DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF EVANSTON BY-LAWS

Adopted: May 1978.  Amended: June 2011

ARTICLE I: ORGANIZATION AND PURPOSES

This organization shall be known as the Democratic Party of Evanston. Its purposes shall be to elect qualified Democratic candidates to office and to develop positions on issues. It shall promote Democratic political activity in Evanston and encourage broad participation of Evanston Democrats.

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Qualification of Members.

Any person of the age of 18 years and upward, or anyone who will be 18 at the time of the next primary or general election, shall be eligible for membership.  Membership shall become effective:  (1) upon receipt of payment of dues for any person who has been a Member within either of the previous 2 years, or (2) 15 days after the receipt of payment of dues for any person who has not been a Member within either of the previous 2 years.   Membership shall expire one year after said effective date.  A person is only considered a Member between and including the effective date and the expiration date of his/her membership, unless he/she is a Life Member or an Ex-Officio Member.

Life Members shall be elected by the General Membership pursuant to rules formulated by the Board of Directors, and may retain their membership and voting privileges if they move outside of Evanston.

Section 2. Dues.

There shall be annual dues in an amount determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Eligibility to Vote.

Only those Members who reside in the Township of Evanston or within the boundaries of District 65 and/or District 202 School Districts may vote at a Membership Meeting.

Section 4. Ex-Officio Members.

Persons who are members of the Board of Directors by virtue of their elected public office shall be voting members.

ARTICLE III: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. Authority.

The Board of Directors, being responsible to the membership, shall establish policies necessary to the purpose of the organization and shall oversee the activities and programs which implement these policies.

Section 2. Composition.

The Board of Directors shall consist of the following persons: the Township Committeeman, the Deputy Township Committeeman, all officers of the organization, duly qualified area chairs, directors of the organization, any elected Democratic public official of a state, county or congressional district consisting in whole or in part of the Township of Evanston, and any person selected by the General membership as a Life Member.

Eighteen (18) Directors shall be elected by the membership to serve two-year terms. The Directors shall include a Director of Finance, a Director of Communications, a Director of Membership, a Director of Issues, and fourteen (14) Directors At-Large. Of these, the Director of Communications, the Director of Membership, the Director of Issues, and seven Directors At-Large shall be elected in the odd-numbered years, and the Director of Finance and seven Directors At-Large shall be elected in even-numbered years. A deputy township committeeman and four (4) Directors shall be appointed by the Township Committeeman, with the approval of the Board of Directors, to serve one-year terms. All Directors shall serve from the first Board meeting following their election or appointment until the first Board meeting following the Annual Meeting at the conclusion of their term of office or until their successors are duly elected or appointed.

A. Director of Finance – the Director of Finance recommends and coordinates fund-raising activities. The Director shall appoint a committee to assist with fund-raising activities, and report activities at each Board of Directors meeting.

B. Director of Communications – the Director of Communications informs the media of DPOE events, positions and statements; coordinates activities to advertise Party events to the General Membership and to the general public; writes, publishes and distributes the organization's newsletter; maintains the web site and Internet capabilities of the organization. The Director shall appoint a committee to assist with these duties, and report activities at each Board of Directors meeting.

C. Director of Membership – the Director of Membership designs and coordinates activities for the recruitment of new members, maintains membership records and collects dues. The Director shall appoint a committee to assist with these duties, and report activities at each Board of Directors meeting.

D. Director of Issues - The Director of Issues studies issues and recommends courses of action to the Board of Directors and/or the General Membership. The Director shall appoint a committee to assist with these duties, and report activities at each Board of Directors meeting. 

Section 4. Area Chairs.

It shall be the responsibility of the Committeeman to appoint, with the approval of the Board of Directors, three (3) Area Chairs to assist him/her in the maintenance and training of ward organizations. The Area Chairs shall have voting power on the Board of Directors. The Area Chairs are expected to identify and appoint ward chairs for each ward as well as work with the Ward Chairs to identify and appoint precinct captains.

Section 5. Committees.

A. Executive Committee.

(1) The Executive Committee shall consist of the Township Committeeman, the Deputy Township Committeeman, the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Directors of Finance, Communication, Membership, and Issues.

(2) The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to:

(a) Determine short and long term goals;

(b) Act in the place of the Board of Directors when matters warranting Board action must be decided before the next Board of Directors meeting;

(c) Advise the Township Committeeman regarding his/her duties until the Board of Directors is able to meet.

(3) The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly or on the call of the President, the Township Committeeman or any other two members of the Executive Committee. The meeting may be conducted by conference call or other electronic media.

(4) The President shall serve as chair.

(5) A quorum of the Executive Committee shall be four members.

(6) A majority of the members of the Executive Committee present shall be required to approve any action.

(7) The Executive Committee is required to report any decisions made to the Board of Directors at its next meeting.

C. Other committees may be created from time to time by the Board of Directors or by the General Membership. The Chair and members of such a committee shall be chosen in a manner and for a term which must be specified in the resolution which establishes the committee.

D. None of the provisions of this Section are meant to apply to the Nominating Committee, which is discussed in Article V, Section 1.

Section 6. Declaration of Vacancies of Directors of the Board.

A. Three (3) consecutive unexcused absences from meetings of the Board of Directors by a Director defined in Article III, Section 3 shall constitute resignation from the Board and a vacancy shall thereby be created.

B. The Secretary shall send a copy of this By-Laws requirement to each Director above at the beginning of his/her term. The Secretary shall send a notice to a Director incurring three unexcused absences that the absences have occurred and that his/her Board seat is now vacant. The Director can appeal his/her removal to the Board of Directors at its next regular meeting. A majority of the Board present must approve of the Director retaining his/her seat.

Section 7. Vacancies.

A. Vacancies in officer or director positions may be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors until the next Membership Meeting.

B. Vacancies in director positions appointed by the Township Committeeman shall be filled by the Township Committeeman with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 8. Quorum of the Board of Directors.

Twelve (12) voting members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. The action of the majority of the Board of Directors present and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present constitutes action by the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers.

A. The officers of the organization shall be a Township Committeeman, a Deputy Township Committeeman, a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The President and the Secretary shall be elected at the Annual Meeting in even-numbered years. The Vice-President and Treasurer shall be elected at the Annual Meeting in odd-numbered years.

B. The terms of all officers except the Treasurer, (the Township Committeeman, and the Deputy Township Committeeman) shall begin at Annual Meeting at which they are elected and shall end at the Annual Meeting two years later. The term of the Treasurer shall begin on August 1 of each odd-numbered year and shall end on July 31 of the next odd-numbered year to comply with the State Disclosure Act. After election and before taking office, a newly elected Treasurer shall be known as the Treasurer-elect. (See Article IV, Sec. 8 C. Below.)

C. Each officer shall be a member of the Board of Directors and shall have the duties and responsibilities described below.

Section 2. Township Committeeman.

The Democratic Township Committeeman of Evanston shall be the chief executive officer or the organization. The Committeeman shall have such powers and duties as are vested in the office by law and shall be responsible for all political activities of the organization. The Committeeman shall, subject to these By-Laws, be the organization's authorized representative to execute such documents as may be necessary in the orderly administration of the party offices and organization.

Section 3. Deputy Township Committeeman.

It shall be the responsibility of the Township Committeeman to appoint the Deputy Township Committeeman (gender-balanced) who shall assist the Township Committeeman in carrying out the political activities of the organization; attend Cook County Democratic Committeeman meetings in the absence of the Committeeman; secure Democratic judges of election and other duties as requested.

Section 4. President.

The President shall preside at meetings of the Membership and of the Board of Directors. The President shall be responsible for coordinating the activity of each committee of the organization to assure that the duties and responsibilities of each committee are properly carried out. In the absence, incapacity, on inability of the Township Committeeman to serve as chief executive officer of the organization, the President shall act as the chief executive officer.

Section 5. Vice-President.

The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President at meetings of the Membership and of the Board of Directors. The Vice-President shall assist the President in coordinating the activities of the organization.

Section 6. Secretary.

The Secretary shall act as clerk of all Board, Membership, and Executive Committee meetings and shall record all proceedings and minutes of such meetings. The Secretary shall be responsible for providing seven (7) day notice of all Board meetings and Membership Meetings as required in Article VI, Section 1. The Secretary shall prepare and maintain a yearly calendar for the Board of Directors reflecting the dates for action required by these By-Laws as well as all other events and activities of the Board and pertinent political dates.

Section 7. Treasurer.

A. The Treasurer shall have custody of the funds of the organization and shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the organization. The Treasurer shall deposit all money in the name of and to the credit of the organization in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors; disburse funds of the organization in the due course of business or as may be designated by the Board of Directors; disburse the funds of the organization in the due course of business or as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements; and render to the Board of Directors at its regular meetings and whenever the Board of Directors may require it, an account of all transactions as Treasurer and of the financial condition of the organization.

B. The Treasurer shall keep all records, and make and sign all reports required by any Federal, State or other campaign finance reporting laws.

C. After election and before taking office, the Treasurer-elect shall assist the Treasurer and become familiar with the duties and responsibilities of the office of Treasurer, and the Treasurer shall cooperate with the Treasurer-elect to facilitate the transfer of responsibilities between them. (See Article IV, Sec. 1 B. above.)

ARTICLE V: NOMINATION, ELECTION AND REMOVAL OF OFFICIERS AND ELECTED DIRECTORS

Section 1. Nomination of Officers and Elected Directors.

A. All nominations for officers and elected directors, except Township Committeeman and Deputy Township Committeeman shall be made in one of the following ways:

(1) By a Nominating Committee appointed by the Board of Directors at its regular monthly meeting in March, The Nominating Committee shall consist of five (5) members of the organization appointed by the President. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to study the qualifications of prospective candidates and to announce their nominations to the Board of Directors at its regular monthly meeting in April.

(2) By any five members of the organization who shall submit their nomination(s) in writing to the President not later than 30 days before the Annual Membership Meeting. (See Article VI, Section 1.) Such nomination(s) must be with the consent of the nominee(s), which the President shall verify upon receipt of the nominating petition. Person(s) so nominated shall be placed on the ballot as described in Section 2 of this Article and notice of such nomination(s) shall promptly be sent to the General Membership of the organization. Any person nominated for more than one office shall be placed on the ballot for the position for which the nominee expresses a preference. Any person duly nominated shall be entitled to be placed on the ballot for the election of offices and elected directors.

B. Notice of offices and directorships up for election and the nominating procedures shall be sent the General Membership by the end of February of each year.

Section 2. Election of Officers and Elected Directors.

A. Voting for officers, except Township Committeeman and Deputy Township Committeeman, shall be paper ballot, voted in person or by mail, in a form approved by the Board of Directors. Each member shall be entitled to one vote. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. In the event that no more than one candidate is nominated for any office, voting may be by voice vote.

B. Voting for elected directors shall be by paper ballot in a form approved by the Board of Directors. Each member shall be entitled to one vote for each directorship open for election. The candidates equal to the number of the directorship open for election with the highest number votes shall be declared elected. In the event that no more candidates are nominated than there are directorships open for election, voting may be by voice vote.

Section 3. Removal of Officers and Directors.

Any officer or director may be removed:

A. Upon the recommendation of 2/3 of the Board of Directors and approval of such recommendation by a majority of the General Membership at any general or special meeting of the membership, or

B. By a 3/4 vote of the Board of Directors. Such removal shall be effective immediately upon the action of the Board. Any officer or director so removed by the Board may demand that such action be submitted to a special meeting of the membership called within 20 days of the action of removal by the Board. The General Membership shall have the power to sustain or overrule the action of removal of the Board of Directors by a majority vote.

C. Vacancies created by the removal of an officer or elected director shall be in accordance with Article III, Section 7.

ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS

Section 1. The Annual Membership Meeting.

The Annual Membership Meeting of the organization shall be held in the month of May or June on a date at least 20 days after the publication of the April newsletter or some other communication to the members. The time and place of the meeting shall be designated by the Board of Directors. The April newsletter or other communication shall reprint Article V. Section 1 of these By-laws.

Section 2. Board of Directors Meetings.

The Board of Directors shall meet on a regularly scheduled basis. Board meetings are open to members of the organization. Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by the Township Committeeman, the President or three members of the Board who shall give notice of such a meeting. The notice of any special meeting shall be sent to the members of the Board at least 7 days prior to a meeting and shall state the time, place and purpose of the meeting and the person or persons calling the meeting. Meetings may be conducted by conference call or other electronic media.

Section 3. Other Membership Meetings.

Other meetings of members may be called by the Township Committeeman, the President, a majority of the members of the Board of Directors or 25 members of the organization by presenting a petition calling a meeting to the President, who shall give notice of such a meeting.

Section 4. Notice of Membership Meeting.

Written notice of regular or special Membership Meetings, other than the Annual Membership Meeting, stating the time, day and place of meeting, the nominees for office in case of elections a copy of any proposed amendments to these By-laws, and the purpose(s) when a special meeting is called, shall be sent at least ten days prior to a meeting.

Section 5. Quorum.

Twenty-five (25) members of the organization shall constitute a quorum at any membership Meeting other than an endorsement meeting.

Section 6. Standing Committees.

The Standing Committees shall hold meetings throughout the year on a schedule to be determined by the committee chair and members of each committee.

Section 7. Procedure.

All business of any meeting of the General Membership, Board, committees or sub-committees shall be conducted according to the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.

ARTICLE VII: ENDORSEMENT OF POLITICAL CANDIDATES

Section 1. Endorsement Meetings.

A. An endorsement vote must be taken at a Membership Meeting called for the purpose of voting on endorsement except when otherwise specifically provided by the Board of Directors. The quorum for an endorsement meeting shall be fifteen per cent (15%) of the membership total as of the first of the month preceding the month in which the endorsement meeting is held.

B. An endorsement meeting may be called by a majority vote of the Board of Directors or through a petition signed by 25 members and submitted to the Township Committeeman at least 21 days before the proposed meeting.

C. Appropriate written notice shall be sent to the members at least 10 days in advance of the meeting. The notice shall specify the date, place and voting procedures established by the Board of Directors for said election, and shall state the number of members required for a quorum.

Section 2. Endorsement in Contests for Which There Is a Primary Election.

A. The Democratic Party of Evanston may choose to endorse or not to endorse for any office to be voted on in a primary election.

B. Any office to be voted on in the primary may be considered at an endorsement meeting. For any office considered, all Democratic candidates for that office shall be included in the balloting. For any office considered, the option "No Endorsement" shall be included in the balloting.

C. Endorsement requires 2/3 vote of the number of ballots cast on the particular office. Where three or more candidates seek one office, voting members shall be instructed to rank in preference order all acceptable candidates including "No Endorsement." A candidate indicated as a first choice on 2/3 of the ballots shall be endorsed without further counting. Should one candidate appear as the first choice on more than ½ but less than 2/3 of the votes cast, the ballots cast for all candidates other than the top vote-getter shall be examined. The votes on these ballots for the top vote-getter and for ‘No Endorsement’ will then be redistributed according to the preference indicated on each ballot. If after such redistribution the initial top vote-getter has 2/3 of the votes cast, he or she shall be endorsed.

D. For offices for which more than one Democratic nominee is to be selected, each member may cast as many votes as there are candidates to be nominated, but multiple-candidate office must receive a vote equal to 2/3 of the number of ballots cast for the office to be endorsed.

Section 3. Endorsement in Municipal and Township Elections for Which There is No Primary Election.

A. The Democratic Party of Evanston may choose to endorse or not to endorse for any office to be voted on in a municipal or township election for which there is no primary election.

B. The written notice of the endorsement meeting shall specify the name of candidates to be voted on at the meeting as determined by the Board of Directors.

C. For any office considered, the option "No Endorsement" shall be included in the balloting.

D. Where only one contestant is seeking endorsement shall require a 2/3 vote of the number of ballots cast for the office.

E. If more than one candidate seeks endorsement for the same office, the candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be endorsed.

Section 4. Endorsement in Other Elections.

A. The Democratic Party of Evanston may choose to endorse or not to endorse for other elections, such as school board elections or referenda.

B. The written notice for a meeting at which endorsement of a referendum issue is to be considered shall contain factual information and/or arguments reflecting each side of the issue and shall be mailed at least 20 days prior to the date of the meeting.

C. Endorsement requires a 2/3 vote of those members voting for offices in which more than one candidate is to be elected, but each member may cast no more than one vote for each candidate. Each candidate for a multiple candidate office must receive a vote equal to 2/3 of the number of ballots cast for the office in order to be endorsed.

D. In all elections, the option of "No Endorsement" shall be included in the balloting.

ARTICLE VIII: SLATING FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Section 1. Contested Primary Races.

In contested primary races for the General Assembly (House and Senate) which districts include all or part of Evanston Township, the Township Committeeman may poll the Board of Directors for an advisory opinion before casting his/her ballot for endorsement for these offices on the State of County Democratic Slate.

ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Amendments.

These By-Laws may be amended or revoked by 3/5 of the members voting at any meeting called to consider such action.

Section 2. Amendment Proposals.

Any five members may propose an amendment to these By-Laws.

Section 3. Notification.

Any proposed amendment to these By-Laws shall be delivered to the President in writing at least 30 days prior to the meeting at which it is to be considered. A copy of each proposed amendment shall be sent to each member accompanying the notice of said meeting.

Section 4. Effective Date.

Any alternations, amendments or revocations of these By-Laws shall be effective within 45 days or on July 1, whichever occurs first, after the meeting called to consider such action if approved or adopted.