2006 Constitution

Constitution Of the Utah County Republican Party

(as amended April 29, 2006) - PDF Link

Preamble

As Republicans residing in Utah County, State of Utah, we do hereby establish this Constitution of

the Utah County Republican Party in order to support the Constitution of the United States of

America and the Constitution of the State of Utah; to support local, state and national Republican

Parties; to seek, support and elect capable and effective Republican candidates for elective public

office; and to govern the affairs of the Utah County Republican Party.

Article I - Authority

This Constitution is established to provide rules by which the Utah County Republican Party

Organizations will operate. Future changes in the laws governing political parties or court decisions

that adjudge any provisions herein to be invalid shall have the immediate effect of amending this

Constitution and shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remaining provisions. The Party shall

comply with the law; and the Central Committee by a majority vote of the quorum present shall adopt

revised wording of the Constitution to conform with the law. This action shall not require ratification

by a Convention.

Article II - Membership

Membership in the Utah County Republican Party shall be open to all residents of Utah County who

register as Republicans and who support Republican Party candidates and the Party Platform.

Article III - Organization and Powers

1. The Utah County Republican Party organizations shall be organized into geographic subdivisions identified from smallest to largest as follows:
   1. Voting Precincts, the smallest state voting units as established by law.
   2. Legislative Districts, each of which consists of a number of Voting Precincts as established by law.
   3. The Utah County Republican Party as a whole, with its three governing committees: the Steering Committee, the Executive Committee and the Central Committee.
2. The officers of each Voting Precinct shall be elected by ballot at the Voting Precinct Caucus and shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and at least three Committee Members; all of whom serve until the completion of the Voting Precinct Caucus held in the following General Election year.
3. The officers of each Legislative District shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Education Officer and two Committee Members. Chair, Vice-Chair and Education Officer shall be elected by ballot by a caucus of Legislative District Chair, Vice-Chair, Education Officer, all Voting Precinct Chairs and Vice-Chairs, and all Republican elected officials residing in their respective Legislative Districts.
4. The four elected officers of the Utah County Republican Party shall be elected by ballot at the Utah County Republican Party Organizing Convention, and shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, whose terms of office begin two weeks after the Organizing Convention.
5. The Utah County Republican Party shall be governed by three Committees:
   1. The Steering Committee shall consist of the four Elected County Party Officers; and five Appointed Officers: an Education Officer, a Finance Officer, an Organization Officer, a Volunteers Officer, and a Public Relations & Media Officer.
   2. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Steering Committee members, the Chairs of the Legislative Districts, and the Chairs of the two Standing Committees, namely, the Chair of the Audit Committee and the Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
   3. The Central Committee shall consist of the Voting Precinct Chairs and Vice-Chairs; the Party's Elected County Officers; the Party's Appointed County Officers; the Legislative District Chairs, Vice-Chairs and Education Officers; all past full-term County Chairs who served to the end of the term to which they were elected or to which they succeeded as County Chair and served a minimum of six months; and all County, State and Federal Elected Officials.
   4. Both the Executive and Central Committees may also include, as nonvoting members, a representative from each Allied Organization that has been approved by a 2/3 vote of the Executive Committee or a majority of the Central Committee. Such membership is to facilitate communication and coordinate action with the represented Allied Organizations and shall not be construed as Party endorsement, authorization, or responsibility for the actions of those organizations. The represented Allied Organizations are separate bodies with no authority to act for or in behalf of the Party.
6. Standing Committees. The following standing committees shall be established: Audit, to monitor financial matters; and Constitution and Bylaws, to accept and propose changes to the Party Constitution and Bylaws. The County Central Committee shall elect by ballot, from among its members, members of the Audit Committee and the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. None of the County Party Officers may serve on the Audit Committee or the Constitution and Bylaws Committee. The Party Chair shall appoint nonvoting committee members of the standing committees with the advice and consent of the County Central Committee.
7. The Powers of the governing committees are as follows:
   1. The Central Committee shall be the governing body of the Utah County Republican Party. All powers not specifically reserved for the Party Conventions or specifically delegated by this Constitution are vested in the Central Committee. The Central Committee may delegate specific powers to the Steering Committee, to the Executive Committee, or to an individual. The powers of the Central Committee include, but are not limited to, the following:
      1. To specify the number of delegates to the County Party Conventions.
      2. To cause Voting Precinct Caucus and County Party Conventions to be held.
      3. To approve the appointments of qualified members to complete the unexpired terms of Central Committee officers and delegates when vacancies occur.
      4. To certify the name of another qualified candidate to the County Clerk when any candidacy for elected public office becomes vacant prior to elections and under conditions specified by law.
      5. To propose and adopt new Bylaws or amendments thereto consistent with law and this Constitution.
      6. To approve budgets and changes thereto.
      7. To approve and recommend proposed amendments to this Constitution for presentation to a County Party Convention.
      8. To establish the procedure for selecting Utah County membership in the Utah State Republican Party Central Committee.
      9. To discipline any party officer for cause by censure or removal from office by a two-thirds majority vote of the quorum present.
      10. To resolve inconsistencies or contradictions in procedures established by law where not resolved by this Constitution.
      11. To adopt a formula which allocates directly to the Voting Precincts for nomination at the caucuses a portion of Utah County's State Delegate entitlement. This formula shall be proportionate to the formula required by law for the allocation of County Delegates, and shall provide that each Voting Precinct shall be allocated at least one State Delegate for nomination at the caucus. The remaining portion of the State Delegate entitlement shall be allocated by a separate formula which is also determined by the Central Committee at the same time as the formula for delegates nominated at the Voting Precincts Caucuses.
   2. The Executive Committee shall be primarily a screening committee for both the Steering Committee and the Central Committee. The Executive Committee however, is delegated the following specific powers:
      1. To advise and assist the Steering Committee in planning, scheduling, organizing and directing party activities, conventions and meetings.
      2. To review and recommend resolutions and motions for presentation to the Central Committee, to include, but not be limited to, motions for amendments, bylaws, budgets and budget changes.
      3. To approve interim appointments for officers as provided herein.
      4. To investigate charges of alleged malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in office by any party officer; to conduct hearings and make findings thereof; to remove officers based on its findings unless an appeal is made to the Central Committee; and to make reports of findings and recommendations to the Central Committee when an appeal is made.
      5. To over-ride a veto by the County Party Chairman, which over-ride requires a two-thirds majority vote of the quorum present, provided that the over-ride occurs no later than the end of the next Executive Committee Meeting held after the veto is received by the County Party Secretary.
   3. The Steering Committee shall be responsible to conduct the daily operations of the Utah County Republican Party and shall make decisions and take actions consistent with these responsibilities and in accordance with law, this Constitution and the bylaws. The Steering Committee is delegated specific executive powers, as follows:
      1. To plan, organize, direct and evaluate the affairs of the Utah County Republican Party, including the meetings of the three governing committees and party conventions.
      2. To make payments for authorized expenditures from party funds.
      3. To cause the bylaws and the party platform to be drafted and proposed to appropriate committees or conventions.
      4. To recruit qualified candidates for elective office.
      5. To over-ride a veto by the County Party Chairman on a Steering Committee decision made pursuant to that committee’s constitutionally-authorized powers. The veto over-ride requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Steering Committee, and must occur no later than the end of the next Steering Committee Meeting held after the veto.

Article IV - Officers and Delegates

1. Only citizens of the United States of America, residing in their respective Utah County Voting Precinct or Legislative District who are registered as Republicans, may be elected or appointed to party offices which have voting privileges in any of the three governing committees or may be elected or appointed delegates to County or State Party Conventions. The limitations of this section do not apply to those whose 18th birthday will occur before the next general election and would be eligible to vote at that time.
2. The Utah County Republican Party Chair shall direct the daily affairs of the Utah County Republican Party. In addition to responsibilities and powers described in other articles, the County Party Chair shall:
   1. Chair and preside over the three governing committees and shall preside over County Party Conventions.
   2. Assure sound financial management of party funds.
   3. Have veto power over the Steering Committee and Executive Committee, provided that the veto is submitted in writing to the County Party Secretary no later than seven days after the meeting in which the motion is passed and provided that written notice be given to the appropriate body.
   4. Be the spokesman for the Utah County Republican Party outside the Party Organization.
   5. Provide liaison with the Utah State Republican Party Organization.
3. The County Party Vice Chair shall serve as Vice Chair of the three governing committees, assist the Chair and share in the duties and daily affairs of the Utah County Republican Party, perform the duties of the Chair in the Chair's absence; and perform other duties as delegated by the Chair.
4. The County Party Secretary shall be secretary to the three governing committees and the County Party Conventions. The County Party Secretary shall also maintain and have custody of this Constitution, bylaws, delegate lists, mailing lists, rosters, committee reports and records of official acts not covered by minutes, and shall present minutes for approval at subsequent committee meetings.
5. The County Party Treasurer shall propose a budget to the Steering Committee to be approved/amended by the Executive and Central Committees, maintain the party checking, savings and other financial accounts, reconcile those accounts, and submit a quarterly report of party finances to the Executive Committee and to each regularly scheduled Central Committee Meeting.
6. The County Party Education Officer shall prepare written instructions and conduct seminars to train Central Committee members, with the assistance of the Legislative District Education Officers, in the performance of their duties and shall prepare written information for distribution to voters and the media to improve voter awareness and knowledge of current issues.
7. The County Party Finance Officer shall prepare and recommend plans for fund-raising, shall implement approved fund-raising plans, shall be Chair of the Finance Committee and shall advise and assist party officers in fund-raising activities.
8. The County Organization Officer shall be responsible to see that the Party is fully organized at the Legislative and Voting Precinct levels, will be responsible to organize and oversee Voter Identification drives as assigned and shall assist the Finance Officer in organizing and conducting the annual Neighbor-to-Neighbor fund raising campaign.
9. The County Volunteers Officer shall be responsible to organize a pool of volunteers that can be called upon to assist in campaigns and other official projects and activities of the Party, as assigned.
10. The County Public Relations & Media Officer is not a spokesperson for the Party, but working under the direction of the County Chair is responsible to maximize favorable media coverage for the Party, assist with the preparation and placement of paid political advertising, writing of press releases, scheduling of press conferences, and radio interviews, etc.
11. The Legislative District Chairs shall direct party affairs within their respective Districts. In addition to powers and responsibilities described in other articles, the Legislative District Chairs shall:
    1. Supervise assigned Voting Precinct Chairs to assure success of party programs.
    2. Provide communications between the governing committees and Voting Precinct Officers.
    3. Preside over Legislative District Caucuses.
    4. Recommend and report locations for the Voting Precinct Caucuses.
12. The Legislative District Vice Chairs shall preside and direct Legislative District meetings in the absence of the Chair, shall attend Central Committee Meetings, Conventions, Training Meetings, etc., and perform other duties as delegated by their respective Chair.
13. The Legislative District Education Officers shall distribute written information to voters to improve voter awareness and knowledge of current issues. They shall attend training meetings sponsored by the County Party Education Officer, and assist in training Central Committee members in the performance of their duties. They shall assist with other duties as delegated by the Legislative District Chair.
14. The Voting Precinct Chairs shall direct party affairs within their respective Precincts. In addition to powers and responsibilities described in other articles, the Voting Precinct Chairs shall:
    1. Preside over their Voting Precinct's Voting Precinct Caucus.
    2. Direct fund-raising in the Voting Precinct and, together with the Voting Precinct Treasurer, be responsible for all funds collected.
    3. Direct voter identification, education, registration and motivation programs as instructed by the Central Committee.
    4. Assist Republican nominees' (candidates unopposed by other Republican Candidates) campaigns within the Voting Precinct.
    5. Organize and direct a poll-watching and voter turn-out program to get Republican voters to the polls on election days as instructed by the Central Committee.
    6. Attend Central Committee Meetings or send a representative to the meeting.
15. The Voting Precinct Vice-Chairs shall preside and direct in the absence of their Chair, and shall attend Central Committee Meetings.
16. The Voting Precinct Secretaries shall provide notice of meetings to members, prepare agendas for and record minutes of meetings at which their chair presides, and shall maintain historical documents.
17. The Voting Precinct Treasurers shall receive, account for, and turn in collected monies to the appropriate organization as directed and shall submit a financial report at each meeting of the body which elected them.
18. Delegates to State and County Party Conventions shall attend both the Primary Convention and Organizing Convention to which they were elected or appointed. Delegates to the Utah State and Utah County Conventions shall be selected in accordance with law and this Constitution. The procedures for selecting these delegates shall be established by the Central Committee.

Article VII - Bylaws

1. Bylaws shall define responsibilities and establish specific policies and procedures to be

followed by Party Officers, Delegates, governing committees, conventions, Legislative

District Caucuses and Voting Precinct Caucuses and shall be consistent with this Constitution

and the law. In the case of a conflict between Bylaws and this Constitution, the provisions of

this Constitution shall govern.

Article VIII - Ratification and Amendments

1. Ratification: This Constitution shall become binding on the Utah County Republican Party when (1) approved and recommended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of a quorum of the Central Committee present at a Central Committee meeting and (2) subsequently ratified by a majority vote of the delegates present at a Utah County Republican Party Convention.
2. Amendments: This Constitution may be amended when any proposed amendment is (1) submitted in writing to the Steering Committee, (2) reviewed and processed by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, (3) approved and recommended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of a quorum of the Central Committee present at a Central Committee meeting and (4) subsequently ratified by a majority vote of the delegates present at a Utah County Republican Party Convention. The Central Committee may approve, amend or reject any proposed amendment. Amendments approved by the Central Committee take effect when duly ratified at a County Convention.