Republican Committee of Lancaster County Endorsement Convention Orders of the Day
Farm & Home Center – Tuesday, February 19, 2019
- The call of the roll is waived and the registration shall be used to establish the presence of a quorum. Proxies (Article I, Section 3, E.) must be filed with the Secretary before or during the initial roll call of the meeting. Additional proxies will not be accepted after the completion of the initial roll call.
- Procedural votes shall be determined by voice vote. If the Chairman is unable to determine a majority by voice vote, a standing count shall be taken. Endorsement and all other votes shall be determined by the number of Committee members who: (a) are eligible to vote; (b) are present; and (c) cast a valid vote. Any voting member who finds it necessary to leave the meeting or arrives late is required to notify staff at the registration/credentials table so that the number of votes necessary for endorsement, placement on subsequent ballots, or all other votes may be adjusted accordingly.
- There shall be a motion and a second to adopt the Agenda and the Orders of the Day.
- The Committee may suspend and /or amend the Orders of the Day by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present in person or by proxy.
- Only resolutions submitted by Committee members to RCLC Headquarters by 5:00 p.m. on February 12, 2019 may be introduced or considered.
- Visitors, including the press, may observe the proceedings of the Convention from the designated areas. Visitors shall remain quiet, may not display signs or placards, and may not participate in the Convention. No recording devices will be permitted during the meeting. The Chairman may remove from the room any person except for voting members of the Committee and their proxies, officers, and appointees.
- Out of courtesy for members of the Committee, all cell phones or electronic devices should be turned off or muted.
- The Committee will vote on a resolution to support the retention of Judge David Ashworth for a second term as judge of the Court of Common Pleas. The vote on the resolution shall be by voice vote.
- Candidates shall be considered for endorsement in the order of offices set forth on the Agenda.
- Candidates in contested races shall not be present in the room during voting. Candidates who are also committee members shall leave the room prior to the voting, but shall be permitted to vote either by proxy or by casting his or her vote prior to the commencement of voting by the remaining members of the Committee. After the results are announced to the members of the Committee at the conclusion of each round of voting, the results will also be announced outside the room.
- At any point during the endorsement meeting, a candidate may withdraw his or her name from consideration for endorsement, and may address the Committee for a maximum of two minutes.
- The nomination of each candidate for offices set forth in the Agenda, shall be moved and seconded. Since the Area Committees have had the opportunity to listen to and question each candidate, there will be no nominating or seconding speeches. There shall be no speeches by any uncontested candidate (previously announced or nominated from the floor) prior to the Committee’s endorsement vote. The Chair will inquire if there are any nominations from the floor. In the absence of any nominations from the floor, the Chair shall declare that nominations are closed. All nominations from the floor shall only be made when that race is announced during the assemblage of the Candidates nominated from the floor must be present and must consent to the nomination. Once nominations are closed, any further nominations from the floor shall be out of order. Only committee members eligible to vote may nominate another candidate from the floor. Nominees from the floor who are seconded shall have a maximum of two minutes to address the Committee.
- The Chair will entertain a Motion to Consider as a Whole the endorsements of all uncontested candidates.
- After a candidate is endorsed, he or she may address the Convention for one minute at a time selected by the Chair.
- The Committee shall vote on any uncontested endorsement by voice vote. The Committee shall vote by written secret ballot for the endorsement of a candidate if there are two or more candidates in nomination.
- Any candidate who receives, in the first ballot, two-thirds (2/3) of the vote of the members of the Committee, certified to be present in person or proxy and eligible to vote on such nomination, shall be declared an endorsed candidate.
- In the event that no candidate or fewer candidates than the number for whom endorsement is sought receives two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes in the first ballot, then a second ballot shall be taken. Any candidate receiving at least fifteen percent (15%) of the certified votes in the first ballot shall be voted upon in the second ballot. Any candidate receiving two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes in the second ballot shall be declared to be an endorsed
- In the event that no candidate or fewer candidates than the number for whom endorsement is sought receives two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes on the second ballot, then a third ballot shall be taken. Any candidate receiving at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the certified votes in the second ballot shall be voted upon in the third ballot. Any candidate receiving two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes in the third ballot shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
- In the event that no candidate or fewer candidates than the number for whom endorsement is sought receives two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes in the third ballot, then a fourth ballot shall be taken. The candidates for the fourth ballot shall total one more than the total number of remaining endorsements to be made and shall consist of that number of candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the third ballot. Any candidate receiving two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes in the fourth ballot shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
- In the event that all endorsements have not been obtained by the fourth ballot, the Committee shall take additional ballots. The candidates for all subsequent ballots shall total one more than the total number of candidates remaining to be endorsed. If subsequent ballots are taken, any candidate receiving at least two-thirds (2/3) of the certified votes in any ballot shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
- Special Procedure for the Endorsement of County Commissioner Candidates. Because there are two County Commissioner positions to endorse, ballots which do not indicate the endorsement of two candidates shall be deemed to be incomplete and invalid, and shall not be counted.
