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This policy of the Georgia Green Party shall constitute the rules and regulations required by O.C.G.A. 21-2-172(a) governing the holding of conventions for the nomination of candidates for any state, district, or county office. It may be referred to as the Nominating Convention Rules. II. Executive Committee and Officers For purposes of the requirements of Georgia Election Law and Campaign Disclosure requirements, the Georgia Green Party Coordinating Council shall serve as the state executive committee of the political body; the clerk of the local shall serve as the Secretary of the political body; the treasurer of the local shall serve as the treasurer of the political body; and the Coordinating Council or the Quick Decision Council shall designate one Co-Convenor to serve as the Chair of the political body. The chair and the Secretary shall sign a letter to certify the accuracy of the minutes of the Convention and provide a copy of the certified minutes to each nominee to be filed with their notice of candidacy. III. Meetings of the Executive Committee The Georgia Green Party Coordinating Council may meet as the state executive committee of the Georgia Green Party as a political body by passage of a motion at any meeting of the Coordinating Council, or upon the call of the convenor designated as chair. The executive committee may establish nominating thresholds for district sizes not accounted for in the table in VI.B below. IV. Powers of the Georgia Green Party At any Coordinating Council meeting of the Green Party, the Council may: 1) declare an upcoming electoral race open for Green nominations by naming the district, office and election date; and 2) instruct the executive committee to set a date for a Nominating Convention and to provide for the publication of a Call to the Nominating Convention. V. Notice for a Nominating Convention In publishing a Call for a Nominating Convention, the Coordinating Council shall publish a notice in a newspaper having a general circulation which covers all districts which have been declared opened for nominations or which might be opened for nomination by the Convention. The Coordinating Council shall choose a Convention date on a Saturday, 150 or more days before the General Election for which the Convention will nominate candidates. The Coordinating Council shall publish at least thirty days in advance an announcement of the Nominating Convention with a call for convenors for precinct and district caucuses with the dates during which such caucuses may happen. VI. Caucuses - Precinct and District A. Powers and Responsibilities of a Precinct Caucus. Every precinct in every district declared open for Green nominations is urged to hold a Green Precinct Caucus meeting. Any precinct in any district not declared open for Green nominations may hold a Green Precinct Caucus meeting. All such caucus meetings shall take place on the date of the Nominating Convention, or at least seven days, but not more than twenty-two days before the Convention. Every Precinct Caucus may send a gender balanced delegation consisting of two members plus two additional members for every ten credentialed caucus members. B. Powers and Responsibilities of a District Caucus. Every county and district in Georgia may hold a Green District Caucus meeting on the date of the Nominating Convention, or at least seven days, but not more than fifteen days before the Convention. Every County and District Caucus may send a gender balanced delegation to the Nominating Convention. The delegation shall consist of two members plus two additional members for every ten credentialed caucus members; except that a credentialed caucus member may not be counted toward the count authorizing delegates for both a precinct and a district caucus. Any Green County or District Caucus which attracts a number of Greens who are registered to vote in the district at least equal to the nominating threshold as defined below, may nominate a candidate and petition the Nominating Convention to open the district for Green nominations. The executive committee may set the nominating threshold for districts not covered in the below chart. The nominating threshold for each kind of district shall be as designated in the following chart: District size nominating threshold state house 20 state senate 40 County Commission 20 County Commission 40; (Population > 200,000) C. Caucus Convenors A caucus may be convened by: a) any person elected as a convenor at the previous caucus, or if no such person exists or will convene the caucus, b) any member of the Georgia Green Party who resides within the jurisdiction of the caucus and petitions the member of the Coordinating Council designated to Coordinate the Convention to serve as convenor, or c) the member of the Coordinating Council designated to coordinate the Convention or a member who shall be designated by the Convention Coordinator. D. Credentialling Caucus Members The Caucus Convenor shall designate a Credentials Committee of two or more people, at least one of whom is a dues paying or in-kind member of the Georgia Green Party or an affiliated local which is organizing in the jurisdiction of the caucus. The Credentials Committee shall issue visible voting cards to all persons who fulfill the credentialling requirements listed below: 1. they sign the roll of credentialled caucus members certifying their commitment to the ten key values and the political principles of the Greens; and 2. they show evidence that they reside in the jurisdiction of the caucus by showing a valid voter registration card, or some other identification indicating a physical address. E. Caucus Agenda Each caucus shall take up the following business and such other business as may be included on an agenda adopted or amended by majority vote of credentialed caucus members. 1. Call to order by convenor 2. Credentials committee report 3. Caucus select and approve a facilitator and clerk 4. discuss, amend and approve caucus agenda 5. hear reading of titles of proposed platform planks 6. consider whether to call for the opening of the district 7. open nominations for all open seats (including: open publicly elected seats, Caucus delegates to Nominating Convention, Caucus Convenor for subsequent year, Coordinating Council nominees, Green Congress delegates, and other seats declared open in the Call for the Caucus or by amendment of the Call) 8. election by secret ballot tabulated by preference voting 9. consideration of platform proposals 10. consideration of non-platform proposals 11. announcement of vote results 12. announcements 13. adjourn or recess for further work on platform or other named business
VII. Nominating Convention
VII. Nominating Convention A. Powers and Responsibilities of Convention A Nominating Convention organized under these rules shall have all powers provided by O.C.G.A. 21-2-170 relative to nominating candidates for publicly elected office; and the power to open or close any race to Green candidates; and the power to adopt, amend, or repeal a Platform; and the power to elect Coordinating Team members and Green Congress delegates for the Green Party; and the power to adopt, amend and suspend its rules. B. Convention Convenors A Nominating Convention may be convened by: a) any person elected as a convenor at the previous Nominating Convention, or if no such person exists or will convene the caucus, b) the member of the Coordinating Council designated to coordinate the Nominating Convention. C. Credentialling Convention Delegates The Convention Convenor shall designate a Credentials Committee of two or more people, at least one of whom is a member of the Georgia Green Party. The Credentials Committee shall issue visible voting cards to all persons who fulfill the credentialling requirements listed below: 1. they sign the roll of credentialled delegates certifying their commitment to the ten key values and the political principles of the Greens; and
Delegates to the Convention shall be apportioned to reflect the number of registered voters residing within the jurisdiction they represent. E. Nominating Convention Agenda The Nominating Convention shall take up the following business and such other business as may be included on an agenda adopted or amended by majority vote of credentialed Nominating Convention members. 1. Call to order by convenor 2. Credentials committee report 3. Nominating Convention selects and approves a facilitator and clerk 4. discuss, amend and approve Nominating Convention agenda 5. hear reading of proposed platform planks 6. consider petitions to open districts for nominations 7. open nominations for all open seats (including: open publicly elected seats, Nominating Convention Convenor for subsequent year, Coordinating Council members, Green Congress delegates, and other seats declared open in the Call for the Nominating Convention) 8. election by secret ballot tabulated by preference voting 9. consideration of platform proposals 10. consideration of non-platform proposals 11. announcement of vote results 12. announcements 13. adjourn or recess for further work on platform or other named business.
For the purposes of credentialling a delegate at the Convention, the letter required by VII.C.3.(c)(2) shall be in substantially the following form: " To: The Credentials Committee of the (year of convention) Nominating Convention of the Georgia Green Party Date:
By my signature below, I certify that: 1) I circulated the attached sheets of the nominating petition (to qualify the Georgia Green Party to nominate by convention candidates for state-wide public office to be filled at the next General Election); 2) these petition sheets which bear my notarized signature were circulated in conformity with the requirements of O.C.G.A. 21-2-170(d) and other provisions of the law; 3) that I appoint as my delegate to the Georgia Green Party Nominating Convention of (year of convention) the individual named below; 4) that I share a commitment to the ten key values and political principles of the Georgia Green Party. With my signature below, I petition the Credentials Committee and the
Nominating Convention to seat ____________________________________ a resident
of ________________________ County, Georgia as as a delegate to the Nominating
Convention.
____________________________________ Signature of Circulator ____________________________________ Print Name of Circulator" ____________________________________ Address"
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