Event Central

CONVENTION CALL

2008 11th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

1. Call. Pursuant to the authority provided by the Virginia Democratic Party Plan, the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee hereby calls a Convention to be held at noon on Saturday, May 17, 2008, at Robinson High School, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, Virginia, 22032 (“District Convention”).

2. Incorporated Documents. All appropriate provisions of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan (“State Party Plan”), as amended, the Virginia Delegate Selection Plan for the 2008 Democratic National Convention (“Delegate Selection Plan”), and the Call to the 2008 Virginia State Democratic Convention are incorporated into this Call by reference and made a part hereof.

3. Purposes. The purposes of the District Convention shall be:

A. To select 6 delegates and 1 alternate to the Democratic National Convention;

B. To nominate members of State Democratic Convention Credentials and Rules Committees;

C. To select a presidential elector representing the 11th Congressional District in the 2008 general presidential election;

D. To consider resolutions;

E. To conduct such other business as may properly come before the Convention.

4. Selection of District Convention Delegates and Alternates. The delegates and alternates to the District Convention shall be the delegates or alternates to the State Democratic Convention to be held in Hampton, Virginia on June 14, 2008.

Delegates and alternates to the District Convention shall be those elected by city, county or magisterial district caucuses beginning at 12:00 noon on Saturday, April 19, 2008, or 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 21, 2008. The caucuses in the portions of Fairfax County, Prince William County, and Fairfax City contained within the 11th Congressional District may be assembled or unassembled. Localities having unassembled caucuses may also provide for absentee voting in person at a publicized location on April 17, 2008. Each county and city committee shall provide the call to caucus to the State Democratic Party and the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee Chair by March 19, 2008. If any locality holds a convention in addition to the caucus, such convention shall be governed by the appropriate provisions of the State Party Plan and the Delegate Selection Plan.


5. Allocation of District Convention Delegates and Alternates. The 217 delegates and 109 alternates to the District Convention from the 11th Congressional District shall be allocated as set forth in the DPVA Delegate Selection Plan, as follows:

Fairfax County: 152 Delegates: 63 Clinton Delegates and 89 Obama Delegates
Fairfax County 76 Alternates: 32 Clinton Alternates and 44 Obama Alternates

Prince William Co: 57 Delegates: 20 Clinton Delegates and 37 Obama Delegates
Prince William Co: 29 Alternates: 10 Clinton Alternates and 19 Obama Alternates

Fairfax City: 8 Delegates: 3 Clinton Delegates and 5 Obama Delegates
Fairfax City: 4 Alternates: 2 Clinton Alternates and 2 Obama Alternates


6. Rules of District Convention Delegate Selection.

a. Participation and Access. Participation in Virginia’s Democratic delegate selection process is open to all registered voters and those eligible to vote in the November 2008 election 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. Each county and city committee shall comply with the Affirmative Action provisions of the Delegate Selection Plan.

b. Filing. Any Democrat wishing to be a delegate to the 11th Congressional District Convention and the State Convention must file a certificate of candidacy with the Chairperson of the local county or city Democratic committee, the magisterial district chairs in Fairfax County or a designated representative, by the filing deadline. The filing deadline is 5 p.m. on April 14, 2008 for the city/county/magisterial district caucuses to be held on Saturday, April 19, 2008. Only those delegate candidates who have filed by the deadline will appear on the ballots distributed at the caucuses.

c. Declaration. The certificate of delegate candidacy shall include an affirmation that the person is registered to vote or eligible to vote in the November 2008 election in the jurisdiction holding the caucus; is a Democrat; does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to a Democratic nominee in the next ensuing general election; is not a member of any other political party; and has not participated and will not participate in the nominating process of any other political party for the 2008 Presidential election.

d. Candidate Preference. Each person filing as a delegate to the district and state conventions must designate on the filing form a candidate preference for the Democratic Party nominee for the office of President. The stated preference shall be binding on the delegates on the first vote at the 11th Congressional District Convention presidential delegate selection caucuses.


e. Voluntary Administrative Filing Fee. The voluntary administrative filing fee paid by each candidate for delegate who pre-files for election to the district and state convention shall include $5.00 to be allocated to the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee. No person shall be denied the right to participate in the process due to nonpayment of the voluntary administrative fee.

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 Delegate Selection plan. Such delegate selection process shall ensure fair reflection of candidate preference as provided by the Delegate Selection Plan.

g. Certification of State and District Delegates and Alternates. Within five days after each caucus, each county and city Democratic Committee Chair shall provide the State Democratic Party and the Chair of the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee with a certified list of delegates and alternates including the name, address, telephone, fax and/or e-mail number (if available) and candidate preference of each delegate. The county or city chair shall also send one check to the State Party and one check to the 11th District Chair containing each entity’s portion of the voluntary filing fees.

h. Rules and Notice. Each county and city Democratic Committee within the 11th Congressional District shall establish rules for its caucuses in conformity with this call, the State Party Plan, and the Delegate Selection Plan.

7. District Convention Rules and Committees. The District 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 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee shall appoint the members of the temporary Committees on Credentials, Rules and Resolutions. Each Committee shall be composed of 15 members from the three jurisdictions in the 11th CD: nine (9) from Fairfax County; four (4) from Prince William County; and two (2) from Fairfax City.

The District Convention shall elect Permanent Committees on Credentials, Rules and Resolutions. Each committee shall be composed of 15 members. The membership of the Permanent Committees shall contain members from each 11th CD jurisdiction in the same manner as the temporary committees.


8. Rules for Selection of National Convention Delegates. The District Democratic Convention shall elect 6 delegates and 1 alternate to the Democratic National Convention:

Four (4) Obama delegates (two (2) men, two (2) women)
Two (2) Clinton delegates (one (1) man, one (1) woman)
One (1) Obama alternate (one (1) woman)


Persons seeking election as national convention delegates must be identified as to presidential preference at all levels. Each candidate for delegate must file a statement of candidacy indicating that person’s candidate preference with the 11th Congressional District Democratic Chair and the State Party by 5:00 p.m. May 2, 2008. To be eligible for election, delegate candidates must be registered to vote in the 11th Congressional District.

The assembled convention shall divide into caucuses of delegates reflecting candidate preference and select National Convention delegates and alternate by written ballot. As noted above, the Obama caucus shall select two (2) male and two (2) female delegates and one (1) female alternate. The Clinton caucus shall select one (1) male and one (1) female delegate. The Obama alternate shall be elected by the Obama caucus by separate balloting. After selection by the caucuses, the convention as a whole shall vote to elect the National Convention delegates and alternate.

The 11th Congressional District Democratic Chair shall certify in writing to the State Democratic Chair the election of the district’s delegates and alternates within 36 hours of their election.

9. Rules for Selection of Elector. The District Convention shall elect one person to serve as elector representing the 11th Congressional District. Such person shall be pledged formally and in good conscience to the election to the Democratic Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees. All candidates for elector shall file statements of candidacy with the 11th Congressional District Democratic Chair by Friday, May 2, 2008, before the 5 pm deadline. All statements of candidacy shall include an affirmation that the person registered to vote in the 11th Congressional District; is a Democrat; does not intend to support any candidate who is opposed to the Democratic Presidential nominee in the next ensuing general election; and is not a member of any other political party. Unless otherwise determined by the convention, voting for Elector shall be by written ballot and the candidate obtaining a majority of the vote shall be elected.

10. Rules for Nomination of Members of the State Democratic Convention Rules and Credential Committees. The assembled convention shall nominate three members to the state permanent credentials committee and three members to the state permanent rules committee. All persons seeking to be nominated for State Convention committees shall file statements of candidacy with the 11th Congressional District Democratic Chair by Friday, May 2, 2008, before the 5 pm deadline

11. Resolutions. For a resolution to be considered at the 11th Congressional District Convention, it must be received by the 11th Congressional District Democratic Chair fourteen (14) days prior to the 11th District Convention. The resolution must include the name, address, phone number, and email of the person drafting the document. Draft resolutions must be received by the 11th CD District Temporary Resolutions Committee by May 3, 2008, at 5:00 P.M. Resolutions can be mailed to the 11th CD Temporary Resolutions Committee, c/o George Burke, 3226 Sleepy Hollow Road, Falls Church, VA 22042. Mailed resolutions must be received before the deadline, not merely postmarked by the deadline date. Resolutions may also be submitted by mail, email, or fax before the deadline to the Chair of the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee or to any member of the Temporary Resolutions Committee. No resolutions will be accepted after the deadline.

All resolutions adopted by the 11th District Convention shall be forwarded promptly to the State Temporary Resolutions Committee for consideration.

12. Filing Locations. All papers to be filed with the Chair of the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee shall be filed by email, fax, or mail at the following addresses: George Burke, Chair, 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee, 3226 Sleepy Hollow Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 (George Burke: cell phone: 202-288-2104, fax: 703-852-4457, email: georgeburke@cox.net). All papers to be filed with the State Democratic Party or its chair shall be filed with the Democratic Party of Virginia, 1710 East Franklin Street, Richmond, Va. 23223 (phone: 804-644-1966 or 800-322-1144; fax: 804-343-3642).



Adopted by the 11th Congressional District Democratic Committee on March 10, 2008.