[GPCA-SGA-Votes] Discuss ID 159: Bylaws Amendment: Elections Eligibility and Timing for Coordinating Committee

[GPCA Votes]

*Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
<gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*

Discussion has begun for the following GPCA SGA ranked choice vote:

Ranked Choice Vote ID #159
Ranked Choice Vote *Bylaws Amendment: Elections Eligibility and Timing for
Coordinating Committee*
Ranked Choice Vote Administrators: Victoria Ashley, Brian Good, Laura
Wells, Eric Brooks, Mike Goldbeck
Discussion  02/12/2018 - 03/25/2018
Voting  03/26/2018 - 04/01/2018
Voting ends at Midnight Pacific Time

*Background*

This proposal has two objectives, which would be accomplished by two
changes in the GPCA Bylaws. The first objective is to clarify that to be
eligible to run for GPCA state Coordinating Committee, one must be a
registered Green Party member in the state of California as defined in
Article 3 of the GPCA Bylaws (http://www.cagreens.org/
bylaws/2016-07-03#Article_3._Membership) at the time of application for the
position and remain so through the conclusion of the election. This is
accomplished by amending Article 8 Coordinating Committee to specify this
condition of eligibility.

Why reference Article 3 in this clarification? Because GPCA Bylaws 3-2
specifies that only registered Green Party members in the state of
California may serve on the Coordinating Committee.

The second objective of this proposal addresses timing for Standing General
Assembly elections in months where there are five Mondays in May instead of
four, by amending 8-4.2, 12-4 and 7-6.3(a) http://www.cagreens.org/
bylaws/2013-06-23#Section_7-6_Standing_General_Assembly ).

The current bylaw provides for the discussion period for the annual spring
Coordinating Committee (and GPUS Delegation elections) to begin on the
first Monday of May. This timing was originally designed to allow for the
six weeks discussion period and the one week voting period to end as late
as possible in June, so that the GPCA could hold its spring budget General
Assembly during this period. The reason for this was to ensure that
candidates for the Coordinating Committee and the GPUS Delegation elections
could have the opportunity to speak in person to the spring budget General
Assembly.

For that reason GPCA Bylaw 8-4.4 reads "Candidates shall be given time to
present themselves and respond to questions on a Standing General Assembly
teleconference during the Standing General Assembly discussion period in
7-6.3. Where General Assemblies or Gatherings occur after the close of the
submission date in 8-4.2, and before the close of the voting period in
7-6.3, candidates shall be given time to present themselves to any General
Assembly or Gathering occurring this period. (http://www.cagreens.org/
bylaws/2013-06-23#Section_8-4_Elections )

However in approving 7-6.3(a) and 8-4.4, it was not considered that in some
years there are either five Mondays in May or in June. In that case,
starting the spring Standing General Assembly discussion period on the
first Monday of May could cause the voting period to conclude before the
spring budget General Assembly. Since the new Coordinating Committee and
the GPUS Delegation terms would not start until the ensuing July 1 of that
year, regardless whether the election concluded a week early, the net
effect of an early election only would potentially deprive the General
Assembly from hearing the candidates. This proposed amendment would account
for this by adding the following language to the end of Bylaw 7-6.3(a) as
per below in the Proposal section: ", except that in years where there are
either five Mondays in May or in June, the discussion period shall begin on
the second Monday of May."

A earlier version of this proposal that was submitted to the SGA in 2016 to
address this issue would have changed the submission date for candidate
applications along with the change in date to begin the Standing General
Assembly (http://sga.cagreens.org/vote/propresult?pid=120), potentially
creating confusion for potential applicants on when they can apply
depending upon the year. This proposal would leave the submission date the
same (the last Monday of April) each year in order to eliminate any such
confusion, while also adding clarity that the deadline would be 11:59pm on
that last Monday.

*Proposal*

Part 1: That Article 8 be amended from its current text

8-4.1 Elections shall be conducted each year by the Standing Green Assembly
by secret ballot, using Ranked Choice Voting with a No Other Candidate
option, with the six week discussion period beginning on the first Monday
of May and the one week voting period commencing immediately thereafter.

8-4.2 Candidates must submit an application to the Coordinating Committee
by the last Monday of April to be eligible. Applications must include a
biography and what they wish to accomplish on the Coordinating Committee.

to read as follows

8-4.1 Elections shall be conducted each year by the Standing Green Assembly
by secret ballot, using Ranked Choice Voting with a No Other Candidate
option. There shall be a six week discussion period beginning on the first
Monday of May and the one week voting period commencing immediately
thereafter, except that in years where there are either five Mondays in May
or in June, the discussion period shall begin on the second Monday of May.

8-4.2 To be eligible, candidates must submit an application to the
Coordinating Committee by the last Monday of April, be registered as a
member of the Green Party in the state of California at the time of
application for the position and remain so through the conclusion of the
election. Any candidate who fails to remain registered as a member of the
Green Party in the state of California during this period shall be removed
from the ballot prior to the commencement of the voting period, should
their registration from Green Party change prior to the commencement of the
voting period; and should their registration from Green Party change during
the voting period, the votes shall be calculated without inclusion of said
candidate.

Part 2: Part 3: That Article 7 be amended from its current text

7-6.3(a) The discussion period for Proposals and Elections shall be six
weeks, beginning on a Monday at 12:01 am and ending on a Sunday at 11:59pm.
The discussion period for Coordinating Committee and GPUS Delegation
elections shall begin on the first Monday of May.

to read as follows

7-6.3(a) The discussion period for Proposals and Elections shall be six
weeks, beginning on a Monday at 12:01 am and ending on a Sunday at 11:59pm.
The discussion period for Coordinating Committee and GPUS Delegation
elections shall begin on the first Monday of May, except that in years
where there are either five Mondays in May or in June, the discussion
period shall begin on the second Monday of May.

Resources
None
References
None

Full details will be available at:
http://www.sjcgreens.org/sga_vote_bylaw_interpretations

*Please send your discussion comments to gpca-votes at sfgreens.org
<gpca-votes at sfgreens.org>*
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