Regional Bylaws - Silicon Valley Region

This document contains revisions to the bylaws of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, which comprise the Silicon Valley Region. These two bylaw revisions constitute an alternative Regional Rep election procedure under section 7-1.5 of the GPCA bylaws.

BY-LAWS: REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
Santa Clara County – Approved Jan. 2008
 
ARTICLE 9 ELECTION OF REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES (RR) AND ALTERNATES
9.0 Definitions in GPCA bylaws
Regional Representation on the GPCA Coordinating Committee is defined by the GPCA bylaws,
Articles 6, 7 and elsewhere. This bylaws article constitutes an alternative election process as
provided for in the GPCA bylaws section 7-1.5.
9.1 RR Election Meeting
RR election meetings are considered valid if they meet the following conditions:
1) the election is authorized and called by the County Council
2) the meeting is open to all county party Members and all Members present can vote
in the election,
3) the election has been publicly announced on county party email lists at least 15 days
in advance of the election meeting and
4) where the RR Election is a preannounced agenda item for the meeting.
9.2 Declaring Candidacy
Candidates shall declare their candidacy on the email lists of the counties of the region
prior to the RR Candidate Presentation Meetings at which a vacancy or replacement is
considered.
9.3 Presentation and Election Meetings
The RR election process may be conducted as part of the regular monthly meetings of the
GPSCC. Alternately, a special meeting may be called if so decided by the county council.
Candidates shall present themselves to the electorate at a valid meeting. This presentation
shall be at a separate meeting that precedes the meeting where the vote occurs.
9.4 Election Process
This election process assumes this region is allocated one representative. This section shall
be amended if the allocation is increased. The Regional Representative and Alternate
Representative shall be chosen by separate votes. The Regional Representative shall be
chosen first. In an election where there is only one declared candidate, the decision shall
be made in Accordance Article 5 of these bylaws. Regional Representative elections shall
be deemed business decisions. If more than one candidate has declared their candidacy, the
election shall be conducted using Instant Runoff Voting, with section 7-1.9 of the GPCA
bylaws as guidance.
9.5 Regional Coordination
A candidate must be approved by all of the county parties of the region. If different candidates
are approved by the county parties the decision(s) shall be retaken by the county parties until
agreement on candidates between the county parties is reached.
9.6 Representational Balance in the Region
It shall be an objective to have the Regional Representative and the first Alternate Regional
representative be from different counties wherever possible.
9.7 Replacement
A Regional Representative or an Alternate Regional Representative may be replaced using
the same process for election described here.
9.8 Effective Date
This amendment, Article 9 of the by-laws, shall take effect after formal approval by the
GPSCC, and after the bylaws of substantially the same form have been adopted by all
counties in the region. Upon adoption, the County Council from each county party
shall separately and independently notify the GPCA of their bylaws amendments adding
this alternative election process to the default procedures provided by the state
Green Party Bylaws.
9.9 Expiration of Article 9
This article 9 detailing the selection of regional representatives to the GPCA Coordinating Committee shall expire if a county party in the region rescinds it, or if the region is redefined and a new county party added to the region decides not to adopt this bylaw.

 

BYLAWS: REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
San Mateo, approved Dec. 2007
 
ARTICLE 10. Election of Regional Representatives and Alternates
10.1 Alternative Process
This article constitutes an alternative election process as provided for in the GPCA bylaws
Section 7-1.5.
10.2 Election Meeting
An election meeting to elect a regional representative or alternate is valid if it meets the following
conditions:
1) the election is authorized and called by the County Council,
2) the meeting is open to all county party Members and all Members present can vote in the
election,
3) the election has been publicly announced on county party website and email lists in
accordance with meeting notification in Article 5 of these bylaws, and
4) the election is a pre-announced agenda item for the meeting.
10.3 Declaring Candidacy
Candidates shall declare their candidacy on the email lists of the counties of the region prior to
the RR & ARR Candidate Presentation Meetings at which a vacancy or replacement is considered.
The chair of each county in the region shall be responsible for the announcements being posted to their
county's website and email lists.
10.4 Presentation and Election Meetings
The election process may be conducted as part of the regular monthly meetings or as part of
duly called special meetings. Candidates shall present themselves to the membership at such a
meeting, and the election shall occur at the following meeting.
10.5 Election Process
The representative and alternate shall be chosen by separate votes. The representative shall be
chosen first, and IRV shall be used if there are more than two candidates. The elections shall be
deemed business decisions.
10.6 Regional Coordination
A candidate must be elected by each of the county parties of the region. If the county decisions
disagree, the decision(s) shall be retaken by the county parties until agreement is reached.
10.7 Representational Balance in the Region
It shall be an objective, but not a requirement, to have the representative and alternate be from
different counties.
10.8 Replacement or Recall
A representative or alternate may be replaced at any time, using the process described here.
The currently serving representative and alternate shall continue to serve until a replacement is elected
by the counties.
10.9 Effective Date
This Article shall take effect after formal approval by the GPSMC, and after the bylaws of
substantially the same form have been adopted by each county in the region. Upon adoption, the
County Council from each county party shall separately and independently notify the GPCA of their
bylaws amendments adding this alternative election process to the default procedures provided by the
state Green Party Bylaws.
10.10 Termination of Article 10
This effectiveness of this Article 10 shall terminate if any county party in the region rescinds it
or if the region is redefined, or if the representative count changes.