[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1494717762272{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 120px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1494717055043{margin-bottom: 50px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;padding-bottom: 5px !important;border-bottom-color: #efefef !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_custom_heading text=”Fulton County Democrats By-Laws” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:1.75%20em|text_align:left|line_height:1.25%20em” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_btn title=”Download PDF” style=”outline-custom” outline_custom_color=”#175899″ outline_custom_hover_background=”#175899″ outline_custom_hover_text=”#ffffff” shape=”square” size=”sm” align=”right” i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-file-text-o” add_icon=”true” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Ffultondems.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2FFCDPC-By-Laws-Amended-05092019.pdf|title:Fulton%20County%20Democratic%20Party%20By-Laws|target:%20_blank|”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_tour shape=”square” color=”white” spacing=”5″ controls_size=”md” active_section=”1″ no_fill_content_area=”true”][vc_tta_section title=”I. General” tab_id=”1494715356304-c325dd2b-fad8″][vc_column_text]

The Fulton County Democratic Party Committee is the organization that represents all citizens residing in Fulton County who wish to adhere to the principles and further the aims of the Democratic Parties of Georgia and the United States of America.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”II. Membership” tab_id=”1494715356330-bc248a6a-607c”][vc_column_text]

Any Democrat may become a member of the Fulton County Democratic Party Committee. To become a member, individuals must complete a basic application form established by the Vice-Chair for Membership and are encouraged to financially contribute to the FCDPC as specified in Article VIII. These members are called “Regular Members” or “General Members.”

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”III. Fulton County Democratic Party Committee” tab_id=”1494715753822-35e40610-1b03″][vc_column_text]1. Purpose of the Fulton County Democratic Party Committee. The Fulton County Democratic Party Committee (hereinafter “FCDPC”) shall have general responsibility for the coordination and furtherance of the work and purposes of the Fulton County Democratic Party and shall perform generally the functions of a County Democratic Committee, subject to the provisions of the Charter and By-Laws of the Democratic Parties of Georgia and the United States of America, the resolutions and other actions of the Democratic National Committee (“DNC”), and these By-Laws. In discharging its operating responsibilities, the FCDPC shall, but is not limited to:

    1. a. Increase voter awareness and participation;
    1. b. Promote development of Party organizations and activities;
    1. c. Seek and encourage qualified candidates for public office;
    1. d. Support Democratic nominees;
    1. e. Perform such primary and election functions as required by law;
    1. f. Maintain appropriate records;
    1. g. Promote and add logistical support to the State Affirmative Action Program;
    1. h. Raise funds to support the purposes of the FCDPC;
    1. i. Perform such other duties as may be required by the FCDPC;
    1. j. Elect Officers for the FCDPC;
    1. k. Elect State Committee members; and,
  1. l. Determine Party Districts and Apportionment.

2. Party Districts. FCDPC shall be comprised of residents of Fulton County who are elected to represent Party Districts. Each County Commission District in Fulton County shall constitute a Party District.

3. Election of FCDPC Committee Members. Committee members are the voting members of the FCDPC and hereinafter referred to as “Post Seat Holders” or “PSH’s” so as to easily distinguish between “General Members” and the elected, voting members. Post Seat Holders of the FCDPC shall be elected in accordance with the Charter and By-Laws of the Democratic Parties of Georgia and the United States of America. Specifically:

    1. a. Twenty-five PSH’s shall be elected from each Party District or County Commission District in Fulton County. District Commission seats are County Commission Districts 1 – 6. The post to which each member is elected shall be assigned a number (1 through 25).
    1. b. In addition to the Party Districts designated in Article III Section 2, there shall be one “at large” Party District which shall encompass all of Fulton County. This at-large Party District will have 25 PSH’s elected. The post to which each member is elected shall be assigned a number (1 through 25).
    1. c. FCDPC members can only vote for members running in the Commission District in which they reside. Countywide candidates will be voted on by all members present.
    1. d. Odd-numbered posts (one, three, five, etc.) shall be elected in Presidential election years. Even-numbered posts (two, four, six, etc. shall be elected in Gubernatorial election years.
    1. e. The Caucus shall be held within 45 days following the General Primary election starting in 2018. 2016 elections shall be held during the August 2016 meeting.
    1. f. The candidate(s) receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected without the necessity of a run-off. The election guidelines set by the National Democratic Party will be followed.
    1. g. Subject to section 3(d) above, elected PSH’s shall serve a four year term which term shall begin on the first day of the first month after the Post Seat Holder caucus election. Terms of Post Seat Holders, except ex-officio members as established in article III, section 6 and except “at large” elected PSH’s pursuant to article III, section 3(b), shall be terminated following a general reapportionment which termination shall become effective following the election of new PSH’s pursuant to the reapportionment in the next scheduled General Primary Election. Elections to fill the vacancies which shall be caused by reapportionment shall take place after the next scheduled General Primary Election.
    h. Selection to fill a vacant seat shall be conducted in accordance with rules established by the Membership Committee.

4. Roles and Responsibilities of Post Seat Holders.

    1. a. All PSH’s are expected to maintain a membership in good standing each year.
    1. b. PSH’s are expected to attend all business meetings and notify the Membership Chair when they cannot attend.
    c. PSH’s are expected to participate in FCDPC activities and provide leadership within their own neighborhoods and regular spheres of influence to further the goals of the FCDPC; this includes Get Out the Vote (GOTV), voter outreach, and precinct organizing efforts.

5. Resignation and Removal of Post Seat Holders

    1. a. A PSH may resign by written notice to the Chairperson or Membership Chair, and such resignation shall be effective immediately.
    1. b. A PSH who shall cease to have his or her principal residence in the district in which he or she was elected shall be deemed to have resigned effective upon his or her change of principle residence.
    1. c. A PSH who misses the majority of the regularly scheduled business meetings in any calendar year without notification of his or her absence(s) to the Chairperson or Membership Chair shall have his or her seat declared provisionally vacant.
    d. A PSH who has their seat declared provisionally vacant shall be notified via writing, email, or similar of the provisional status of their seat. The notice shall state that their status can be reinstated automatically by simple attendance of the next business meeting or will be lost if no communication is made or if there is a lack of attendance at the next business meeting.

6. Ex-officio Committee Members.

    1. a. All officers of the FCDPC as elected or appointed pursuant to Article IV, upon election or appointment and thereafter, are ex-officio members of the FCDPC. These ex-officio members shall serve a four (4) year term which shall begin upon their taking office pursuant to their election or appointment as an officer of the FCDPC. These ex-officio members have all the rights, entitlements and enjoyments allowed or given over to general or elected members of the FCDPC. The ex-officio member status may be held, at the sole discretion of the holder, in addition to or in substitution of general member status.
    b. The official Young Democrats organization of Fulton County and all Fulton County chartered College Democrats organizations shall each be granted two ex-officio Post Seat Holder positions within the FCDPC. The chair or president of each organization shall fill one ex-officio position and each organization may elect one additional person of a different gender to fill the other ex-officio position.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”IV. Meetings” tab_id=”1494715754724-ad7530cc-28a8″][vc_column_text]1. The Committee shall meet regularly at least once each quarter. The Committee Chair may call special meetings. Where meetings are not held in a previously designated time and place, members shall be provided appropriate notice at least 5 days in advance.1. The Committee shall meet regularly at least once each quarter. The Committee Chair may call special meetings. Where meetings are not held in a previously designated time and place, members shall be provided appropriate notice at least 5 days in advance.

2. Emergency meetings may be called by the Chair upon 5 days appropriate notice.

3. A quorum for a meeting shall require the presence of fifteen Post Seat Holders of the FCDPC, except in specific situations where a 40% quorum is required (Article V, Section 3(f), Article IX, Section 1). Furthermore, a quorum for a meeting shall require at least three Post Seat Holders from each region of Fulton County to ensure geographic diversity and representation.

4. All decisions shall be taken by simple majority vote except where a two-thirds vote is required (Article V, Section 3(f), Article IX, Section 1).

5. No person shall be entitled to more than one vote. Proxy voting is not allowed. Secret ballot shall never be permissible.

6. All meetings of each body of the Committee shall be open to the public unless the Committee votes to go into Executive Session.

7. Unless otherwise provided for, Robert’s Rules of Order, most recently revised, shall govern the conduct of all meetings.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”V. Officers” tab_id=”1494715755470-b33b2ed9-4733″][vc_column_text]1. Definition of Executive Committee. The executive committee of the FCDPC shall be comprised of six elected officers, five appointed officers, and one ex-officio officer. The elected officers shall be a Chairperson, a First Vice Chair, Vice-Chair for Membership, Vice-Chair for Political Direction, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. The appointed officers shall be a Communications Director, a Field Director, and a Region Chair for each of three county regions: North Fulton, Mid Fulton, and South Fulton. The president or chair of the official Young Democrats organization of Fulton County shall be an ex-officio executive committee officer. These elected, appointed, and ex-officio officers shall constitute the Executive Committee of the FCDPC.

2. Duties of Elected Officers.

    1. a. Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be responsible for carrying out the programs and policies of the Democratic Party, and the FCDPC. The Chairperson shall preside at all meetings establishing their agenda and implementing their decisions. Following consultation with the Executive Committee, the Chairperson may appoint deputies or assistant officers. Following consultation with the Executive Committee, the Chairperson may establish ad-hoc committees and appoint persons to chair such committees. The FCDPC shall be notified by the Chairperson of such appointments. The Chair shall be an ex-officio member of all standing and ad-hoc committees. Following election, the Chairperson shall have the specific responsibility to formulate a Strategic Plan for the Party for that year and through the next election cycle and present that plan for approval to the Executive Committee. The Chairperson will present the approved strategic plan to the FCDPC membership.
    1. b. First Vice-Chair. The First Vice-Chair shall preside at meetings of the FCDPC in the absence of the Chair and shall perform such other duties as may be delegated by the Chair. The First Vice-Chair shall be an ex-officio member of all standing and ad-hoc committees. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, the First Vice-Chair shall become Acting Chair and shall have the authority, powers and duties of the Chair. The First Vice-Chair will Chair the Finance Committee. In consultation with the Chair, the Treasurer, and the Region Chairs, the First Vice-Chair may appoint members to the Finance Committee. The Finance Committee, headed by the First Vice-Chair, shall plan and execute fundraising activities to assure the Party has the resources to meet its Strategic Plan.
    1. c. Vice-Chair for Membership. The Membership Vice-Chair shall have overall responsibility for all Membership activities. Duties of the Membership Vice-Chair include keeping membership rosters and contact information up to date including General Members and Post Seat Holders, maintaining contact with all members, conducting orientation of new members, and building the membership of the FCDPC. The Membership Vice-Chair shall Chair the Membership Committee. In consultation with the Chair and the Region Chairs, the Membership Vice-Chair may appoint members to the Membership Committee.
    1. d. Vice-Chair for Political Direction. The Vice-Chair for Political Direction will also be known as the Political Director. The Political Director shall have responsibility for Candidate Recruitment and Training. The Political Director shall be the liaison to Elected Officials and their Staff. The Political Director will plan and execute any lobbying activity. The Political Director will work with counterparts at other County Committees, the Democratic Party of Georgia, and the Democratic National Committee as necessary to coordinate events, messaging and issues.
    1. e. Secretary. The Secretary shall keep and distribute all official minutes of General FCDPC Meetings. The Secretary shall distribute the minutes to the membership via internet posting within (30) days of the meeting. The Secretary shall perform operational duties for the organization including but not limited to distribution of agendas, nametags, etc, ordering of supplies, arranging and confirming venue and speaker logistics, preparation of reports, including the annual report to the Democratic Party of Georgia, etc.

3. Election of Officers. FCDPC officers shall be elected in accordance with the Charter and By-Laws of the Democratic Parties of Georgia and the United States of America. Specifically:

    1. a. The Committee shall elect officers no sooner than the General Election and no later than December 31 of even numbered years, to take office January 1 of the following year, or immediately following the election, whichever is earlier. The new Chair shall immediately upon taking office notify the State Committee Chair and appropriate Congressional District Chair of his/her election.
    1. b. Prior to the election meeting, the Chairperson shall appoint, with the approval of the Executive Committee, five (5) members of the FCDPC as a Nominating Committee. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to call for nominations for officers and to determine which individuals whose names are submitted for nomination are qualified to fill FCDPC offices. Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be candidates for office. By appropriate notice to the members at least 10 days in advance of the election meeting of the FCDPC, the Nominating Committee shall provide the names of qualified individuals nominated by the Nominating Committee. Nominations may also be made from the floor at the election meeting.
    1. c. Election shall be by a majority of the votes cast by Post Seat Holders of the FCDPC and shall be by open ballot.
    1. d. The Chairperson shall be elected on the first ballot cast; the remaining officers shall be elected by subsequent ballot. The Chairperson and the First Vice Chairperson shall be, whenever possible, of opposite gender. The election sequence of officers shall be as follows: Chairperson, First Vice-Chairperson, Vice Chairperson for Membership, Vice Chairperson for Political Direction, Secretary, and Treasurer.
    1. e. Officers shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors have been elected and qualify.

4. Duties of Appointed Officers.

5. Appointment of Officers.