Approved at 4/11/91 Caucus

NEWTOWN DEMOCRATIC TOWN COMMITTEE
RULES

PREAMBLE

The policies and principles of the Democratic Party of the Town of Newtown, Connecticut shall be formed, directed and executed by the Democratic Town Committee.

ARTICLE I
MEMBERSHIP

SECTION I. Composition. The Town Committee shall consist of not less than ten (10) and not more than fifty-five (55) members, who shall be elected at large and who shall be enrolled Democratic electors in the Town of Newtown.

SECTION 2. Increased Membership. At a meeting called for the purpose, the Town Committee may, by majority vote of those present and voting, increase it’s membership, provided that all new members shall be duly elected and begin their terms after the first Monday following the next primary date.

SECTION3. Primary date. In every even-numbered year the town Committee shall fix the first Tuesday in March 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 at least fifty-six (56) days before such primary is to be held.

SECTION 4. Filling of Vacancy. The Town Committee may fill any vacancy on the Town Committee, arising from any cause, including failure to elect, by a majority vote of the Town Committee members present at a meeting called for that purpose.

SECTION5. Ex-Officio Members. Democrats serving in the following offices are ex-officio members of the Town Committee: all elected town officials, State Representative, State Senator, and Judge of Probate. They have all rights, duties and privileges, except the right to vote as a Town Committee member.

ARTICLE II
OFFICERS

SECTION 1. Election. Not more than fourteen (14) days following the day fixed for holding the holding of a primary for the election of Town Committee members, the Chairman of the Town Committee in office immediately prior to the day of said primary shall call a meeting of the newly elected Town Committee for the purpose of electing a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers as may be deemed advisable.
If such Chairman fails for any reason to call such meeting within the period prescribed, it shall be the duty of the Vice-Chairman serving concurrently with said Town Chairman to do so.
If for any reason said meeting is not called in the manner prescribed, it shall be the duty of the State Central Committee members in the district to do so.
The notice of such meeting called by either the said Vice-Chairman or said members of the State Central Committee shall be issued to each of the newly -elected Town Committee members within forty-eight (48) hours of the necessity of either to do so, not withstanding any party rule concerning time and notification of meetings to town-Committee members.

SECTION 2. Eligibility. The officers of the Town Committee shall be elected from within the membership of the Town Committee.

SECTION 3. Term. Officers so elected shall hold office for the term of the Town Committee electing them and until their successors have been elected or until they are removed as per Section 7 Article II.

SECTION 4. Duties. Each of such officers shall have the duties usually incident to this office and such other duties as the Town Committee may from time to time prescribe.

SECTION 5. Filing with Secretary. 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 names and addresses of the Democratic Registrars of Voters).

SECTION 6. Filling of Vacancy. 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 at a meeting called for that purpose.

SECTION 7. Removal. Officers of the Town Committee may be removed for just cause from their official positions by a majority of the total town Committee membership at a meeting called for that purpose.

SECTION 8. Steering Committee. Town Committee officers and the chairmen of the following permanent committees: Ways and Means, Candidates, Voter Services, Program/Issues, and Campaign will constitute the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will exercise such powers and duties, as the Town Committee shall designate from time to time.

ARTICLE II
MEETINGS

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

Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Town Committee may be called by the Chairman or upon written request, signed by twenty (20%) percent of the members of the Committee, presented to 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. Quorum. At least forty (40%) percent of the membership of the Committee shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

ARTICLE IV
ENDORSEMENT OF CANDIDATES FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICE, TOWN COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND DELEGATE CONVENTIONS

Section 1. Selection by Caucus. The enrolled members of the Democratic Party in the municipality at a caucus called for the purpose shall, by a majority vote of those present and voting, select party-endorsed candidates for the Town Committee. The enrolled members of the Democratic Party in the municipality at a caucus called for the purpose shall, by a majority vote of those present and voting, select party endorsed candidates for delegates to conventions and all other offices. In the endorsement of any person for an office or for a position as Town Committee member or delegate for whom only the electors of a political sub-division of the municipality may serve, only the electors from said political subdivision may participate in the vote.

Section 2. State Endorsement. The party endorsement of candidates for delegated to any convention 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. Party-Endorsed Candidates for Municipal Office. Candidates for municipal office chosen as provided in Article IV, 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 filled for nomination to such office by four o’ clock p.m. on the twenty first (21st) day preceding the day of the Democratic primary for such office.

Section4. Party-Endorsed Candidates for the Town Committee. Candidates for Town Committee Members chosen as provided in Article IV section 1 above shall run in the primary for Town Committee members as party-endorsed candidates, provided such candidates shall be deemed elected as members of the Town Committee if no valid opposing candidacies have been filed for. Town Committee members by four o’clock p.m. on the twenty first (21st) day preceding the day of the Democratic Primary for Town Committee Members.

Section 5. Party- Endorsed Candidates for Convention Delegates. The Slate of the candidates for delegates to a convention chosen as provided in Article IV, Sections 1 and 2 above and 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 of persons other than party-endorsed candidates has been filled by four o’ clock on the twenty-first (21st) day of the Democratic Primary for delegates conventions.

Section 6. Insufficient endorsements. If for any reason sufficient endorsements of candidates for municipal office, Town Committee members, or delegates to conventions are not made, the provisions of Connecticut General Statutes, Section 9-418, as amended from time to time, shall govern.

Section 7. Certification of Party-Endorsed Candidates. The Secretary and the Chairman or presiding officer of the Town Committee, Caucus, or convention, as the cause may be, shall certify to the municipal clerk the names and street addresses of the party-endorsed candidates selected as provided in Sections 1 and 2 above, the title of the office or position as committee member or delegate for which each such person is endorsed, and the date upon which the primary is to be held. In the case of the endorsement of a person for an office or for a position as committee member or delegate for whom only the electors of a political subdivision of the municipality or for the senatorial district located entirely within the municipality may vote, the Secretary of the Town Committee shall certify to the municipal clerk the name or number of such political subdivision or senatorial district.

Section 8. Date of Party Endorsement for Candidates. Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for the nomination of candidates for municipal office or for election of Town Committee members or delegates to conventions shall be made not earlier than the forty-ninth (49th) day nor later than the thirty-fifth (35th) day preceding the day of the primary and shall be certified to the clerk of the municipality by the Chairman or preceding officer and Secretary of the Town Committee, caucus or convention, as the case may be, not later than the thirty-fourth (34th) day preceding the day of the primary.

Section 9. The Vote. In the event that a vote on the selection of a party-endorsed candidate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by continuing the vote. If after five (5) ballots there is still a tie, such ties shall be resolved by the toss of a coin

Section 10. Vacancies in Party endorsed Candidacies. If a party-endorsed candidate for nomination to a municipal office or for election as Town Committee member or delegate to a convention, prior to the twenty-four (24) hours before the opening of the polls as the primary dies, or, prior to ten (10) days before the day of the primary, withdraws his or her name from nomination, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold office or position for which he or she is a candidate, an endorsement may be made to fill such vacancy by the Town Committee, by a majority vote of those present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose; provided, if the original endorsement was made from only one political subdivision of the municipality, only Town Committee members from that political subdivision shall participate in the endorsement to fulfill such vacancy. In the event that a vote on the selection of a replacement party-endorsed candidate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by continuing the vote. If after five ballots there is still a tie, such tie shall be resolved by the toss of a coin. 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 municipal clerk.

Section 6. Special Caucuses. Special caucuses may be called for any lawful purpose by the majority of the Town Committee or by not less than ten (10%) percent of the registered Democratic voters in the town. The call for any such special caucus shall be in writing and signed by each of the persons issuing the same, and notice of the time, place, and purpose of said special caucus shall be given to all registered Democratic voters in the town, at least five (5) days in advance of such caucus. By publication in a newspaper having a circulation in said town and by posting a notice on the public signpost.

ARTICLE VI
FILING OF LOCAL RULES

Section 1. Filing. Within seven (7) days after party rules or any amendments to party rules a re adopted by the Democratic Party in any town, a copy of the same shall be filed with the Secretary of the State and with the Town Clerk and with the Secretary of the State Central Committee.

ARTICLE VII
AMMENDMENTS TO LOCAL PARTY RULES

Section 3. Amendments . These rules may be amended by a 2/3/ vote of the members of the Democratic Town Committee at a meeting of the Democratic Town Committee called for that purpose.

ARTICLE VIII
ROBERTS RULES GOVERNING
Roberts Rules of Order (newly revised) shall be constructed as applicable, controlling and conclusive on all parliamentary issues, except as herein otherwise provided and except as otherwise provided by the Operating Procedures of the Newtown democratic Town Committee.