[Adopted October, 2016, Revised January 2017]
I – Name and Address
The name of this organization is the Libertarian Party of Douglas County, hereinafter referred to as the LPDC. The LPDC is a Political Party Committee under the Fair Campaign Practices Act, duly registered with the Colorado Secretary of State. The legal address of the LPDC will be determined as needed by the LPDC Board, reported to the Secretary of State, and posted on the LPDC website.
II – Affiliation
The LPDC is affiliated with the Libertarian Party of Colorado (hereinafter referred to as the LPCO).
III – Purpose
A. Uphold the Statement of Principles of the National Libertarian Party and the non-aggression principle as the philosophy upon which the Libertarian Party is founded, by which it shall be sustained, and through which liberty shall prevail;
B. Promote and grow the membership and political influence of the Libertarian Party through electoral and educational activities, neither of which are placed in primacy over the other;
C. Promote the election of Libertarian Party candidates and to move public policy in a Libertarian direction;
D. Promote the passage of ballot initiatives, ordinances, or other measures that respect the precepts of Libertarianism;
E. Oppose the passage of ballot initiatives, ordinances, or other measures that violate the precepts of Libertarianism;
F. To provide an environment in which members will be able to grow in their ability to understand, express, and lead others to Libertarian ideals.
IV – Membership
A. Eligibility
1. Any person who is registered to vote in Douglas County, Colorado with Libertarian as their indicated Party affiliation is eligible to be a Member.
2. Provided that a person’s county of Colorado residence does not have an LPCO affiliate, a person who is registered to vote elsewhere in Colorado with a party affiliation of Libertarian is eligible to be a Member.
B. Classes of Membership
There are two (2) types of membership in the LPDC:
1. A Regular Member is any eligible person who does not pay LPDC dues. Regular members are not entitled to hold a Board of Directors position.
2. A Contributing Member is any eligible person who pays LPDC dues. Contributing Members are entitled to hold a Board of Directors position.
3. All Members shall be entitled to received LPDC mailings, be a Libertarian candidate (provided specific LPCO candidate requirements are met), and vote at all LPDC Meetings and Conventions where provided for in these Bylaws.
4. All Contributing Members must satisfy the eligibility requirements and have signed and dated the following Pledges: “I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goal” and “I affirm the Statement of Principles of the National Libertarian Party.” The LPDC holds that the disavowal of the initiation of force is a pledge to the non-aggression principle.
C. Dues
1. Dues shall be assessed annually in the amount of $20.00. Dues payments must be specifically made for that purpose. Other donations or contributions not specifically made for that purpose shall not count towards Membership dues.
2. Dues may be changed by passage of a resolution at the annual meeting Convention by a two thirds (2/3) vote of Members.
3. If there is a change in the dues amount, the change shall take effect for each person at their annual dues renewal date or upon paying for a new Membership, and not before.
4. Dues may be paid by one person on behalf of another, subject to applicable laws, or by any person for themselves. The Treasurer shall record each payment accordingly.
5. Members shall be notified of upcoming Membership expiration no later than thirty (30) days before said expiration. Such notification shall include the dues amount, and expiration/anniversary date. If such notification is not made, Membership shall expire on the thirty-first (31st) day after notification.
6. Dues shall not be pro-rated.
V – Board of Directors
A. The Board of Directors of the LPDC is composed of the following Officers:
1. Chair
2. Vice Chair
3. Treasurer
4. Secretary
5. Membership Director
6. Communications Director
7. Outreach Director
B. For each election after the initial formation of the LPDC, only Contributing Members are eligible to serve on the Board of Directors of the LPDC.
C. An Officer elected at the annual meeting shall hold office for a term of twelve months or until a successor is elected or appointed. Any appointed Officer shall hold office until the next annual meeting or until a successor is elected or appointed.
D. The offices of Chair and Treasurer must be occupied at all times. In the event of a vacancy of a Board Office, the Board shall have the authority to appoint a replacement for the remainder of the term by passage of an appropriate resolution. If a vacancy of the Chair or Treasurer persists due to a person being neither elected nor appointed, one of the remaining Officers shall be chosen by lot to fill the vacancy. For other offices, the position may remain vacant, and that vacancy shall not be counted for purposes of determining a quorum.
E. If a Board Officer is found to be: ineligible for membership; incapacitated or otherwise unable to fulfill the duties of office; or abandons the office (defined as not attending either in person or via audio conferencing nor deputizing a proxy for 2 consecutive quarterly board meetings), the office shall be declared vacated and the Board may appoint a replacement.
F. If the Board resolves by ¾ vote that a Board Officer has substantially and repeatedly failed to fulfill the duties of office or acted in a manner detrimental to the image or operation of the party, either in the role of Board Officer or as a representative of the Libertarian Party in the public eye, that Officer shall be removed from office, and the Board may find a replacement.
G. Resignations must be submitted to the Board in writing.
H. The Board shall have full powers to conduct all business of the LPDC, including authorizing the spending of funds belonging to the LPDC. No spending of funds or official action of the LPDC may be undertaken except by:
1. Passage of a resolution introduced at a scheduled meeting of the Board at which a quorum is present, OR
2. A vote of Board Officers taken by e-mail, where the votes are formally collected by the Chair and recorded in the next Board Meeting minutes. Email voting will be conducted pursuant to Special Rules of Order promulgated by the Board.
VI – Duties of Officers
A. Chair
1. Take a leading role in determining the goals, direction, and plans for the LPDC including acting as (or delegating this duty) the official spokesperson for the Party;
2. Ensure that the regular activities are conducted in a timely, responsible manner that brings credit to the LPDC and will reasonably satisfy its members;
3. Chair all meetings of the Board and the Annual Meeting.
B. Vice Chair
1. Assist the Chair in their duties;
2. Assume the duties of the Chair in their absence or vacancy or at such times as the Chair so designates.
C. Treasurer
1. Keep all financial records according to generally accepted accounting practices;
2. Maintain a bank account in the name of the LPDC, and sign all checks drawn upon that account;
3. File required legal reports with the appropriate county or state government offices.
D. Secretary
1. Record the official minutes of all Board meetings. These minutes must be submitted for review and approval at the following Board meeting or via email pursuant to the Board’s Special Rules of Order;
2. Regularly check for incoming correspondence, and make any mail received available to the Board at meetings;
3. Maintain the master copy of these Bylaws and any Platform and incorporate into them any and all amendments made.
E. Membership Director
1. Timely contact new members and maintain regular contact with established members;
2. Recruit, train and coordinate the efforts of volunteers and activists to assist the Officers in the performance of their duties and to accomplish the goals adopted by the LPDC;
3. Conduct fundraising efforts and events from for membership;
4. Create regular newsletter for membership.
F. Communications Director
1. Interface to media and other communications medium, including social media and web page, regarding meetings, events, and other LPDC messaging;
2. Devise advertising and recruitment efforts;
3. Write and distribute Press Releases when directed by the Board;
4. Generally promote the creation of favourable publicity for the LPDC.
G. Outreach Director
1. Lead outreach efforts to expand LPDC awareness and help grow membership;
2. Initiate and coordinate LPDC sponsored events;
3. Maintain and enhance LPDC outreach materials.
VII – Board Meetings
A. The Board shall meet at least once during each quarter in a public location at a time and place specified on the website of the LPDC. Board meetings shall be open to all eligible members. More frequent meetings may be scheduled, so long as they are publicized at least twenty-four hours in advance on the website and through any email list maintained by the LPDC.
B. The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the LPDC in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bBylaws and any standing or special rules the LPDC may adopt.
C. To pass resolutions, a quorum must participate in person or via remote audio conference. A quorum is defined as a simple majority of the sitting Officers of the Board, among whom must be included the Chair and the Treasurer, or those deputized to act for them, according to the provisions of paragraph E below.
D. Abstentions shall not be counted when determining the number required for a majority.
E. Officers of the Board are expected to participate in all Board meetings; but if an Officer is unable to participate in a meeting, that Officer may deputize any other member who is eligible to be an Officer to attend and exercise that office in his place for the duration of the meeting. If an Officer fails to deputize someone, the body of attending Members may select a Deputy by simple majority from the attending members who are eligible to be Officers. No person shall be deputized for more than one office at a time. The minutes kept by the Secretary must record that such a substitution has occurred.
VIII – Annual Meeting
A. The Board and Members shall meet once per calendar year for the presentation of annual reports and elections of Board Officers. Notice of this meeting shall be made at least thirty (30) days in advance on the LPDC website and through any email lists that the LPDC maintains.
B. All Board Officers (or their Deputies) shall attend.
C. All Eligible Members in attendance shall sign an attendance sheet.
D. The Secretary shall submit copies of the attendance sheets, Officer Contact Information Forms, and the minutes of the meeting to the LPCO within forty-eight hours of the adjournment of the next business meeting wherein the Board has resolved to adopt said minutes.
IX – Elections of Board Officers
A. Only Contributing Members who qualify pursuant to these Bylaws are eligible to be nominated for election to a Board Office.
B. “None Of The Above” (NOTA) is recognized as a legitimate candidate for any office, and if NOTA should win, a special election for that office shall be held four weeks hence, for which the defeated candidates of this election shall not be permitted to re-qualify.
C. Newly elected Officers must sign the pledges “I hereby certify that I do not believe in or advocate the initiation of force as a means of achieving political or social goal” and “I affirm the Statement of Principles of the National Libertarian Party” and complete an Officer Contact Information Form immediately upon the announcement of their victory.
D. Elected candidates take office immediately after the adjournment of the meeting wherein the election occurred.
X – Affiliate Representative
A. The Affiliate Representative (“AR”) serves as the liaison to the LPCO and other affiliates.
B. The AR shall be elected according to the same requirements and procedure as a Board Officer. Any Board Member may serve concurrently as AR.
XI – Appointments to State Party Committees
A. For any committee whose composition includes one or more participants from the LPDC under the LPCO Bylaws, the LPDC Board shall appoint members who fulfill the same requirements as those for Board Officers.
XII – Sub-Committees
The Board may create by resolution any committees deemed necessary to fulfill any designated purpose. Such committees may be temporary or ongoing, and may exercise any powers of the Board that the Board authorizes, with the exception that they shall not be granted the authority to spend funds beyond those allocated to the committee by an explicit resolution of the Board.
XIII – Candidates and Initiatives
A. The LPDC may nominate candidates for public office and urge the passage or defeat of ballot initiatives and referendums that will or may appear on ballots in a given election anywhere in Douglas County. Such endorsements are to be made public by means of a Press Release. If a notarized statement of nomination is required, the document must be approved by the Board and carry the signatures of the Chair and the Treasurer.
B. The LPDC, and its officers, including in their personal capacities, shall not endorse a non-Libertarian candidate for public office.
C. Resolutions for the nominations of candidates and endorsement/repudiation of ballot initiatives/referenda shall carry by a simple majority vote of the members present at any Board meeting.
XIV – Actions Prohibited to the LPDC
The following actions shall not be taken by this organization:
A. Taking any action or adopting any position that would violate the letter or spirit of the principles, Constitution, or Bylaws of the Libertarian Party of Colorado or the National Libertarian Party, including the Statement of Principles of the National Libertarian Party;
B. Endorsement of a candidate for office who is an announced candidate of a party other than the Libertarian Party;
C. Overdraw the LPDC bank account;
D. The borrowing of money at interest, from any source whatsoever. LPDC members may donate money, items, or services for which the Board may vote to reimburse them at original face value at a later date. Receipts for all reimbursed expenses must be submitted to the Treasurer.
XV – Amendment to these Bylaws
A. These Bylaws may be amended by a resolution of the Members in attendance at any quarterly or annual meeting, by a three-fourths vote. Any such amendments must have been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting and published on the LPDC website at least two weeks prior to any meeting at which they will be considered as well as being included in any notice of meeting. The newly revised Bylaws shall be published on the LPDC website and emailed to the State Board within forty-eight hours of the adjournment of the meeting where they were amended.
B. Any clause which requires a vote greater than the proportion in section A shall not be amended except by a vote of the greater proportion, and this section shall not be amended except by a vote of the greatest proportion specified anywhere within these Bylaws.
C. Amendments to these Bylaws whose sole purpose is to correct typographical, spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and cross-reference errors and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the members may be made by the Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote, without further approval from the members.
XVI – Platform
A. The Platform of the LPDC shall comprise the National Party’s Statement of Principles and any additional planks adopted by the LPDC that shall not contradict the National Party’s Statement of Principles in their ultimate goals in accordance with the LPDC’s Purpose. The National Party’s Statement of Principles, as it exists as of the date of adoption of these Bylaws, shall not be removed or amended except by a vote of 7/8 Members at an annual convention.
B. The LPDC may adopt or amend, by a two-thirds vote of the Members in attendance at any quarterly or annual meeting, Platform planks stating its position on any political issues. Any such amendments or adoptions must have been submitted in writing at the previous regular meeting and published on the LPDC website at least two weeks prior to any meeting at which they will be considered as well as being included in any notice of meeting. The newly revised or adopted Platform shall be published on the LPDC website. In the absence of any specific Platform plank on any issue, the LPDC is considered to have adopted the LPCO’s Platform on that issue.
C. Amendments to the Platform whose sole purpose is to correct typographical, spelling, grammatical, punctuation, and cross-reference errors and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the members may be made by the Board of Directors, by a two-thirds vote, without further approval from the members.
Certified by: Caryn Ann Harlos, Bylaws Committee Chair, Libertarian Party of Douglas County
