Event Central

CALL TO CONVENTION 2008

SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
1. Call. Pursuant to the authority provided by the Virginia Democratic Party Plan, the Sixth District Democratic Committee hereby calls a Convention, at 10 a.m. May 24, 2008, at Rockbridge County High School, Lexington, Virginia 24450.
2. Incorporated Documents. All appropriate provisions of the Virginia Democratic Party (DPVA) Plan (“State Party Plan”), as amended, the DPVA 2008 Call to Convention, and the DPVA 2008 Delegate Selection Plan are hereby incorporated into this Call by reference and made a part hereof.
3. Purposes. The purposes of the District Convention shall be:
A. To nominate a candidate to the U.S. House of Representatives;
B. To elect two male (one Obama; one Clinton) and two female (one Obama; one Clinton) National Delegates, one female (Obama) National Alternate;
C. To elect three (3) permanent members to the permanent Credentials and Rules Committees of the State Convention;
D. To select a presidential elector representing the Sixth Congressional District in the 2008 general presidential election;
E. To consider resolutions, foremost among them a resolution honoring the service and devotion of David Layman;
F. To conduct such other business as may properly come before the Convention.
4. Selection of District Convention Delegates and Alternates. Delegates and alternates to the District Convention shall be those elected by city or county caucuses to be conducted beginning at noon, April 19, 2008 or 7:30 pm, April 21, at the option of the local committee, or at a convention held no later than April 26, 2008. The caucuses may be assembled or unassembled. Localities having unassembled caucuses may also provide for absentee voting in person at a publicized location on April 17, beginning at 7:00 pm and ending at a reasonable time. Each county and city committee shall provide the State Democratic Party (levar@vademocrats.org) and the Sixth District Committee (lwyatt615@cox.net) their Call to Caucus on or before March 19, 2008; if a city/county convention will be held, the Call to Convention shall be provided on or before March 21.
5. Allocation of District Convention Delegates and Alternates. Delegates and alternates to the Sixth District Democratic Convention shall be allocated as prescribed by the Democratic Party of Virginia, in accordance the DPVA 2008 Call to Convention and 2008 Delegate Selection Plan, using formula “c” set forth in Section 15.1 of the Party Plan. Delegate allocations are as follows:
Locality Delegates Clinton Obama Alternates Clinton Obama
Amherst 7 3 4 3 1 2
Augusta 11 5 6 6 3 3
Bath 1 1 0 1 1 0
Bedford 6 3 3 3 1 2
Botetourt 7 4 3 4 2 2
Highland 1 0 1 0 0 0
Roanoke 20 11 9 10 6 4
Rockbridge 5 2 3 3 1 2
Rockingham 11 5 6 6 3 3
Shenandoah 8 4 4 4 2 2
Buena Vista (City) 1 1 0 1 1 0
Harrisonburg (City) 7 2 5 3 1 2
Lexington (City) 2 1 1 1 0 1
Lynchburg (City) 16 5 11 8 3 5
Roanoke (City) 26 11 15 13 5 8
Salem (City) 6 3 3 3 2 1
Staunton (City) 6 2 4 3 1 2
Waynesboro (City) 4 2 2 2 1 1
Alleghany/Covington 2 1 1 1 1 0
6. Rules of District and State Convention Delegate Selection.
a. Participation and Access. Participation in the Sixth CD’s Democratic delegate selection process is open to all registered voters living in the Sixth Congressional District who wish to participate as Democrats. All meetings shall be open to all members of the Democratic Party regardless of race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, economic status, philosophical persuasion or disability, and all meetings should be publicized fully in accordance with the DPVA Plan. Each county and city committee shall comply with the Affirmative Action provisions of the Party Plan.
b. Pre-Filing. District/State Convention Delegates/Alternates. Any Democrat wishing to be a delegate or alternate to the Sixth District and State Conventions must file a certificate of candidacy with the Chair of the local county or city Democratic committee, or a designated representative, by 5:00 pm, Monday, April 14 for caucuses to be held April 19; by 5:00 p.m., Wednesday April 16 for caucuses to be held April 21; and by a deadline set in the Call to Convention of any locality selecting delegates by Convention at least five, but no more than seven days in advance of the convention. Only those delegate/alternate candidates who have filed by the deadline will appear on the ballots distributed at the caucuses.
National Convention Delegates/Alternates.
Any person wishing to be elected as a Sixth Congressional District-level Delegate or Alternate to the National Convention, or as a Sixth Congressional District Elector, shall pre-file on or before 5 p.m., Friday, May 2, 2008. Pre-filing must be on the form designated “Statement of Candidacy, 2008 Democratic National Convention Delegate/Alternate” which is posted at http://www.vademocrats.org/pages/democratic/. This form must be filed with The Hon. Linda Wyatt, Acting Chair of the Sixth Congressional District Democratic Committee, by mail to 2543 Round Top Road, NW, Roanoke, VA 24012. Only those delegate/alternate candidates who have filed by the deadline will appear on the ballots distributed at the Sixth CD Convention.
Sixth CD Elector.
In accordance with Section 20.2 of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan, “[e]ach district convention shall elect at least one (1) Democratic presidential elector….The presidential electors shall be deemed to be nominees and candidates of the Democratic Party of Virginia. Should they be elected in the general election following, they shall cast their votes in the Electoral College for the presidential nominee of the National Democratic Party.” Any person wishing to be elected Elector from the Sixth Congressional District shall pre-file on or before 5 p.m. Friday, May 2, 2008. Pre-filing must be on the form designated “Democratic Elector Pre-Filing Form,” which is posted at http://www.vademocrats.org/pages/democratic/. This form must be filed with The Hon. Linda Wyatt, Acting Chair of the Sixth Congressional District Democratic Committee, by mail to 2543 Round Top Road, NW, Roanoke, VA 24012. Only those candidates for Elector who have filed by the deadline will appear on the ballots distributed at the Sixth CD Convention.
C. Declaration. Any certificate of delegate/alternate candidacy for the Sixth CD and State Conventions shall include an affirmation that the person is registered to vote in the jurisdiction holding the caucus; is a Democrat; believes in the principles of the Democratic Party; and, does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to a Democratic nominee in the next ensuing general election.
d. Candidate Preference. Delegates and alternates to the State and Sixth CD Conventions must state in their pre-filing forms a Presidential candidate preference. Each person filing as a delegate or alternate to the district and State conventions shall also designate on the filing form a candidate preference for the Democratic Party nominee for the office of U.S. House of Representatives, or “uncommitted.” The stated preference, if any, shall be binding on the delegates on the first nomination vote at the District Convention. Persons filing as delegate or alternate who have not expressed a candidate preference for US Congress will be considered “uncommitted,” and may vote for any candidate on the Sixth ballot, or for “no candidate.” Delegates to the Sixth CD Convention shall have the option of voting for “no candidate” for Congress as well as the option of voting for a candidate.
e. Voluntary Administrative Filing Fee. Voluntary filing fees of $10.00 payable to the Democratic Party of Virginia, and $5.00 payable to the Sixth Congressional District Democratic Committee, shall be assessed to all persons pre-filing for election as a delegate or alternate. Local committees may assess an additional voluntary fee of up to $10 to be paid by each candidate for delegate who pre-files. No person shall be denied the right to participate in the process due to nonpayment of the voluntary administrative fee. The local committee shall collect and remit to the Democratic Party of Virginia, and to the Sixth Congressional District Committee respectively, that portion of the delegate filing fees payable to each.
f. Method of Election and Fair Reflection of Candidate Preference. Each jurisdiction shall be responsible for choosing the method for selection of delegates and alternates, consistent with the procedures of the Party Plan and this Call. Such delegate selection process shall ensure fair reflection of candidate preference as provided by the Party Plan.
g. Certification of District Delegates and Alternates. Within five days after each caucus or local convention, but in all events no later than midnight, April 26, 2008, each county and city Democratic Committee Chair shall provide the State Democratic Party and the Chair of the Sixth District Democratic Committee, in a format specified by the Sixth CD Chair, a list of delegates and alternates including the name, address, telephone, fax and/or e-mail number (if available), Presidential Candidate preference, and Sixth CD Congressional candidate preference, if any, of each delegate. The county or city chair shall also send one check to the District Chair containing the Sixth CD’s portion of the voluntary filing fees. For the Sixth CD, this list should be e-mailed to Linda Wyatt, Acting Chair, lwyatt615@cox.net. Fees payable to the Sixth CD shall be remitted by mail to The Honorable Linda Wyatt, 2543 Round Top Road NW, Roanoke VA 24012. For the State Democratic Party, the list should be e-mailed to Levar Stoney, levar@vademocrats.org, in a format specified by DPVA, and payment for the DPVA portion of delegate/alternate fees sent to DPVA, 1710 East Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia 23223 (phone, 804 644-1966 or 1-800 322-1144; fax 804 343-3642).
If a delegate is unable to undertake or continue in his or her duties as delegate, he or she shall select an alternate to succeed to delegate status or may designate the chair to select the alternate; failing either, the delegation may select the alternate. Whenever the number of alternates is less than the allowable number, the delegation may elect alternates to fill the vacant positions from persons within the congressional district.
Election of delegates and alternates under this section may occur after reasonable notice to the delegation if a quorum of forty percent (40%) assembles for the election. New delegates and alternates shall have the same candidate preference as the delegate or alternate they replace.
Any vacancy occurring in the delegation after the caucus shall be filled by the delegation. Such action may be done prior to the district convention at a scheduled and publicized meeting. Alternatively, it may be done by a majority of the delegation at the district convention. Alternates should first be moved to the position of delegate and additional alternates elected. The newly elected alternates should be of the same gender and candidate preference as the delegates they replace.
Any locality which fails to elect, or fails to have present on the day of the Convention, a sufficient number of delegates and alternates to complete their allotted delegation, may complete its delegate allocation by recruiting an unseated alternate of another locality within the district. The Credentials Committee will maintain on the day of the Convention a roster of the unseated alternates present, listed by locality and candidate preference.
h. Rules and Notice. Each county and city Democratic committee within the Sixth Congressional District shall establish rules for its caucuses in conformity with this Call, and the State Party Plan.
7. District Convention Rules and Committees. The Sixth District Democratic Convention shall be governed by the rules developed by the temporary Rules Committee and rules developed by the permanent Rules Committee and adopted by the Convention.
The Sixth District Democratic Committee shall appoint the members of the temporary Committees on Credentials, Rules, and Resolutions. Each Committee shall be composed of a Chair, who is a member of the Sixth Congressional District Committee, and 19 members, apportioned one from each local committee in the Sixth Congressional District.
On or before April 15, 2008, the chair of each local committee shall appoint a person to serve on each of these committees, and provide the name, address, telephone number, and email address of those persons to Linda Wyatt, Acting Chair, at lwyatt615@cox.net, with a copy to the chairs of those committees as follows:
Rules: Joseph Fitzgerald
Credentials: Dorothy Blackwell
Resolutions: Charles Wood
The District Convention shall elect Permanent Committees on Credentials, Rules and Resolutions. Each committee shall be composed of a chair, who is a member of the Sixth Congressional District Committee, and 19 members. The membership of the Permanent Committees shall be apportioned in the same manner as the temporary committees.
The Sixth District Democratic Chair shall certify in writing to the State Democratic Chair the nomination of the district’s candidate for the U.S. House within 36 hours of the nomination.
8. Resolutions. For a resolution to be considered at the District Convention, it must be received by the Sixth Congressional District Democratic Chair and the Resolutions Committee chair by 5 p.m. April 15, 2008. If submitted electronically (preferred), the proposed resolution should be sent to lwyatt615@cox.net, with copies to Resolutions Committee Chair Charles Wood, woodcm49@juno.com. If mailed, the proposed resolution should be sent to The Honorable Linda Wyatt, 2543 Round Top Road NW, Roanoke VA 24012, with a copy to Resolutions Chair Charles Wood 2013 Poplar St, Lynchburg, VA 24504-2742. Mailed resolutions must be received before the deadline, not merely postmarked by the deadline date. All resolutions adopted by the District Convention shall be forwarded promptly to the Virginia Democratic Party Resolutions Committee for consideration.
9. Candidate Pre-Filing. Any person wishing to seek the Democratic nomination to the US House of Representatives from the Sixth Congressional District must file with the Chair of the Sixth Congressional District Democratic Committee on or before 5 p.m., May 2, 2008, a Declaration of Candidacy and a Certificate of Candidate Qualification in the form required by the Virginia State Board of Elections of candidates seeking nomination by primary. The Declaration of Candidacy/Certificate of Candidate Qualification forms shall be accompanied by a filing fee, payable to the Committee, in the amount of $3,304, which is two percent (2%) of the annual salary for the office of US Representative. The documents and filing fee may be delivered in person, or by mail, as long as they are received by the Chair by the stated deadline. Only those persons who have properly filed will be considered for nomination by the delegates to the Sixth CD Convention.
1. Filing Locations. Unless otherwise specified herein, all papers to be filed with the Chair of the Sixth District Democratic Committee shall be filed at the following address: The Honorable Linda Wyatt, 2543 Round Top Road NW, Roanoke VA 24012. All papers required to be filed with the State Democratic Party or its chair shall be filed with the State Democratic Party of Virginia, 1710 East Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia 23223 (phone, 804 644-1966 or 1-800 322-1144; fax 804 343-3642).
13. Election of National Delegates. The Sixth CD Convention shall divide into caucuses based on presidential candidate preference. The delegates elected who are pledged to a candidate shall participate in that candidate’s caucus. The candidate caucuses will then elect the proportionate Virginia 2008 Delegate Selection Plan number of National Convention delegates and alternates. Each candidate caucus participant may cast the same number of votes as National Convention delegates to be elected. Alternates shall be the next highest vote-getters to those elected delegates.
Adopted by the Sixth Congressional District Democratic Committee, this 22nd day of March, 2008.