DPEC – Democratic Parish Executive Committee

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Ascension Parish

Bienville Parish

Subject to State law, the Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall have general responsibility for the affairs of the Democratic Party on the local level. This responsibility shall include, but not be limited to:

A. Assisting in the election of local and statewide Democratic candidates; and,

B. Promoting and encouraging Democratic Party activities, including, but not limited to the following:

(1) Encouraging and promoting voter registration;

(2) Establishing and maintaining a strong, viable Democratic organization on the parish level;

(3) Assisting local Democratic organizations;

(4) Raising funds for both state and parish Democratic activities and for the Louisiana Democratic Party; and,

(5) Educating local voters as to Democratic Party issues and activities.

A. The Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall be composed of membership as provided by state law.

B. Any registered Democrat may seek election to the Democratic Parish Executive Committee of the parish in which he is registered.

C. Members of the Democratic Parish Executive Committees shall be elected every four years in compliance with State law.

D. Election of Democratic Parish Executive Committee Members

(1) If the number of candidates who qualified for office exceeds the number of candidates to be elected for that office, the candidate who receives the greater number of votes cast shall be elected. If two or more offices of the same character are to be filled, each candidate who received the greater number of votes cast, as compared with the number of votes cast for each other candidate, is elected until all offices are filled. If two or more candidates receive the same number of votes, and as a result thereof, the number of candidates who would otherwise be elected exceed the number of remaining offices, the offices shall be filled by a public drawing of lots among such candidates, conducted by the Democratic Parish Executive Committee at its organizational meeting held pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. Title 18:444 C.

(2) If, after the close of the qualifying period, the number of candidates for membership on a Democratic Parish Executive Committee does not exceed the number of members to be elected to the Committee, the candidates for membership on that Democratic Parish Executive Committee, or those remaining after the death or withdrawal of one or more candidates, are declared elected by the people, and their name shall not appear on the ballot.

A. The newly elected members of each Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall meet at the Parish courthouse or such other place as may be designated by the outgoing Chairperson of the Democratic State Central Committee commencing at 12:00 p.m., on a date at least twenty-eight (28) days before the organizational meeting of the Democratic State Central Committee. At the organizational meeting of the Democratic Parish Executive Committee, a temporary Chairperson shall be elected to conduct the meeting, and the following officers shall be elected: Chairperson, First Vice-Chair, who shall be of the opposite sex of the Chairperson, and Treasurer. Election shall be by a majority of those in attendance and voting. Nominations and elections for officers to be elected shall be conducted as follows: Nominations for Chairperson, election of Chairperson; nominations for First Vice-Chair, election of First Vice-Chair; nominations for Treasurer, election of Treasurer; and nominations and elections of all other committee officers as may be provided for by the By-laws of the Committee or by custom. The newly-elected Chairperson of each Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall certify the full names, complete mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of the newly-elected officers to the outgoing Chairperson of the Democratic State Central Committee within three (3) days of the election.

B. After the election of the Committee officers, and at the next meeting of the Democratic Parish Executive Committee, a majority of the newly-elected members of the Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of organizing and filling any vacancies which may exist due to death, ineligibility, or failure to fill a vacancy by election. In the event that no person qualifies for membership on the Democratic Parish Executive Committee, or not enough people qualify to fill offices of Chairperson, First Vice-Chair, and Treasurer, as set out hereinabove, the Chairperson of the Democratic State Central Committee shall institute such procedures as he/she deems appropriate for the formation of a Committee.

C. The Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall meet at least four times a year at a time and date to be determined by the Chairperson of the Parish Executive Committee.

D. A member of a Democratic Parish Executive Committee may vote by written proxy for an absent member. A member shall not exercise the proxy votes of more than two other members at a time.

A. A vacancy occurs in the membership of a Democratic Parish Executive Committee when a member dies, resigns, no longer meets the qualifications for membership on the Committee, or no person qualifies and is elected to succeed a member whose four-year term has expired. A Democratic Parish Executive Committee may declare a vacancy when a member has failed to attend in person three (3) consecutive meetings of a Democratic Parish Executive Committee either in person or by proxy, unless he/she has submitted a doctor’s certificate certifying that he/she was unable to attend.

B. A vacancy in the membership of a Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall be filled by a member appointed by a majority of the newly elected members of the Executive Committee to serve until an election to fill the unexpired term is conducted and the newly elected member takes office. An election to fill the unexpired term of an office of a member of a Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall be held in conjunction with and at the same time as the next regular or special election, which is conducted and held throughout the entirety of the district wherein the vacancy occurred.

C. The person(s) appointed or elected must meet the guidelines provided in the Louisiana Democratic Party Constitution for membership on the Democratic State Central Committee and shall be required to pay a filing fee equal to the Party fee assessed by the Parish Clerk of Court as set forth in La. Rev. Stat. Title 18:464. Such filing fee shall be shared equally between the Democratic State Central Committee and the Parish Executive Committee from where the appointed member resides. All persons appointed may serve as temporary members until ratified at the first order of business by a majority vote of the Democratic State Central Committee.

D. A member elected to a Democratic Parish Executive Committee at such an election shall be elected as provided by state law and the By-laws of the Democratic State Central Committee of Louisiana, except that if an office is to be filled by a public drawing of lots, the public drawing shall be conducted within fifteen (15) days after the election.

A. The Democratic Parish Executive Committee is an integral part of the Democratic Party, and under the jurisdiction of the Democratic State Central Committee in accordance with state law and the rules of the Democratic National Committee.

B. No Democratic Parish Executive Committee may adopt any constitution, by-laws, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Association, Articles of Organization, rules without written majority approval of the Executive Committee of the Democratic State Central Committee and the Parish Executive Committee.

C. No Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall file any Constitution, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Association, Articles of Organization or any other document may be filed with the Secretary of State of Louisiana, any Clerk of Court or in any other office of any state or local official without approval of the Executive Committee of the Democratic State Central Committee and the Parish Executive Committee.

D. Prior to the adoption of any constitution, by-laws, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Association, Articles of Organization, rules a Parish Democratic Central Committee shall submit a copy thereof to the Executive Committee of the Democratic State Central Committee. The Executive Committee of the Democratic State Central Committee may require such changes, as it deems necessary by majority vote.

E. The Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall provide the Democratic State Central Committee with changes in its membership and copies of minutes of its official meetings.

F. At any meeting called for the endorsement of a candidate, no member of the Democratic State Central Committee shall be permitted to wear any campaign paraphernalia.

A. In compliance with state law, the Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall raise funds through the assessment of fees and other methods for Democratic Party operations, under the following conditions:

(1) Each Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall establish a separate account for the deposit of all funds received by the assessment of qualifying fees from Democratic candidates.

(2) Funds received by the assessment of such fees shall be used solely for the operations of the committee and shall not be used for the direct benefit of any particular candidate for public office.

(3) Funds from sources other than the assessment of qualifying fees may be used in direct support of Democratic candidates. In no event shall a Democratic Parish Executive Committee make an expenditure other than in direct support of Democratic candidates, Democratic Party activities, or to maintain operations of the Committee.

B. Collections and expenditures of funds received by the assessment of qualifying fees shall be audited annually and submitted to the Chairperson of the Democratic State Central Committee no later than February 1 of each year and shall cover the period from January 1 through December 31 of the previous year.

C. If any Democratic Parish Executive Committee raises or expends funds from sources other than the assessment of fees in excess of one thousand dollars ($1000.00) annually, the Committee shall file an additional statement of income and expenditures with the Chairperson of the Democratic State Central Committee no later than February 1st of each year and shall cover the period from January 1 through December 31 of the previous year.

Democratic Parish Executive Committees which are formed in parishes where no Parish Executive Committee has been elected shall do so in compliance with La. Rev. Stat. Title 18:445.

A. Local organizations, which wish to be affiliated with the Democratic Parish Executive Committee, shall file with the Democratic State Central Committee and the Parish Executive Committee a proposed copy of their constitution and an updated membership list and a statement of their objectives. No Constitution, Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Association, Articles of Organization or any other document may be filed with the Secretary of State of Louisiana, any Clerk of Court or in any other office of any state or local official without written majority approval of the Democratic State Central Committee and the Parish Executive Committee.

B. A local organization may receive affiliation only by a majority vote of both (i) the Executive Board of the Democratic State Central Committee and (ii) the members present at a  meeting of the Democratic Parish Executive Committee.

Any member failing to attend in person at least three consecutive meetings of a Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall be deemed to have vacated his or her office, unless he or she submits a doctor’s certificate certifying that he or she was unable to attend. When such a vacancy is created, the Chairperson of said Democratic Parish Executive Committee shall notify the former member of the Democratic Parish Executive Committee and the Secretary of State of the vacancy, and the majority of duly elected and appointed members to the Parish Executive Committee will vote to fill the vacancy.