BY-LAWS OF THE SHENANDOAH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE (December 2, 2020)

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the Shenandoah County Democratic Committee (referred to in these by-laws as the “County Committee”).

ARTICLE II. AUTHORITY

The County Committee is created under the authority of and in accordance with the Code of Virginia, the Democratic Party of Virginia State Party Plan and the rules of the Democratic National Committee.

ARTICLE III. PURPOSE

The purpose of the County Committee, acting in accordance with the State Party Plan, is to promote the interests of the Democratic Party in Shenandoah County. The County Committee shall have full charge of the affairs of the Democratic Party in Shenandoah County.

ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. (a) The County Committee shall be composed of the elected members determined as follows:

For each precinct in Shenandoah County, one committee member for every 1,000 active registered voters in the precinct, except that each precinct shall be entitled to at least one committee member and a precinct shall be entitled to one additional member if the number of active registered voters exceeds by 500 or more the largest multiple of 1,000. In computing the number of committee members to which each precinct is entitled, persons residing in that precinct elected district chair and precinct captain under Article VIII shall not be counted.

(b) In addition to the elected members specified in paragraph (a), the following shall also be members of the County Committee:

(i) all elected office holders in Shenandoah County who shall have been elected on the Democratic ticket;

(ii) Democratic member(s) of the Shenandoah County Electoral Board;

(iii) any member(s) of the 6th District Democratic Committee and the Democratic State Central Committee who reside in Shenandoah County;

(iv) the Democratic chair of each electoral district; and

(v) the Democratic precinct captain from each precinct in Shenandoah County.

Section 2. Any person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the County Committee who:

(a) is registered to vote in Shenandoah County;
(b) believes in the principles of the Democratic Party; and

(c) does not intend to support the campaign of any candidate opposing any nominee of the Democratic Party.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. There shall be an Executive Committee of the County Committee which shall be composed of the officers of the County Committee and the immediate past chairs of the County Committee.

Section 2. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be:

(a) to conduct necessary business in the intervals between meetings of the County Committee, subject to ratification at the next meeting of the committee; and

(b) to review and evaluate the status of actions taken to carry out the decisions of the County Committee.

ARTICLE VI. OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the County Committee shall be a Chair, a Vice Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Director of Outreach.

Section 2. The Chair shall

(a) provide for the day-to-day coordination of the work of the County Committee, including making assignments to officers, committee chairs and chair(s) emeritus;

(b) prepare the agenda and preside at all meetings of the County Committee and the Executive Committee

(c) appoint committee chairs;

(d) be the official representative of the County Committee and designate others to represent it when appropriate; and

(e) serve as member ex officio of all committees of the County Committee.

Section 3. The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in any duties as assigned, and shall perform the duties of the Chair in the absence of the Chair.

Section 4. The Secretary shall:

(a) keep accurate minutes of the meetings of the County Committee and the Executive Committee;

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(b) conduct the correspondence of the County Committee, subject to the direction of the Chair;

(c) be responsible for giving notice, when a notice is required, of meetings of the County Committee and the Executive Committee; and

(d) perform, if accepted, additional assignments requested by the Chair. Section 5. The Treasurer shall:

(a) be responsible for the safe keeping of the funds of the County Committee. (b) keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and expenditures; and (c) make disbursements as authorized by the Chair or the County Committee; (d) present a written financial report at each meeting of the County Committee.

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES

The County Committee may create such standing and special committees as it may deem necessary to promote the objectives of the Committee, including an Outreach Committee. Chairs of the standing committees shall be responsible for organizing their committees and carrying forward their programs of work. Appointees to the committee need not be members of the County Committee but shall be persons meeting the requirements of Article IV, Section 2.

ARTICLE VIII. ELECTION OF COUNTY COMMITTEE: MEMBERS AND OFFICERS

Section 1. District chairs, precinct captains, and elected members of the County Committee shall be chosen at a caucus of Shenandoah County Democrats to be held during the period between the first Saturday in December in odd-numbered years and the second Wednesday of the following January in accordance with the provisions of State Party Plan.

Section 2. The caucus of County Democrats shall divide into electoral district caucuses for the purpose of electing district chairs. Each district caucus shall be composed of persons attending the County caucus who reside in the district. The chairman of the County caucus shall appoint a chair for each district caucus.

Section 3. Following the election of district chairs, each district caucus shall then separate into precinct caucuses and the chair of each district caucus shall appoint a presiding officer for each precinct caucus. Each precinct caucus shall be composed of persons attending the County caucus who reside in that precinct. Each precinct caucus shall elect a precinct captain and members of the County Committee from that precinct.

Section 4. The officers of the County Committee shall be elected by the members of the County Committee at a meeting of the County Committee which shall be held no later than 40 days following the date of the County caucus held in accordance with Section 1. Candidates for the offices of the County Committee shall be members of the County Committee.

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Section 5. In any election held under this article, a person to be elected must receive a majority of the votes cast. If more than two candidates are nominated, and no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes shall be removed from consideration and a new vote shall be taken between or among the remaining candidates. This process shall continue until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast. In a contested election, the vote shall be taken by secret ballot. Each candidate for an office under this Article shall be nominated from the floor and there shall be one second to the nomination. Ties shall be broken by a drawing of lots. The provisions of this Section shall not apply to the election of County Committee members under Section 3.

Section 6. The County Committee shall be empowered to fill all vacancies on the committee or in any office.

ARTICLE IX. MEETINGS

Section 1. Meetings of the County Committee may be called: (a) by agreement of the County Committee;
(b) upon the call of the Chair; or

(c) upon the written call signed by at least 10 percent of the members of the County Committee and mailed to such members so as to be received not less than five days before the date of the meeting so called.

Section 2. All meetings of the County Committee shall be open to the public and press. ARTICLE X. QUORUM; RULES

Section 1. For all meetings of the County Committee, a quorum shall consist of at least 20 percent of the members of the Committee. No proxy voting shall be permitted for any purpose under these by-laws.

Section 2. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the procedure of all meetings of the County Committee.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS

These by-laws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at a meeting of County Committee, provided that the text of the proposed amendments is mailed to all members of the County Committee so as to be received by them at least one week prior to the date of the meeting.

[The by-laws as amended by the County Committee on December 2, 2020.]