Republican Committee of Lancaster County Endorsement Convention Orders of the Day
Farm & Home Center – Tuesday, February 14, 2017
- 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 7, 2017 may be introduced or considered.
- Candidates shall be considered for endorsement in the order of offices set forth on the Agenda.
- 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 other than the electronic voting device should be turned off or muted.
- The Committee will consider a motion to adopt the proposed Rules that were sent to the Committee with the invitation to attend a Special Meeting of the Committee held on November 17, 2016. The proposed Rules, if adopted, shall be effective as of the close of this Convention. The proposed Rules have been, and continue to be, available on the Committee’s website at www.lancasterrepublicans.com.
- The Committee will vote on a resolution to support the retention of Judge Christopher Hackman, Judge Howard Knisely, Judge Margaret Miller, Judge Jeffrey Reich, Judge Donald Totaro and Judge Jeffrey Wright for second terms as judges of the Court of Common Pleas. The vote on the resolution shall be by voice vote.
- 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 the County Controller, Recorder of Deeds and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, 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. Nominees from the floor who are seconded shall have a maximum of two minutes to address the Committee. After a candidate is endorsed, he or she may address the Convention for one minute.
- All nominations from the floor shall 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. If no additional nominations are received, the nominations shall be closed. 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.
- The Committee shall vote by written secret ballot for the position of Judge of Common Pleas, County Controller and Recorder of Deeds.
- 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.
