Democratic Club Bylaws - Lehigh County, PA

THE RULES OF
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
OF THE
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIAAs Filed With The Pennsylvania Department of State
Secretary of the Commonwealth
January 24, 1994

Amended March 21, 1994
Amended June 3, 1996
Amended December 6, 1997
Amended December 1, 2001
Amended June 24, 2004
Amended March 19, 2005

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

The Democratic Party of Pennsylvania is committed to serving the best interest of all of the people of the Commonwealth and to providing the broadest possible base of participation in the affairs of the Party. Consistent with this philosophy, the Democratic State Committee of Pennsylvania pledges, as part of the rules governing the Democratic Party of Pennsylvania, the following principles:

All public meetings at all levels of the Democratic Party are open to all registered Democrats, regardless of race, color, creed, gender, national origin, age, ethnic identity, sexual orientation or economic status.

No test of membership in, nor any oaths of loyalty to, the Democratic Party of Pennsylvania shall be required or used that have the effect of requiring prospective or currently registered Democrats to acquiesce in, condone, or support discrimination on the grounds of race, color, creed, gender, national origin, age, ethnic identity, sexual orientation or economic status.

The Democratic Party, on all levels, shall support the broadest possible voter registration without discrimination on any grounds.

The Democratic Party of Pennsylvania and all subsidiary bodies shall publicize fully, and in such manner as to assure timely notice to all interested parties, a full description of the legal and practical procedures for selection of Democratic Party Officers and representatives at all levels. Publication of these procedures shall be done in such a fashion that all prospective and current members of the Democratic Party may be fully and adequately informed of pertinent procedures at all levels of the Democratic Party Organization.

The Democratic Party of Pennsylvania shall publicize fully, and in such manner as to assure notice to all interested parties, a complete description of the legal and practical qualifications for officers and representatives of the state Democratic Party. Such publication should be done in a timely fashion so that all prospective candidates or applicants for any elected or appointed position within the State Democratic Party may have full and adequate opportunity to compete for office.

RULE I

ORGANIZATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

SECTION 1. The representative and authoritative bodies of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania shall consist of:

1.      The State Committee
2.      The State Executive Committee
3.      The County Committees, and
4.      Such other subordinate committees as these rules and the rules of the respective county committees shall provide, as long as they are in compliance with state and national committee rules pursuant to Rule VII, Section 1 of these rules.

SECTION 2. Only duly registered and enrolled Democratic electors shall be eligible to serve as members or officers of any of the committees provided in Section 1 of this rule.

(a) No person shall be eligible to serve as a member or officer of any Democratic committee as provided in Section 1 of this rule who:

(1) holds a political appointive office of profit under an administration, whether city, school district (except teachers), county, state or national opposed to the Democratic Party (except positions of a judicial character or those appointed by the courts or notaries public or commissioners of Deeds or those whose original appointment to said position was made by a Democratic administration or attained through a merit system or a collective bargaining contract;

(2) has entered into an agreement with opponents of the Democratic Party to support such opponents;

(3) by voice, vote, financial support or otherwise has, within two years, supported a candidate in a general or special election opposed to the duly nominated candidate of the Democratic Party in that election, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this Section.

(b) No person shall be eligible as candidate for the office of Chair or Vice-Chair of a county Committee or as a member of the State Committee who has been a registered member of any other political party at any time during the two years preceding the Primary Election.

(c) Those Democratic candidates who cross-file for an office in which cross filing is permitted by law and Democratic candidates running as write-ins and those persons supporting such candidates are exempt from paragraph (a) of this Section.

SECTION 3. In case any member or officer of any Democratic Committee is accused of being disqualified under any of the provisions of Section 2 of this rule, such member or officer is entitled to a full hearing by the State Executive Committee, except where such accusation concerns a County Committee or a committee subordinate to a County Committee in which case such hearing shall be held in accordance with the rules of the County Committee. Any ruling of a County Committee may be appealed to the State Executive Committee if such appeal is made in writing within 30 days from the date on which such ruling is handed down.

Upon appeal to the State Executive Committee, a hearing shall be held on the day of the next regularly scheduled meeting of the State Committee provided the appeal is made more than thirty (30) days prior to such meeting. Should the appeal be made less than thirty days prior to such meeting, a hearing will be held at state committee headquarters in Harrisburg within thirty days after such meeting.

The Executive Committee may, by majority vote, remove from office or from Membership the person so accused found to be in violation of Section 2 of this Rule or take such other action, which the Executive Committee finds appropriate.

In such case the vacancy so created shall be filled in the manner provided by these rules or by the rules of the County Committee concerned, as the case may be.

SECTION 4. The State Committee, the State Executive Committee and County Committees are authorized and empowered to create and establish advisory and auxiliary committees.

RULE II

CERTIFICATION

SECTION 1. As soon as possible after a Primary Election, the Secretary of the Commonwealth shall certify a list of all Democratic candidates who were on the Primary Ballot either for a Democratic State Committee position or, during a presidential year, a district-level delegate/alternate position. The Democratic State Committee shall then determine the winners from the list, so certified, according to the rules. Democratic State Committee, upon ascertainment of the winners, shall certify their names to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office so that he or she can issue certificates of election as prescribed by law.

RULE III

STATE COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. The general supervision, regulation and direction of the affairs of the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania shall be vested in the State Committee and all other committees shall be subordinate to it and under its direction.

SECTION 2. Election to Pennsylvanian Democratic State Committee shall occur during the Primary in the year in which the Governor is elected. The number of State Committee members which each county is entitled to elect shall be based on the Democratic Party registration or enrollment in such county as of the last General Election immediately preceding that year as follows:

Each county shall be allotted one member for each .004 or a major fraction of the registered Democrats in the State of Pennsylvania; provided that there shall be allotted at least one (1) member to each county.
Each County Chair shall be a full voting member.
Each Democratic National Committee member from Pennsylvania shall be a full voting member.
All State Committee members shall be elected at-large in the county of their residence, except as provided in Subsection 2 (e), of this Rule.
The Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women shall have one full voting member, elected by the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women in a manner consistent with its organization’s by-laws. A member seated as a representative of the group may only grant a proxy to a member of its executive committee.

(f) The Pennsylvania Young Democrats shall have one full voting member. Said appointee shall be elected by members of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats in a manner consistent with its organization’s By-Laws. Said appointee may only grant proxy to a member of the Pennsylvania Young Democrats executive committee.

(g) In each county electing twenty (20) or more State Committee members, those members shall be apportioned to each Senatorial District or portions therefore within the county using the same percentage apportionment method used to choose the allotment for the county; and further those members shall be elected in Senatorial Districts or portions thereof.

(h) There shall be an equal number of females and males elected under Subsections 2 (d) and 2 (e) of this Rule if the county has more than one member.

When there is one (1) State Committee member to be elected in a county the ballot instructions shall provide; “Vote for no more than one (1) without distinction between gender. The candidate, whether male or female, with the highest number of votes shall be elected”.
Where these is an equal number of State Committee members to be elected in a county the number of male and female candidates shall be divided equally. Example: Where four (4) State Committee members are to be elected the ballot instructions shall provide “Vote for four (4). The two (2) females and the two (2) males with the highest number of votes shall be elected”.
Where there is an unequal number of State Committee members to be elected in a county, the equal division interpretation under 2(f)(2) shall be followed as far as possible; then from the remaining candidates the candidate, whether male or female with the highest number of votes shall be elected. Example: Where five (5) State Committee members are to be elected the ballot instructions shall provide; “Vote for five (5). The two (2) females and the two (2) males with the highest number of votes to be elected and the person with the next highest number of votes shall also be elected”.
If after the election of State Committee members, the membership is not equally divided between male and female, there shall be an election of at-large members sufficient to equally divide the State Committee. Said election shall be accomplished by allocating at-large members to Philadelphia County, Allegheny County and caucuses, chosen by State Committee, which will include all other counties in the State among their membership. The at-large members shall be allocated to said caucuses of State Committee in proportion to the percentage of Democratic voter registration in the counties as those caucuses bear to the total registered Democrats in the State.

Election of at-large members shall be conducted in each caucus prior to the re-organization meeting of State Committee.

Election of at-large members shall be governed by the rules of the caucus. Should the caucus rules not provide procedures for the election of at-large members, the following procedure shall be used for the election of at-large members: A candidate shall be nominated by a caucus member and a candidate is elected by a majority vote of those present and voting.
Each member of the State Committee shall be entitled to one (1) full vote on all matters before the State Committee except as provided by Delegate Selection Rules for the Democratic National Convention.

SECTION 3. The State Committee shall meet for organization no later than the sixth Wednesday following its election at such hour and place as shall be designated by the present chair.

Officers. At the organization meeting, the members of State Committee shall elect by majority vote a Chair and a Vice Chair, one of whom shall be a male and the other a female, and a Treasurer. Their terms of office shall begin from the date of their election and continue for a period for four (4) years or until their successors have been duly elected. Any registered Democrat shall be eligible for any of said offices, provided that he or she has been a registered member of the Democratic Party for at least two years preceding the date of his or her election.
Democratic National Committee. At a meeting of the State Committee which shall be held no later than the sixth Wednesday following the Primary in a Presidential election year, the State Committee shall elect, by majority vote, the members of the Democratic National Committee as apportioned to Pennsylvania by the Democratic National Committee.
Vacancies. Vacancies happening at any time in the office of Chair, Vice Chair or Treasurer of the State Committee or in the office of a member of the Democratic National Committee shall be filled by State Committee for the un-expired term, at a State Committee meeting called within 30 days of the date on which the vacancy occurs.

State Committee members must be notified at least 10 days before the next regularly scheduled meeting before a vote to fill the vacancy can be taken. Otherwise the vote has to be taken at the next regularly scheduled State Committee meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose.

SECTION 4. At the organization meeting of the State Committee held every four years it may, if it deems proper, promulgate an adopt a platform or statement of principles and policies of the Democratic Party of the State of Pennsylvania.

SECTION 5. The Chair of the State Committee shall preside at all meetings of the State Committee and of the State Executive Committee and shall be entitled to vote therein on all questions. He or she shall conduct all State campaigns by and with the advice of the State Executive Committee and subject to the approval of the State Committee.

SECTION 6. The Vice Chair, in the absence of the Chair, shall preside at all meetings of the State Committee and of the State Executive Committee, and, in the event of a vacancy in the office of chair, shall serve as Chair until a chair is elected.
SECTION 7. The Treasurer shall:

Have custody and control of the books of account and the financial records of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee.
Deposit all monies received in a banking institution or financial institution designated by the Officers of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee.
Prepare a budget for each calendar year, which budget shall be presented to and approved by the State Executive Committee at its regular December meeting.
Prepare and distribute to each State Committee member, with the notice of the regularly scheduled meetings of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee, a current financial report, in which receipts and disbursements are set forth in the same categories as outlined in the approved budget.
Disburse funds of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee on checks executed by the Treasurer and Chair, or other person so designated by the State Executive Committee.

SECTION 8. The Chair shall appoint:

A Secretary.
Such other officers, committees and employees as may be necessary to carry on the work of the State Committee.
A CPA firm to audit the financial transactions of the previous term.

SECTION 9. The State Committee shall meet at least three (3) times a year at the call of the Chair. Written notice of the date, time and place shall be mailed at least thirty (30) days prior to each meeting.

The Chair shall call all meetings of the State Executive Committee. The Chair may call special meetings of the State Committee at any time at his or her discretion and shall call a special meeting of either committee upon the written request of at least one-fourth of the members of such committee. The Chair shall call a meeting requested by members within ten (10) days, and such meeting shall be held within thirty (30) days of the date of the meeting notice. If the Chair shall fail to call such a properly requested meeting, the members making the request may themselves call the meeting. Members of the State Committee and the State Executive Committee shall be given ample written notice by mail of all meetings of their respective committees.

SECTION 10. Any member of the State Committee who is unable to attend a meeting of the committee in person may appoint by proxy a Democratic elector, who is a resident of the same county and not already a committee member, who shall have the right to attend such meeting and vote thereat as the representative of such absent member, except that a proxy may not serve on any standing committee or special committees appointed or elected by any means, at such meeting. Any such proxy shall be in writing, signed by the member of the State Committee, attested by the signature of a witness and dated.

SECTION 11. Any State Committee Member who is personally absent from three consecutive meetings or who grants a proxy for three consecutive meetings shall forfeit his/her membership on the State Committee. Any member who forfeits his or her membership under this Section may appeal to the State Executive Committee for reinstatement if the absences were caused by the member’s serious illness.

SECTION 12. In the event the county rules do not provide otherwise, vacancies happening at any time in the membership of the State Committee shall be filled by the County Chair. A person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be of the same gender as the member being replaced. All resignations must be submitted to the State Chair in writing prior to a vacancy being filled.

SECTION 13. A majority of the members of the State Committee shall be required to constitute a quorum.

SECTION 14. At each State Committee meeting, the State Chair shall announce the schedule of all state committee meetings to be held within the coming year.

SECTION 15. All State Committee meetings will be non-smoking meetings.

RULE IV

STANDING COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. Upon election the State Chair shall appoint the following Standing Committees:

Credentials Committee– This committee shall be responsible for taking the roll at each meeting of the State Committee, certifying the proxies and establishing the existence of a quorum.
Rules and Order of Business– This committee shall establish the Agenda for each meeting and rule on the appropriateness of any suggested order of business.
By-Laws– This committee shall review all proposed changes to the Party Rules prior to presentation to the State Committee.
Voter Outreach and Registration– This committee shall be responsible for encouraging potential voters to become active and to register in the Democratic Party.

SECTION 2. Each Standing Committee Chair shall report on his or her committee’s activities at every regular meeting of the State Committee.

RULE V

NOMINATION RECOMMENDATION ENDORSEMENT COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. There shall be a nomination recommendation committee, which shall meet at the call of the State Chair in the years when statewide officials are to be elected. Such meeting shall be open to the press and to all interested Democrats. At such meeting all candidates for statewide office may present themselves, or send a representative to appear on their behalf.

At such meeting the Nomination Recommendation Committee shall vote by roll call to recommend to the Democratic voters of the Commonwealth such candidates as may be then and there selected.

The Nomination Recommendation Committee shall consist of:

(1) the full State Committee including all of its officers;

(2) all Democratic National Committee members;

(3) the Democratic incumbents of any non-judicial office elected by statewide vote;

the two highest ranking members of the Democratic delegation in the State House; and the two highest ranking Democratic members of the State Senate;
the senior member of the Democratic Congressional delegation;
the President and Vice President of the Pennsylvania Federation of Democratic Women, Inc.;
the President and Vice President of the Young Democrats of Pennsylvania;
the Chair of the College Caucus of the Young Democrats of Pennsylvania;
the Chair of Penn Ag Democrats;
not more than five at large members to be appointed by the Chair of the Democratic State Committee.

In no instance may any person cast more than one (1) vote.

SECTION 2. Immediately before each vote to endorse a candidate the Chair shall inform the membership of the number of individuals entitled to vote on that specific ballot.

SECTION 3. In the event that more votes are cast on any ballot then are eligible to be voted the Chair shall immediately declare such vote to be null and void and the Committee shall vote again for that office.

SECTION 4. Only a candidate who receives a two-thirds majority of the total votes cast may receive an endorsement recommendation. This provision shall not control endorsements by county parties and duly elected committees.

RULE VI

STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. Composition. The State Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the State Committee, the members of the Democratic National Committee from Pennsylvania, all ex-officio, 50 members to be elected one (1) from each Senatorial District.

SECTION 2. Authority. The State Executive Committee shall act in an advisory capacity to all committees and shall perform such other duties as may be conferred by these rules or otherwise delegated to it by the State Committee or the State Chair.

SECTION 3. Election.

The State Committee members from each Senatorial District shall meet at the call of the Chair of the State Committee at the close of the State Committee quadrennial organizational meeting to elect members to the State Executive Committee. A majority vote of the State Committee members from each Senatorial District shall be required to elect State Committee members from that Senatorial District to the State Executive Committee. As soon as the State Executive Committee member from any Senatorial District is elected, a majority of the State Committee members from that Senatorial District shall sign a certification noting the name of the person elected and submit that certification to the State Committee Chair.
A tie vote for the office of State Executive Committee member shall be broken by casting a lot at a meeting called for that purpose by the State Chair within 30 days after the organizational meeting of State Committee, provided that a majority of the State Committee members from that Senatorial District are present at the meeting.
If no State Committee member is elected from a Senatorial District, the State Chair shall direct that a convention be called of the duly elected County Committee members from the Senatorial District to elect by majority vote one (1) registered Democratic voter of the Senatorial District to serve on the State Committee.

SECTION 4. Officers. The Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer of the State Committee shall hold these same offices on the State Executive Committee.

SECTION 5. Proxies. Any member of the State Executive committee who is unable to attend an Executive Committee meeting of the Committee may appoint, by proxy, one other State Committee member from his/her Senatorial District to attend and vote as his/her representative. The proxy shall be in writing, signed and dated by the executive Committee member and a witness.

Any State Executive Committee member who shall fail to attend in person (or by proxy) three consecutive meetings of the State Executive Committee shall forfeit his/her membership on the Executive Committee, [as per Rule III, Section 11 of these rules.]

SECTION 6. Vacancies. Any resignation must be submitted to the State Chair in writing before a vacancy can be filled. Vacancies in the elected membership of the State Executive committee shall be filled by majority vote by the members of the State Committee elected from the Senatorial District in which the vacancy occurs at a special meeting called by the Chair.

SECTION 7. Quorum. Forty percent of the members of the State Executive Committee constitute a quorum.

SECTION 8. Recommendations to fill Vacancies. In carrying out its responsibilities to fill vacancies under Rule IX, Section 2, the members of the State Executive Committee shall take into account the recommendations of the County Committee or Committees of the counties involved.

RULE VII

COUNTY RULES AND CONTESTS

SECTION 1. The County Committees are authorized an empowered to make rules necessary for the selection, organization and governing of such committees and any subordinate committees provided for by such rules and for the promotion of the interests of the party, provided that such rules are not inconsistent with these rules or with the law. County Committee rules shall be approved by the State Executive Committee as provided in Section 2 of this rule.

In all counties:

The term of County Committee members shall be four (4) years, and they shall be elected at the Spring Primary Election in the year the Governor is elected.
The term of County Committee officers shall be for four (4) years, running from the date of the quadrennial reorganization meeting of the County Committee.
All County Committee quadrennial reorganization meetings for the election of County Committee officers shall be held no later than the sixth Wednesday following the Spring Primary Election in the year in which the Governor is elected.
Between the Primary Election at which County Committee members are elected and the reorganization meeting of the County Committee, no existing vacancies in the County Committee membership shall be filled; but all vacancies shall be filled as soon as possible after the reorganization meeting in accordance with the provisions of the County Rules.

In the event county rules do not provide for the filling of such vacancies, vacancies existing in the membership in the County Committee for more than sixty (60) days may be filled by the County Chair.

In counties where the County Chair and/or other officers of the County Committee are elected by the members of the County Committee, and a tie vote results for any office after all members of the Committee present and eligible to vote have cast their votes, the tie shall be broken by the drawing of lots and the winner shall be declared elected to the office concerned. The drawing of lots shall be under the direction of the State Chair at a time and place to be set by him/her.

SECTION 2. The State Executive Committee is authorized and required to examine all Democratic County Rules and all amendments thereto. No such rules or amendments shall be effective until approved by the State Executive Committee; however, counsel for the State Committee is hereby designated as the agent for the State Executive Committee in examining such rules and all amendments. Counsel shall make a report to the County Committee within 30 days of receipt of the rules by the State Committee. Such rules or amendments shall become effective as amended as required by counsel, provided that no appeal is taken by the County Committee to the State Executive Committee within 30 days after the date on which counsel shall have rendered his/her report. In the event of any appeal from the ruling of counsel, hearing on the appeal shall be held by the State Executive Committee at its next scheduled meeting.

SECTION 3. Within thirty days after the election of the Chair or Chairs of each County Committee, held in accordance with Rules of such County Committee, the Secretary of such County Committee shall certify to the Chair of the State Committee the names of the persons elected Chair and Senior Vice Chair.

SECTION 4. Whenever there shall be any dispute as to who is legally elected Chair of any county Committee, the contestant shall, not later than ten (10) days after the expiration of the time for filing the Certificate of Election with the Chair of the State Committee, file notice of contest with him, accompanied by proof of service of a copy thereof on the person whose election has been certified. The notice shall be in writing and shall set forth fully and at-large the ground upon which the contest is made and shall be supported by an affidavit. It shall be the duty of the Chair to lay the contest before the State Executive Committee at a meeting to be called by him within twenty (20) days after receiving notice of the contest, or as soon thereafter as possible, for the purpose of determining the same. Notice of the time and place of said meeting shall be mailed to the parties interested at least ten (10) days prior thereto. The State Executive Committee shall accord the parties a hearing at said meeting and its decision rendered after such hearing shall be final and conclusive.

SECTION 5. A dispute as to who has been legally elected as an officer or member of any County Committee or Committee subordinate thereto, except any of the foregoing elected at a Primary Election by a vote of the Democratic Electors, shall be determined by the County or subordinate Committee in which it shall arise, or in such other manner or by such other body as the County Committee rules may provide.

A party has the right to appeal the final decision of such Committee, or other body, to the State Executive Committee. The appeal shall be taken within ten days after such final decision is rendered. The appeal shall be heard in the manner and form provided for the hearing of contests under Section 4 of this Rule.

RULE VIII

DELEGATES TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION OR CONFERENCE

These rules shall be written and approved by State Committee only when applicable.

RULE IX

VACANCIES

SECTION 1. Any vacancy happening or existing in the Democratic nomination for any office to be voted for by the electors of the State at-large by reason of the death or withdrawal of a candidate, failure to nominate at the Primary Election, the calling of a special election, or other cause, and which cannot be filled at a Primary Election under the law, shall be filled by the State Committee at a meeting called by the chair not later than 30 days after such vacancy occurs, which shall have the authority to make and certify a nomination.

SECTION 2. Any vacancy happening or existing in the Democratic nomination for representative in Congress, Senator in the General Assembly or Representative in the General Assembly by reason of the death or withdrawal of a candidate, failure to nominate at the Primary Election, the calling of a special election, or other cause, and which cannot be filled at a Primary Election under the law, shall be filled by the State Executive Committee, which shall have authority to make and certify a nomination.

The State Executive Committee may vote to fill any of the vacancies under this rule:
- At a Special meeting called by the State Chairman no later than (30) days after the vacancy occurs. Voting by proxy is allowed according to the procedure under Rule VI, Section 5.
- By telephone, telegraph or mail poll of each member of the Executive Committee who must approve the nominee by at least twenty-sic (26) affirmative votes, provided that in the case of a telephone poll at least three (3) efforts are made to reach each member.

(b) A record of each poll or effort to reach a member of the Executive committee shall be kept by the State Committee staff and presented to the next regular meeting of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 3. Any vacancy happening or existing in the Democratic nomination for any other public office, by reason of the death or withdrawal of a candidate, failure to nominate at the Primary Election, the calling of a special election or other cause, and which cannot be filled at a Primary Election under the law, shall be filled within (30) days by the County Committee or proper subordinate committee in whose district the vacancy occurred, or by such other committee as may be designated by the rules of the County Committee, which committee shall have authority to make and to certify a nomination.

RULE X

RULES OF ORDER

SECTION 1. Robert’s Rules of Order, as most recently revised, shall govern procedure at all meetings of the State Committee and the State Executive Committee. Any rule contained herein, which is not required by the Democratic National Committee guidelines or the election laws of this Commonwealth, may in accordance with the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, be temporarily suspended for a specific purpose only, by a two-thirds vote of the State Committee Members (or proxies) in attendance at any duly called meeting of the State Committee.

RULE XI

PROCEDURES FOR AMENDING RULES

SECTION 1. Amendments to these rules may be made by the Democratic State Committee at any regularly scheduled meeting of the State Committee, provided that the proposed amendment is submitted to the Chair of the Democratic State Committee not less than thirty-five (35) days prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. The State Chair shall then send a copy of the proposed amendment to every member of the State Committee. Such proposed amendments shall be sent to the State Committee members with the Preliminary Call to the meeting. The State Chair shall also refer all proposed amendments to the By-Laws Committee for their consideration thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

Changes to a proposed amendment shall be submitted to the State Chair no later than fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting at which a proposed amendment and/or changes thereto shall be considered. Such changes to a proposed amendment shall be sent to the By-Laws Committee. The State Committee members shall receive such changes to a proposed amendment with the Official Call (10 days notice) to the meeting.

RULE XII

STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY CHAIRS

SECTION 1. There is hereby created a State Association of County Chairs, which shall serve as an auxiliary body to the State Committee.

The State Chair or his/her designee shall preside over all Association meetings.
The Association shall meet regularly in conjunction with the State Committee at time and place designated by the State Chair. In addition special meetings of the Association may be held at the call of the Chair.

SECTION 2. The quorum for Association meetings shall consist of those members present at any meeting. Proxies shall be limited to the senior Vice Chair of the County Committee.

SECTION 3. Association membership shall be open to all duly elected and certified County Chairs and Senior County Vice Chairs.

SECTION 4. The Association shall act as an advisory body to the State Chair in the conduct of campaigns, the development of policy, the coordination of political activities, the dissemination of information and the management of Party affairs.

RULE XIII

REGIONAL CAUCUSES

SECTION 1. Caucus Delineation. There shall be regional Caucuses of the Democratic State Committee comprised as follows:

(a) ALLEGHENY COUNTY

(b)       NORTH EAST CAUCUS
(1)       Bradford                   (7)       Pike
(2)       Carbon                      (8)       Schuylkill
(3)       Lackawanna                        (9)       Susquehanna
(4)       Luzerne                    (10)     Wayne
(5)       Monroe                      (11)     Wyoming
                                    (6)       Northampton

(c)       SOUTH EAST CAUCUS
(1)       Berks                         (5)       Lancaster
(2)       Bucks                        (6)       Lehigh
(3)       Chester                     (7)       Montgomery
(4)       Delaware
(d)       NORTH CENTRAL CAUCUS
(1)       Bedford                     (9)       Lycoming
(2)       Blair                           (10)     Mifflin
(3)       Centre                       (11)     Montour
(4)       Clinton                      (12)     Northumberland
(5)       Columbia                  (13)     Snyder
(6)       Fulton                        (14)     Sullivan
(7)       Huntingdon             (15)     Tioga
(8)       Juniata                      (16)     Union

(e)       NORTH WEST CAUCUS
(1)       Armstrong                (9)       Forest
(2)       Butler                         (10)     Jefferson
(3)       Cameron                   (11)     McKean
(4)       Clarion                      (12)     Mercer
(5)       Clearfield                  (13)     Potter
(6)       Crawford                  (14)     Venango
(7)       Elk                              (15)     Warren
            (8)       Erie

(f) PHILADELPHIA

(g)       SOUTH WEST CAUCUS
(1)       Cambria                    (6)       Washington
(2)       Fayette                      (7)       Westmoreland
(3)       Greene                      (8)       Beaver
(4)       Indiana                      (9)       Lawrence
(5)       Somerset

(h)       SOUTH CENTRAL CAUCUS
(1)       Adams                       (5)       Lebanon
           (2)        Cumberland             (6)       Perry
(3)       Dauphin                    (7)       York
(4)       Franklin

SECTION 2. Caucus Organization. State Committee Caucuses shall meet for organization prior to the reorganization of the Democratic State Committee but after each county within the caucus reorganizes. It is the responsibility of the caucus Chair and Vice Chair to reorganize the caucus and report the results to the State Chair.

SECTION 3. Caucus Officers. Each Caucus shall elect a Chair, a Vice-Chair and a Treasurer. Their terms of office shall begin upon their election and continue for a period of four years or until their successors have been chosen. A simple majority vote is required. Only persons eligible to vote on State Committee may serve as a caucus officer.

SECTION 4. The Caucus Chair shall preside at all meetings and represent the caucuses.

SECTION 5. The Caucus Vice-Chair shall act in the absence of the chair, and, in the event of a vacancy in the office of chair shall serve as chair until a chair is elected.

SECTION 6. The Treasurer shall:

Keep all funds of the caucus and pay all bills as approved by the caucus
Be responsible for all fiscal matters concerning the caucus
Be responsible for fiscal record keeping

SECTION 7. The caucus chair shall appoint

A Secretary and
Other officers and committees as needed to carry on the work of the caucus

SECTION 8. Vacancies. A resignation of a caucus officer must be submitted to the State Chair, in writing, before a vacancy can be filled. Vacancies shall be filled by an election at the next meeting. Members must be given 10 days written notice of a meeting.

SECTION 9. Notice. Caucus chairs shall issue a written 10-day call for each meeting.

SECTION 10. Quorum. A majority of the members constitutes a quorum.

SECTION 11. Dues. The caucus may assess each county an annual fee as agreed upon by the caucus members.

SECTION 12. The Chair of State Committee is an ex-officio member of each caucus with speaking and nominating privileges. No person may be an officer of a caucus or a voting member of a caucus who is not a voting member of State Committee. The Chair of State Committee shall only have voting privileges with his own caucus. Proxies are acceptable at caucus meetings subject to the same conditions as under Rule III Section 10.