ILGP - Rules for Candidate Nomination

Transcription

1 ILGP - Rules for Candidate Nomination Summary & Scope Individuals who wish to participate in Illinois elections as Green Party candidates must follow the party's Nomination Process. This document outlines the Nomination Process only for districts where the Green Party is considered a new party under law. In districts where the Green Party is an "established party" under Illinois law, the party is legally required to follow the primary election process established and governed by the State Board of Elections. The Green Party has challenged this process as unconstitutional, but until it is removed either by court decision or legislation, it is the mandatory vehicle for candidate selection in districts where the Green Party is established under law. Candidates living in such districts should follow the election process as defined by Illinois law and outlined on the State Board of Elections website. In districts where the Green Party is a "new party" under Illinois law, the following process, described in detail in this Rules document, shall be used by candidates seeking the Illinois Green Party nomination: 1. Notification of Interest sent to the state party 2. Recognition as a Nomination Process Candidate by local chapter(s), by caucus of electoral district membership, or by the Executive Committee 3. Online Ballot determines the official Green Party nominee This guide is a Rules document of the Illinois Green Party, and its interpretation and execution shall be governed by the ILGP Executive Committee. Step 1: Notification of Interest Candidates seeking recognition from the Illinois Green Party must announce their intent by submitting a completed ILGP Candidate Questionnaire (available on the ILGP Resources - For Candidates webpage) to the Party Secretary (secretary@ilgp.org) to be considered. This questionnaire serves as their declaration of intent to pursue the party s nomination.

2 A candidate must submit a completed questionnaire to be considered for office. They may choose to include any further information for the state party to consider, including campaign goals, plans, platforms, and existing resources. Step 2: Recognition as a Nomination Process Candidate Before participation in the Online Ballot, prospective Green Party candidates must secure the party's recognition as a Nomination Process Candidate. Once a candidate secures recognition through one of the following methods, they are considered a recognized Nomination Process Candidate of the Illinois Green Party, and their name will be included in the Online Ballot for the relevant electoral district. Nomination Process recognition is an up-or-down decision relevant to the individual candidate requesting recognition only. There is no limit on the number of Nomination Process Candidates that can be recognized for a given election. Chapters, committees, or district caucuses extending Nomination Process recognition to a candidate are not expressing any preference or support for that candidate, beyond acknowledging their right to participate in the internal Nomination Process of the Illinois Green Party. As a grassroots democratic organization, the Illinois Green Party defers to the local membership of the relevant electoral district in candidate recognition. Nomination Process recognition by the local membership can be made in one of several different ways, depending on the presence or absence of local ILGP chapters on the ground and number of chapters with membership within the electoral district in question. 2a. Recognition By Local Chapter(s) In a non-statewide election, candidates may ask for Nomination Process recognition from all ILGP-affiliated chapters with defined geographic boundaries that fall partly or completely within the relevant electoral district. If all relevant chapters agree to recognize the candidate, that candidate is considered a recognized Nomination Process Candidate of the Illinois Green Party. If at least one chapter votes to deny recognition, the candidate is not considered recognized. A candidate who is denied recognition by one or more local chapter(s) may still seek recognition by a full caucus of the electoral district as described below in 2c. A request for a chapter's recognition must be made through the ILGP Party Secretary, or through the chapter's Chair, Secretary, or other point person.

3 Chapters that receive a request for candidate recognition are expected to provide the requesting candidate with a reasonable speaking slot at the next possible chapter meeting. Chapters may request additional materials from the candidate at their discretion, such as candidate questionnaires, campaign plans, stances on local issues, etc. Once a candidate has addressed a local chapter, that chapter is expected to vote on recognition within a one-month timeframe. It is recommended that chapters either vote at the same meeting at which the candidate speaks, or at the following monthly meeting; however, the mechanics of the vote are left to the chapter's determination, so long as they occur within a one-month timeframe. Local chapters may, at their discretion, choose to call a caucus of the local electoral district, as described in 2c of this guide, as their preferred method of candidate recognition. 2b. Recognition by Executive Committee In the absence of an affiliated ILGP chapter in the relevant electoral district, a candidate may seek Nomination Process recognition from the ILGP Executive Committee. A request for Executive Committee recognition must be submitted to the ILGP Party Secretary. The candidate shall then be scheduled to speak at the next possible ILGP Executive Committee meeting or teleconference. The Executive Committee may request additional materials from the candidate at their discretion, such as candidate questionnaires, campaign plans, stances on local issues, etc. Once a candidate has addressed the Executive Committee, the Committee is expected to vote on recognition within a one-month timeframe. It is recommended that the Executive Committee either vote at the same meeting at which the candidate speaks, or at their following monthly meeting; however, the mechanics of the vote are left to the Executive Committee's determination, so long as they occur within a one-month timeframe. A candidate who is denied recognition by the Executive Committee may still seek recognition by a full caucus of the electoral district as described below in 2c. 2c. Recognition by Electoral District Caucus As an alternative to recognition by chapters or the Executive Committee, a candidate may always request Nomination Process recognition from a caucus of the local membership. In addition, the relevant chapters in an electoral district may

4 jointly issue a call for a caucus as their preferred method of recognizing a prospective candidate or candidates. It is recommended that candidates seek recognition from either their local chapters or from the Executive Committee first, but any candidate may request recognition by electoral district caucus if desired, and the decision of an electoral district s caucus shall always supersede any decisions regarding candidate recognition made by local chapters or the Executive Committee. A request for an Electoral District Caucus must be submitted to the ILGP Party Secretary. An in-person caucus shall then be scheduled with at least one month's advance notice, at a location within the relevant electoral district. Notification of the caucus shall include: 1. The date, time, location, and Chair or other administrator of the caucus 2. A short statement (1000 words max) from the candidate, if the candidate desires 3. A short statement (1000 words max) from any local chapters within the relevant electoral district, if any chapter desires 4. A short statement (1000 words max) from the Executive Committee, if the Committee desires At the caucus, the requesting candidate shall be given a reasonable speaking time to present their candidacy. Each local chapter may also, at their discretion, appoint a representative to speak, as may the Executive Committee. Following all speeches, the candidate may at their discretion agree to take questions from the members present. At the end of the question period, the candidate shall leave the room while consensus is sought, either to approve or to deny recognition. In the absence of consensus, a vote to either approve or deny recognition shall be conducted by secret, paper ballot, with a simple majority needed to approve or deny. 2d. Statewide Recognition A candidate seeking Nomination Process recognition for a statewide office may ask for a vote to be held at a statewide Membership Meeting by ing a request to secretary@ilgp.org no less than one month in advance of the meeting, in which case a speaking slot and ballot process shall be arranged by the Meetings Committee. Recognition shall be an up-or-down vote to either approve or deny Nomination Process recognition.

5 If there are no Membership Meetings between the candidate s request and the Online Ballot of the Nomination Process, a candidate may request that a full online vote of the statewide membership be held, with at least one month's advance notice. All registered ILGP members who have been members of the party for at least three months shall be eligible to vote in the online election. Notification of the online election shall include: 1. The dates, time window, and online process of the election 2. A short statement (1000 words max) from the candidate, if the candidate desires 3. A short statement (1000 words max) from the Executive Committee, if the Committee desires The online vote shall be to either approve or deny recognition, with a simple majority needed to approve or deny. Per the ILGP Bylaws, If the Executive Committee determines that timing or other issues preclude a vote of the Membership from being taken, then the Coordinating Committee may extend recognition or endorsement to a candidate by a majority vote with open ballots. Step 3: Online Ballot The final authority to nominate Green Party candidates for the general election rests with the party membership. Green Party general election candidates in new party districts shall be elected by the Membership in an Online Ballot, as described below. Eligibility Eligibility to vote in the Online Ballot shall be as follows: In statewide elections, all ILGP members that have been members for at least three months prior to the first day of the voting period. In non-statewide elections, all ILGP members residing within the relevant electoral district that have been members for at least three months prior to the first day of the voting period. Each seat or office for which at least one candidate has secured Nomination Process recognition shall be given its own online ballot. Eligible voters may cast a ballot in each election held in a voting district within which they reside. However,

6 members with more than one residence may use only one address for purposes of voting residency per election cycle. Voting Mechanism Elections for Green Party nominations shall be held online, via a portal on the ilgp.org domain or other host authorized by the Executive Committee, with a oneweek voting window, the final day of which shall fall 60 days before the beginning of the "new party" petition process laid out by state law, with voting closing at 5:00pm. Notification of the Online Ballot shall be sent at least one week prior to the first day of the nominations election, and again by 9:00am on the first day of the election. Voting shall be conducted by Instant Runoff Voting. Online ballots for each seat shall list all Nomination Process recognized candidates for that seat, listed in the order in which they secured Nomination Process recognition, with "None of the Above" listed as a final option. The first candidate to secure a majority via Instant Runoff tally shall be the Green Party's nominee for that seat, unless "None of the Above" secures a majority first, in which case no Green Party candidate shall be recognized for the party in that election. It shall be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to establish the voting website, online ballots, and notifications for the Online Ballot.