for the government of the Democratic Party of the Town of Chester, Connecticut, are amended, effective upon their filing with theChester Town Clerk to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1 ~ DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE

Section 1. The policies and principles of the Democratic Party of the Town of Chester, shall be formed, directed and executed by the Democratic Town Committee.

Section 2. The Town Committee shall consist of twenty-five (25) members who shall be elected at large.

Section 3. In each even numbered year, the Town Committee shall fix a day according to the Connecticut general statutes for the holding of a caucus for the election of Town Committee members.

Section 4. Members of the Town Committee chosen in an even number year shall hold office from the fifteenth day of March in such a year until the fourteenth day of March in the next succeeding even numbered year.

Section 5. Any vacancy on the Town Committee arising from any cause including failure to elect may be filled by the Town Committee by a majority vote of the Town Committee members present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose.

Section 6. The Chairman of the Town Committee may request resignation of any member who shall have failed to attend four consecutive meetings.

ARTICLE II ~ OFFICERS

Section 1. Within 60 days after election of Town Committee members, or according to Connecticut general statutes, the members-elect of the Town Committee shall meet for organization and shall elect a Chairman and Vice Chairman, Treasurer and a Secretary and such other officers as may be deemed advisable.

Section 2. The officers of the Town Committee shall be elected' from within the membership of the Committee.

Section 3. Officers so elected shall hold office for the term of the Town Committee electing them.

Section 4. Each of such officers shal1 have the duties usually incident to his office and such other duties as the Town Committee may from time to time prescribe. In the event of a tie vote, such tie vote shall be dissolved by the vote of the Chairman or other presiding officer but this provision shall not affect his right to cast any vote to which he may otherwise be entitled.

Section 5. Within one week after organization of the Town Committee, the Secretary shall file with the Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee a list of the names and addresses of the officers and members of the Town Committee, and the name and address of the Democratic Registrar of Voters.

Section 6. If there shall be a vacancy in any office of the Town Committee, arising from any cause, the Town Committee may fill the same by a majority vote of the Town Committee members present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose.

ARTICLE III ~ MEETINGS

Section 1. The Town Committee shall meet at least four times a year.

Section 2. Special meetings of the Town Committee may be called by the Town Chairman or upon written request, signed by twenty percent of the members of the committee, presented by the Chairman. Upon receipt of such request, the Chairman shall instruct the Secretary to give reasonable notice of the time, place and purpose of such meeting to all members of the committee.

Section 3. Six members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum.

ARTICLE IV ~ ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATES
NOMINATION OF MUNICIPAL OFFICERS AND ELECTION OF COMMITTEE
MEMBERS AND DELEGATES

Section 1. The enrolled members of the Democratic Party in the municipality, at a caucus called for the purpose shall, by a majority vote of such enrolled members present and voting, select party endorsed candidates for each municipal office, for Town Committee members and for delegates to conventions. In the endorsements of any person for- an office or for a position as a committee member or delegate for whom only the electors of a political subdivision of the municipality may vote, only the enrolled members of the Democratic Party as such political subdivision may participate. The time and place of holding all such caucuses shall be determined by the Chairman of this Town Committee; and notice of the time and place and purpose of any such caucus shall be given to all enrolled Democratic voters of the municipality; at least five days in advance of the caucus by publication of the same in a newspaper having a general circulation in the municipality and by posting the same on the public sign post in said municipality. The time of any such caucus shall be fixed so as to permit compliance with the provisions of the State Primary Law, as the same may be amended from time to time. The Chairman of the Town Committee shall be the temporary chairman of all such caucuses and shall preside until the meeting has selected its permanent chairman. In like manner the secretary of the Town Committee shall act as secretary of the Town Committee at all such caucuses until the meeting has selected its permanent secretary. The caucus shall be conducted in conformity with the provisions of Section 9-396 of the General Statutes (Rev. 1964), as it may be amended from time to time.

Section 2. The party endorsement of candidates for delegates to any conventions shall be by full slate composed of a number of persons, equal to the number of delegates to which the Town is entitled under the State rules of the Democratic Party, and such slate shall be endorsed as a unit.

Section 3. Candidates for municipal office chosen as provided in Section 1 above shall run in the primary for such office as party-endorsed candidates; provided any such candidate shall be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the office for which he is a candidate if no valid opposing candidacy has been filed for nomination to such office by six (6) o'clock P.M. on the twenty-first (21) day preceding the day the Democratic primary for such office.

Section 4. Candidates for Town Committee members chosen as provided in Section 1 above shall run in the primary for Town Committee as party-endorsed candidates; provided such candidates shall be deemed elected as members of the Town Committee if no valid opposing candidacy has been filed for Town Committee member by six (6) o'clock P.M. on the twenty-first (21) day preceding the day of the Democratic primary for Town Committee members.

Section 5. The slate of candidates for delegates to a convention chosen as provided in Section one (1) and Section two (2) above shall run in the primary for delegates to such convention as the party-endorsed slate; provided such slate of candidates shall be deemed elected as the delegates to such convention if no valid opposing candidacy by a complete slate including persons other than party-endorsed candidates has been filed by six (6) o'clock P.M. on the fourteenth (14) day preceding the day of the Democratic primary for delegates to conventions.

Section 6. If for any reason the Town Committee fails to make sufficient endorsement of candidates for municipal office, Town Committee members of delegates to conventions, the provisions of Section 9-418, 9-419 and 9-420 of the General Statutes (Rev. 1964), as the same may be amended from time to time, shall govern.

Section 7. The Secretary of the Town Committee shall certify to the Town Clerk the names and street addresses of the party-endorsed candidates selected as provided in Section one (1) and Section two (2) above, the title of the office or position as the Committee member or delegate for which each person is endorsed, and the date upon which the primary is to be held.

Section 8. Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for the nomination of candidates for municipal office or for the election of Town Committee members or delegates to conventions shall be made and certified to the Town Clerk not earlier than the forty-ninth (49) day nor later than the thirty-fifth (35) day preceding the day of the primary.

Section 9. In the event that a vote on the selection of a candidate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by the vote of the permanent chairman of the caucus, but this provision shall not affect his right to cast any vote as a member of the caucus to which he is otherwise entitled.

Section 10. If the party-endorsed candidate for nomination to a municipal office or for election as Town Committee member or delegate to a convention, 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 his name from nomination, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office or position for which he is a candidate; an endorsement may be made to fill such vacancy by the Town Committee, by a majority vote of the Town Committee members present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose. The Chairman of the Town Committee may cast a vote on such endorsement to break-a tie, but this provision shall not affect his right to cast any vote as a member of the Town Committee to which he is otherwise entitled. The Secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the endorsement to fill such vacancy to the Democratic Registrar of Voters.

Section 11. The nominations of the Democratic Party to all offices and the election of members of the Town Committee and delegates to conventions shall be made in all respects as provided in the State Primary Act, as the same may be amended from time to time. Whenever a primary for nomination to a municipal office or for election of Town Committee members or delegates to conventions is to be held under the provisions of said Act, the nominee of the Democratic Party for such office and the members of the Town Committee and the delegates to conventions shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast.

Section 12. If a nomination has been made for municipal office and the nominee thereafter but prior to twenty-four (24) hours before the opening of the polls on the day of the election for which such nomination has been made, dies, withdraws his name, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office for which he has been nominated, a nomination to fill such vacancy may be made by the Town Committee, by a majority vote of the Town Committee members present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose. The Chairman of the Town Committee may cast a vote on such a nomination to break a tie, but this provision shall not affect his right to cast any vote as a member of the Town Committee to which he is otherwise entitled. The Secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the nomination to fill such vacancy to the Secretary of the State.

Section 13. Each delegate to a convention elected in conformity with law and with these rules may in writing designate an alternate delegate or a proxy to act for him in his absence.

Section 14. If any provision of these rules is found to be in conflict with the provisions of any law, the provisions of such law shall govern.

ARTICLE V ~ CAUCUSES

Section 1. Caucuses may be called for the purpose of amending these rules or for any lawful purpose by a majority vote of the Town Committee, or, except as hereinafter provided, by not less than ten (10) percent of the registered Democratic voters in the Town. The call for any such caucus shall be in writing. If it is called by vote of the Town Committee, it shall be signed by the Chairman of the Town Committee. If it is called by not less than ten (10) percent of the registered Democratic voters, it shall be signed by such voters.

Section 2. Notice of time, place and purpose of any such caucus shall be given to all registered Democratic voters of the Town at least five (5) days in advance of any such caucus by publishing such notice at least once in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town and by posting such notice on the public sign post at the Town Hall.

Section 3. No such caucus shall be called for the purpose of removing a Town committee during its term of office, except by the Chairman of the State Central Committee upon petition of not less than twenty (20) percent of the registered Democratic voters of the Town and upon showing to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the State Central Committee that the existing Town Committee has failed to perform its legal or proper functions.' If such a caucus votes to remove a Town Committee during its term of office, the permanent Chairman of the Caucus shall fix a day not less than six (6) and not more than seven (7) weeks thereafter for the holding of a primary for the election of Town Committee members and shall publish the same in a newspaper having a general circulation in the Town not less than forty-two (42) days before such primary is to be held. The procedure for the election of a new Town Committee shall be the same as the procedure for the election of a Town Committee in April of the even numbered years, except that no party endorsement for Town Committee members shall be made, and all candidates for election to the Town Committee shall file their candidacies in accordance with the provisions of Section thirty (30) of the Primary act; and the Town Committee members shall be chosen at the primary, except as provided in Section twenty-eight (28) of said Act. Town Committee members so elected shall hold office from the time of their election until the next fourteenth (14) day of April of an even numbered year.

Section 4. The Town Chairman shall be the temporary Chairman of all caucuses and shall preside until the meeting has selected its permanent Chairman. I-n like manner the Secretary of the Town Committee shall act as Secretary at such caucuses until the permanent organization has been effected.

ARTICLE VI ~ PROCEDURE

Section 1. Robert's Rules of Order shall be considered as conclusive on parliamentary issues.

ARTICLE VII ~ AMENDMENTS

Section 1. These rules may be amended in any Town Caucus, by a majority vote of those present and voting, provided that the Democratic Town Committee gives due notice of the proposed change in the call for said caucus.

Section 2. These rules may be amended by the Democratic Town Committee by two-thirds (2/3) vote of its entire membership in the laws of the United States or of the State of Connecticut or changes in the Democratic State Party Rules make such amendments necessary. Any change or amendment made by the Democratic Town Committee shall be in force only until the next succeeding caucus at which caucus they must be submitted for ratification or rejection.

ARTICLE VIII ~ DEFINITIONS

Section 1. As used in these rules, the "Primary Act" means Chapter 153 of Section 9 of the General Statutes as the same may be amended from time to time: "municipal office" means any office of each elective public office of the Town, Justice of the Peace, and State Representative. The other terms used in these rules shall have the same meanings as in the Primary Act.

The above rules governing the Democratic Party of Chester, Connecticut, were amended and adopted by a unanimous Town Committee of Chester on April 1, 2002 in the Town of Chester.

Attest:

_______________________________ Chairman, Chester Democratic Town Committee

_______________________________ Secretary, Chester Democratic Town Committee