Political Outreach Enablement  Act

Community Outreach Enablement Act

Sponsored by Victor Wilson, and the Constituent Services Committee, 6 January 1994.

Adopted with amendments by SCCDCC, 6 January 1994.

I. Name, Scope, Enabling Authority, and Definitions

I.A. The name of this Act shall be the Political Outreach Enablement Act.

I.B. This Act will serve to supplement and further define the duties and responsibilities of the Director of Political Outreach as specified in the Executive Board Duties and Responsibilities Act.

I.C. This Act will outline the procedures for chartering and accrediting Democratic Clubs in Santa Clara County by the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee (SCCDCC) as specified in Article I.C.2 of the SCCDCC Bylaws.

I.D. This Act shall also outline the procedures for reaccrediting Democratic Clubs, specify how a club may lose its accreditation, specify the regulations concerning endorsements of candidates, and provide for the accreditation of all Democratic Clubs.

I.E. The SCCDCC is the primary accrediting authority for the Democratic Clubs in Santa Clara County.

I.F. A Democratic Club, as defined by this Act, is a grassroots organization which supports Democratic Party candidates and principles and meets the requirements stated in II.C.

I.G. The Director of Political Outreach will be responsible for seeing that Democratic Clubs are properly accredited, should encourage the formation of clubs and will act as liaison between the SCCDCC and the Clubs.

 II. Procedures for Accreditation and Reaccreditation II.A. For accreditation and reaccreditation purposes, all Democratic Clubs must maintain a membership of twenty (20) registered Democrats residing in Santa Clara County.

II.B. Democratic Clubs in Santa Clara County must consider any registered Democrat residing in Santa Clara County as eligible for membership.

II.C. To be eligible for accreditation and reaccreditation, a club must submit the following documents to the Director of Political Outreach:
 

II.C.1. A membership list containing at least twenty (20) registered Democrats residing in Santa Clara County who designate this as their primary club;

II.C.2. A set of current bylaws;

II.C.3. A list of current officers;

II.C.4. A financial statement indicating membership support for the club;

II.C.5. Documentation of ongoing programs;

II.C.6. A list of members that identifies their respective residence and Assembly District.
 

 II.D. The Director of Political Outreach shall at a regular meeting of the SCCDCC introduce a motion to accredit a prospective club. This must be approved by a majority of the members present and shall also be the procedure for reaccreditation.

II.E. Once accredited, the Club President should contact the Chairs of the California Democratic Party Assembly District Committees in Santa Clara County in which club members reside and provide the Chairs with club membership lists. The clubs are responsible for continuous updating of their membership lists. This provision applies when it is not in conflict with club bylaws preserving member privacy.

II.F. An accredited club should submit accreditation documents by the December meeting of the even numbered year of every term of the SCCDCC to be considered for reaccreditation.

II.G. The Director of Political Outreach shall work with clubs to see that they fulfill their obligations to the SCCDCC and the California State Democratic Party.

 III. Endorsement of Candidates III.A.1. The SCCDCC believes that the Democratic Party is strengthened when it speaks with a single voice. Thus, clubs are strongly encouraged to cooperate with the SCCDCC Endorsement Committee, to appoint a member to serve on the Endorsement Committee and to abide by the decisions of that committee. If a club decides to endorse separately, it must have fair, open, democratic and agreed-upon endorsement procedures and can only endorse Democrats. If possible, to promote a unified/consistent Democratic Party, separate club endorsements should not be made until after the SCCDCC makes public its official endorsements.

III.A.2. In all cases when the club endorsement is different from that of the SCCDCC, the club must make it clear that it is only a club endorsement and not that of the Democratic Party.

  III.B. The Director of Political Outreach shall be responsible for working with clubs in the development of candidates and in matters concerning endorsements. IV. Publications Accredited Democratic Clubs are encouraged to patronize union shop printers for all publications, stationery, and leaflets. The County Chair of the SCCDCC and the Director of Political Outreach shall be responsible for working with union printers to develop Democratic Club rates whenever possible. V. Sanctions The Director of Political Outreach shall be responsible for advising the SCCDCC when an accredited club is in violation of these articles. An affirmative vote of sixty per cent of the voting members of the SCCDCC at a regular meeting of the SCCDCC is necessary to remove a club's accreditation. VI. Miscellaneous The Director of Political Outreach shall provide, in conjunction with the Director of Community Services, periodic updates of services that the SCCDCC can provide to clubs. The Director of Community Services shall, by the July SCCDCC meeting of every year, contact accredited clubs for help at the SCCDCC fair booth.

The Director of Community Services shall brief accredited clubs every year on voter registration and encourage clubs to be involved in this important activity.

The clubs should inform the Director of Political Outreach of their activities and should send any regular publications such as newsletters to this officer as well as to the County Chair.

The Director of Political Outreach shall, in conjunction with the County Chair, be the liaison of the SCCDCC to the California Democratic Council.

The clubs should be aware that the County Chair is the official Democratic Party spokesperson for the county and that when club officers talk to the media they are speaking as club representatives, not officials of the Santa Clara County Democratic Party or the California Democratic Party.

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This page was last updated 24 April 1999.