Information Technology Protocol

Article I GPCA Web Site Content
Article II GPCA Web Site Content Management System Access
Article III Contact Data Base Access (amended March 20, 2015)
Article IV GPCA email lists (amended November 12, 2012) (amended October 2016) (amended September 2021)
Article V Electronic Vote Administration (amended May 2019)

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Article I GPCA Web Site Content

The contents of the GPCA web site will be available to the general public, except as otherwise defined herein:

Section 1-1 General Assembly

1-1.1 Agendas of GPCA General Assemblies shall be available only to party members.

1-1.2 Minutes of GPCA General Assemblies shall contain a record of decisions taken and votes cast, but shall not contain meeting notes of what was said by individual attendees, and shall be published on the web site and made available to the general public, with the exception of the budget, which shall be available only to party members, and any other information which is restricted for legal or personnel reasons.

1-1.3 Notes from GPCA General Assemblies shall contain a paraphrased record of the plenary discussions and shall be considered an approximate record of the meeting in order to give a general sense of the discussion and the different views held, but not be considered a definitive record upon which to quote any individual person or persons; and shall be available only to party members. General Assembly notes are not to be republished to the general public.

Section 1-2 Standing Committees and Working Groups

Each GPCA Standing Committee and Working Group shall have its own web page on the GPCA web site and be primarily responsible for creating its content, provided that such content is in keeping with the duties and authority for that Standing Committee and Working Group. Once the ability is gained to partition and segregate access to different parts of the GPCA website via the GPCA's Content Management System (CMS), posting access for this purpose shall be granted to the co-coordinators of each committee or working group, as well as to any other designee by the committee or working group, provided they demonstrate the capability to post to the site.

1-2.1 The home page for each Committee and Working Group shall be available to the general public. Other pages shall not be available to the general public, but shall be available as otherwise as provided herein.

1-2.1(a) Agendas of GPCA Committee and Working Group meetings shall be available to all party members, but not to the general public. Telephone numbers for committee and working group teleconferences are not to be republished to the general public.

1-2.1(b) Minutes of GPCA Committee and Working Group meetings shall contain a record of decisions taken and votes cast, but shall not contain meeting notes of what was said by individual attendees, and shall be published on the web site and made available to the all party members. Only candidates who have declared their intentions to run shall be featured in the minutes.

Section 1-3 County Green Organizations

Once the ability is gained to partition and segregate access to different parts of the GPCA website via the GPCA's Content Management System (CMS), each County Green Organization may have its own web page on the GPCA web site and and be responsible for creating its content and maintaining its operation. Posting access to GPCA web site shall be granted to the designees of the County Green Organization, provided they demonstrate the capability to post to the site.

Section 1-4 Party Officers and Staff

GPCA Party Officers and Staff members may post to the GPCA web site in accordance with their duties and authority contained in their job description, provided they demonstrate the capability to post to the site.

Section 1-5 Levels of Access to the web site

1-5.1 General Public

Access to all publicly available information as defined in this Article.

1-5.2 All GPCA members

Access to all publicly available information as defined in this Article and information available to party members as defined in this Article.

1-5.3 Current Members of GPCA Committees and Working Groups

Access to internal information of the Committee or Working Group.

1-5.4 Current Members of the GPCA Coordinating Committee

Access shall be to all material on the GPCA web site.

Section 1-6 Information not published on the web site

1-6.1 Information that is considered by the Coordinating Committee (CC) in executive session. However, minutes of CC executive sessions shall report on decisions taken and the votes cast.

1-6.2 Party contracts in their entirety. However, summaries may be included in the minutes that summarize the contract, including a record of hire, length of employment, job description, summary of obligations and overall amount paid, but that do no include home addresses and other personal contact information, hourly rates and specific obligations of both parties.

1-6.3 Sensitive political information. Minutes shall only include mention of candidates who have formally made a declaration of candidacy and/or otherwise have indicated they wish their intentions to be publicly known.

1-6.4 Sensitive legal information.

1-6.5 Unedited video and audio recordings of GPCA General Assemblies, Gatherings and Committee and Working Group meetings. Limits to the type of information that can be published on the GPCA web site also apply to what can be included in published video and audio recordings of the GPCA. For the time being, videos and audios should be stored off-line.
 

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Article II GPCA Web Site Content Management System Access

Section 2-1 Access by Coordinating Committee Appointment

Until the ability is gained to partition and segregate access to different parts of the GPCA website via the GPCA's Content Management System (CMS), the Coordinating Committee may approve a limited access list of individuals with technical skills and specific areas of focus, and the Coordinating Committee may specify the areas of the web site that the individual is authorized to post to. Those will access shall undergo a basic training on how to post to the GPCA CMS before being able to post on their own.

2-1.1 Applicants shall supply their first and last name, county, mailing address (to confirm their voter registration) and email address. Applicants shall also state their technical experience and the reason for their access. email address

2-1.2 The Coordinating Committee shall designate who shall provide passwords to those appointed by the Coordinating Committee and a list of all those given access shall be maintained within the GPCA CMS, and shall be provided to the Coordinating Committee upon request.

2-1.3 Content may be posted subject to a set of criteria established by the Coordinating Committee's designated Web Design Team and shared with each person having CMS access.

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Article III Contact Data Base Access and Use

Section 3-1 Contact Data Base Use

3-1.1 The Data Base shall be used to facilitate the operations and communications of the GPCA, as defined in the GPCA's Purpose; its Bylaws, Rules and Fiscal Policy; and the Duties and Responsibilities of its Committees and Working Groups.

3-1.2 Email blasts may be authorized and sent on behalf of GPCA committees and working groups, county Green Parties, and the GPCA General Assembly.

3-1.3 The GPCA may share data about Green Party members in a given county, to a representative(s) of that county Green Party, designed by the County Council in that county, as per Section 3-4.

3-1.4 The GPCA may send statewide (or other) email blasts on behalf of GPCA-endorsed candidates, but shall not directly export the contact information data from the Contact Data Base to any candidate nor their campaigns.

3-1.5 The Contact Data Base shall not be utilized for personal political work by those with access to it.

Section 3-2 Contact Data Base Access

3-2.1 Voter registration information in the Contact Data Base shall not be used for any personal, private, or commercial purpose (as per the California Elections Code http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=elec&group=02001-03000&file=2180-2194.1), including, but not limited to:

3-2.1(a) The harassment of any voter or voter's household.

3-2.1(b) The advertising, solicitation, sale, or marketing of products or services to any voter or voter's household.

3-2.1(c) Reproduction in print, broadcast visual or audio, or display on the Internet

3-2.2 No one convicted under the Megan's list law may have access to the data base

3-2.3 Anyone with access to the data base, and anyone to whom data base content is exported, shall be governed by these rules, and shall make such a declaration in writing to the Coordinating Committee.

Section 3-3 Data Base Administrative Access by Coordinating Committee appointment

The Coordinating Committee shall designate who shall have Data Base Administrative Access (dbAdmin) to the Contact Data Base. Only those with Data Base Administrative Access (dbAdmin) shall have the ability to download/export data from the Data Base. A list of all those given access shall be maintained within the GPCA Contact Data Base, and shall be provided to the Coordinating Committee upon request.

Section 3-4 Data Base Non-Administrative Access by Information Technology Committee appointment

The Information Technology Committee shall designate who shall have non-Data Base Administrative Access to the Contact Data Base. Those with non-Data Base Administrative Access may have the ability to access the Data Base, but not alter nor download/export data from the Data Base.

Section 3-5 Access by County Council Appointment

Until the ability is gained to partition and segregate access to different parts of the GPCA's Contact Data Base, county access to data base information of voters, donors and volunteers shall be as follows:

3-5.1 County Councils in active GPCA counties may appoint one or more individuals to whom an export from the county data base of the Green Party members and their data in that county may be shared. The export shall be effectuated by the GPCA Internet Technology Committee, upon receipt of the notice of appointment.

3-5.2 Recipients of the data shall work with the Internet Technology Committee, and specifically those with Data Base Administrative Access (dbAdmin), to make updates of changes in emails, phone numbers and other information in the Contact Data Base itself.

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Article IV GPCA email lists

Section 4-1 Participation

4-1.1 Participation in the official email lists of the GPCA are open to GPCA members only. Participation is additionally contingent upon following the GPCA's Email Rules of Decorum.  

4-1.2 All GPCA email lists are considered 'opt-in' lists, except those in which participation is a prerequisite for membership in a standing committee, working group or county Green organization, in which case the individual in question shall be automatically subscribed.

4-1.3 Participation in the email lists for each standing committees or working group shall be open to all members of that standing committees or working group. Such lists may have additional rules about who may participate, including former members, advisors, observers and other party members. Such rules may be appealed to the Coordinating Committee, which can overturn them by a 2/3 vote.

4-1.4 Participation in the email lists for each standing committees shall be open to all members of that standing committees, as well as Coordinating Committee members upon their request and other party members who may be added as advisors or observers upon decision of the standing committee.

4-1.5 Participation in the email lists for each working group shall be open to all members of that working group.  Such lists may have additional rules about who may participate, including former members, advisors, observers and other party members. Such rules may be appealed to the Coordinating Committee, which can overturn them by a 2/3 vote.

4-1.6 Participation in the email lists for each County Green Organizations shall be subject to the rules of each County Green Organizations, except that lists discussing the business of each County Council shall be open to all County Council members.

Section 4-2 Standing Committees and Working Groups

Email lists for all GPCA Standing Committees, Working Groups and other Special Groups, Ad-Hoc Groups and Sub-committees shall be hosted and archived by the GPCA on the GPCA server. Administrator status for each email list shall be granted to the co-coordinators of each committee or working group, as well as to any other designated by the committee or working group. Committees and Working Groups are expected to retain their password and appoint new administrators and otherwise manage their own lists as needed.

Section 4-3 County Green Organizations

Each County Green Organization may have and is encouraged to have its own email lists.

Section 4-4 Inform List (added November 12, 2012)

The GPCA Inform List a one-way list is for the state party to communicate official party business to individuals in state party leadership positions and to members of Green Party County Councils.

 

4-4.1 The list's recipients shall include members of County Councils and GPCA standing committees; the co-coordinators of GPCA working groups; General Assembly/Standing General Assembly delegates, and the GPCA Treasurer, Liaison to the Secretary of State and state party Spokespersons.

 

4-4.2 Official business includes information regarding meetings and actions authorized by them; Projects of the Coordinating Committee, Standing Committees and Working Groups; Business of the Party Officers; Other items deemed appropriate by the Coordinating Committee or General Assembly.

 

4-4.3 There shall be an Inform List operator and back-up, appointed by the Coordinating Committee. Only the list operator and back-up operator have posting privileges. The list operator shall notify the back-up operator of any planned absences so the back-up can assume the duties.

 

4-4.4 Those authorized to request messages be posted shall include the Co-coordinators of the Coordinating Committee, Standing Committees and Working Groups and the Treasurer and Liaison to the Secretary of State. Coordinators may authorize another individual for posting requests by notifying the list operators, but should still be copied on all requests.

 

4-4.5 The list operator shall review each posting request for consistency with the guidelines herein, and shall return non-compliant messages with an explanation of why, and shall archive such correspondence at the list operator archive. If there is further disagreement over the appropriateness of a posting, the list operator shall consult the Coordinating Committee for resolution.

Section 4-5 Standing General Assembly (SGA) Email Lists (added October 2016)

4-5.1 The GPCA General Assembly and IT committee, under direction of the Coordinating Committee, establish the email list for the Standing General Assembly (SGA) for the purposes described herein. Subscription automatically implies acceptance of the GPCA Email Rules of Decorum, and the procedures described in this Article.

4-5.2 List membership is limited to:

4-5.2(a) Delegates appointed by County Councils to the SGA;

4-5.2(b) Voting page and list administrators; and,

4-5.2(c) SGA list moderators as defined in 4-5.8.

4-5.2(d) Members of the Coordinating Committee

4-5.3 The membership list of all GPCA email lists shall be available for review by all subscribers. Anonymous subscriptions are not permitted.

4-5.4 The purpose of the SGA Email list is to facilitate communication for the purposes of SGA decision-making.

4-5.5 Posting to the SGA Email list shall be limited to messages relating to:

4-5.5(a) decision-making items before the SGA as provided for in GPCA Bylaws, Rules and Procedures and Fiscal Policy, including proposals, elections, platform amendments, and positions on State propositions; and

4-5.5(b) making good faith efforts to state clarifying questions and concerns, and to bring forward relevant information, during the discussion period for SGA decision-making.

Section 4-5.7 Posting and formatting Guidelines

4-5.7 (a) All posts shall be signed at the bottom of every message with the first and last name of the author, and their county;

4-5.7 (b) Subject lines should accurately describe or reference the topic of the post. When quoting other messages, the person quoted should be properly cited, and extraneous text (including headers, footers, irrelevant text to the section being responded to) should be deleted. Short, non-substantive replies and one-on-one discussion belong off-list.  Delegates are strongly encouraged to post responses to the original discussion thread for that decision-making item, rather than changing the title and starting separate and parallel discussions that bifurcate the discussion;

4-5.7 (c) Forwarding private messages without the expressed written permission of the author is prohibited;

4-5.7 (d) Copyrighted material (newspaper articles, website content, etc.) and other items forwarded should be accompanied by, where applicable, a source URL, the name(s) of the author(s), and the originating source (if a publication);

4-5.7 (e) SGA list members retain their personal copyright for their original messages, but through use of these lists grant other members the right to publicly quote portions of their message in any medium, and the right to forward messages in their entirety to others so long as the author's name and web address is cited or linked; and

4-5.7 (f) SGA list members shall familiarize themselves with the GPCA Rules of Decorum and act in accordance with the GPCA Email Rules of Decorum.

Section 4-5.8. SGA List Moderators

4-5.8 (a) The Coordinating Committee shall nominate individuals (with gender balance), subject to 2/3 approval by the Coordinating Committee to be appointed to serve as SGA list moderators for simultaneous two-year terms or as Alternate SGA moderators for the same term. Terms shall run from September 1 to August 31 in odd-numbered years.

4-5.8 (b) All nominees must be Green Party members.

4-5.8 (c) In the event of an SGA Moderator mid-term vacancy, an Alternate of the same gender, if possible, shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. If both alternates are the same gender, the Coordinating Committee shall select one at either their next regular meeting or with an online vote.  The Coordinating Committee shall [conduct an on-line vote/re-nominate] to fill the Alternate seat(s) in a gender-balanced manner.

4-5.8 (d) SGA list moderators may be recalled by a 2/3 vote of the SGA.  The vote will be placed in the SGA voting queue with expedited process with a two week discussion and one week voting period upon request to the Coordinating Committee by SGA delegates from six different counties.

4-5.8 (e) The threshold for SGA list Moderator decision-making shall be 2/3 and no fewer than two moderators in agreement for Compliance Advisories, Notices of Violations, Moderation of Posts, and Read-Only Status as described in this Article. If a moderator is not available an Alternate Moderator may participate in the decision making in their place. Quorum for all decisions shall be two.

Section 4-6 SGA Email List Moderator Compliance and Enforcement

4-6.1 SGA moderators shall carry out their responsibilities in an informative, pro-active manner to promote general compliance with the posting guidelines and Email Rules of Decorum; and may post periodic reminders of these to each list, citing the relevant text.

4-6.2 SGA moderators may pro-actively take special notice of, document and respond to examples of egregious and/or multiple violations of the Posting Guidelines and Email Rules of Decorum.

4-6.3 Other list members may file complaints about non-compliance privately in writing directly to the SGA moderators, but shall not post them to the lists established in this Article. Complaints shall quote the post(s) of concern and the relevant Posting Guideline(s) and/or Email Rules of Decorum.

4-6.4 In response to examples of egregious and/or multiple violations of the Posting guidelines and Email Rules of Decorum, based upon their own initiative or in response to complaints filed by list members, SGA moderators may send Compliance Advisories to individuals, with a copy to the county they represent. SGA moderators shall respond to complaints in a uniform fashion. Such advisories shall quote the post(s) of concern and the relevant Posting Guidelines and/or Email Rules of Decorum; and suggest ways of compliance.

4-6.5 The SGA moderators may send a Notice of Violation to the individual, with a copy to the county they represent, quoting the post(s) of concern and the relevant Posting Guideline(s) and/or Email Rules of Decorum being violated. Concurrently, the SGA moderators may place the participant upon moderation.

4-6.6 The county represented by the participant shall be notified immediately of the participant's moderation status, and may appeal it in writing to the Steering Committee, as may the participant, during which time the participate will remain on moderation. Requests for appeal must be submitted to the Coordinating Committee according to the same timeline as for proposals under GPCA Rules and Procedures Article VI. Upon a timely submission of the appeal, the Coordinating Committee shall consider the appeal at its next regularly scheduled meeting, and may overturn the decision of the SGA moderators by a two-thirds vote. This appeals process applies to all determinations of moderation status, as well as to determinations of read-only status.

4-6.7 Under moderation, the SGA moderators shall review all submissions from the participant and may withhold any post(s) they find are not in compliance with the Posting Guidelines and Email Rules of Decorum. The SGA moderators shall cite the relevant text in the Posting Guidelines and Email Rules of Decorum to the participant, explaining any posts withheld. Such review shall be done in a manner to ensure that compliant posts are not detained unreasonably.

4-6.8 Upon issuance of a Notice of Violation, the SGA moderators may place the participant under read-only status.

4.6.9 If a list administrator feels that immediate action must be taken to halt the posts of a list member who is being extremely abusive or disruptive, that list moderator may unilaterally place the list member on temporary moderation, which shall not last more than three days, during which time the list administrator must seek the concurrence of one or more other list administrators in order to place the list member on longer term moderation, or in order to take other corrective action.

4-6.10 SGA moderators shall maintain an electronic archive of all complaints filed, all advisories and notices of violations sent and all subsequent communications with the recipient. The SGA moderators may post reports to the SGA Email list detailing their activities, and include the number of advisories, and notices of violations.  Upon request by one or more SGA list members, SGA moderators may, if they so chose to, provide references to the records of advisories and notices of violations sent to particular individuals for violating list procedures.

Article V. Electronic Vote Administraion

Section 5-1 Standing General Assembly (SGA) Vote Administrators

Updated May 6, 2019

5-1.1 The Coordinating Committee shall elect a minimum of five nominees (with gender balance and from 5 different counties), subject to 3/5 approval by the Coordinating Committee to serve as SGA Vote Administrators to serve simultaneous two-year terms and as Alternate SGA Vote Administrators for the same term. Terms shall run from June 1 to May 31 beginning in odd-numbered years.

5-1.2 All nominees must be Green Party members.

5-1.3 In the event that an SGA Vote Administrator or Alternate seat is not filled by an in-person vote, the Coordinating Committee shall conduct an on-line vote to fill the seat(s) in accordance with Article IV of the Coordinating Committee’s Internal Procedures.

5-1.4 In the event of an SGA Vote Administrator mid-term vacancy, an Alternate of the same gender, if possible, shall fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. If both alternates are the same gender, the Coordinating Committee shall select one at either their next regular meeting or by an online vote.

5-1.5 The Coordinating Committee shall conduct nominations and vote to fill regular vacancies for either SGA Vote Administrators or Alternate SGA Vote Administrators and mid-term vacancies of Alternate seat(s) in a gender-balanced manner, and shall call for applicants to fill regular vacancies — or mid-term vacancies of Alternate seats as soon as is practical.

5-1.6 SGA Vote Administrators may be recalled by a 2/3 vote of the SGA. The vote will be placed in the SGA voting queue with expedited process with a two week discussion and one week voting period upon request to the Coordinating Committee by six different SGA delegates from at least four different counties.

5-1.7 Where there is disagreement between SGA Vote Administrators, or a dispute has been filed, over management of SGA voting procedures or results, the threshold for SGA Vote Administrator decision-making shall be 2/3 and no fewer than two Vote Administrators in agreement for resolving the disagreement. If a Vote Administrator is not available an Alternate Administrator shall participate in the decision making in his or her place with the Alternate who shall participate being chosen at random. Quorum for all decisions shall be two.

5-1.8 Vote Administrator management of SGA voting procedures or results may be disputed by any six GPCA delegates, officers, and/or Vote Administrators from at least four different counties by filing a notice of the dispute to the Coordinating Committee, which shall immediately email the notice to the SGA Votes Email list. Vote Administrators shall decide on the dispute within two weeks after the notice of the dispute is filed. A decision by the Vote Administrators over such a dispute may be appealed by any six Green Party California delegates, officers and/or Vote Administrators from at least four different counties by filing a notice of the appeal to the Coordinating Committee. Such appeals shall be noticed by the Coordinating Committee and be voted on within one full month by the SGA, with at least one week allocated for discussion and at least one week allocated for voting by the SGA.