RULES OF THE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE OF LANCASTER COUNTY
Table of Contents
Article I County Committee
Section 1. Members
- Composition
B. Qualifications
C. Term
D. Vacancies
E. Duties
Section 2. Authority
Section 3. Meetings
- Biennial Organization
B. Endorsement
C. Special
D. Notice
E. Quorum
F. Proxies
G. Order of Business - Resolutions
Article II Officers of the County Committee
Section 1. Composition
Section 2. Designation
Section 3. Qualifications
Section 4. Vacancies
- Chairman
- Other Vacancies
Section 5. Duties
- Chairman
B. Vice-Chairman
C. Secretary
D. Treasurer
Section 6. Assistants
Article III Leadership Team
Section 1. Composition
Section 2. Duties
Section 3. Meetings
Section 4. Place of Meeting
Section 5. Notice
Section 6. Quorum
Section 7. Voting
Section 8. Proxies
Section 9. Prohibition against expenditures not provided for in the approved budget
Section 10. Prohibition against borrowing funds or incurring debts
Article IV Hearing Committee
Section 1. Composition
Section 2. Duties
Section 3. Hearing Procedure
Section 4. Proxies
Article V Area and District Committees
Section 1. Composition
- Composition of Area Committees
- Composition of County Magisterial, General Assembly and Congressional District Committees
Section 2. Officers
Section 3. Meetings
Section 4. Rules and Bylaws
Section 5. Duties
Section 6. Endorsements
Section 7. School Area Chairman
Article VI Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
- Finance
B. Budget
C. Vacancy
D. Voter Registration - Election
- Rules and Resolutions
- Youth
Section 2. Audit Committee
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committee
Article VII Removal from Office
Section 1. Legal Offense
Section 2. Candidate or Party Support
Section 3. Misfeasance, Malfeasance or Nonfeasance
Section 4. Removal of Officers
Article VIII Endorsement Procedure
Section 1. Endorsements
Section 2. Minimum Endorsement Requirement
Section 3. Quorum
Section 4. Endorsing Committee
Section 5. Endorsement Meeting
Section 6. Preparatory Informational Meetings and Straw Polls
Section 7. Chairman of Endorsing Committee
Section 8. Endorsement Voting Procedure
- First Endorsement Ballot
- Second Endorsement Ballot
- Third Endorsement Ballot
- Fourth Endorsement Ballot
- Additional Endorsement Ballots
Section 9. Continued Endorsement Meetings
Section 10. Endorsement for Political Districts not Wholly within Lancaster County
- Cooperative Agreement by County Chairman
- Approval by Committee Members
- Relevance of these “Rules” to Such Endorsement
Section 11. State Committee
Article IX Candidate Vacancies
Article X State Committee Members
Section 1. Applicability of State Committee Rules
Section 2. Election of Candidates
Section 3. Vacancies
Article XI Rules
Section 1. Suspension of Rules
Section 2. Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised
Article XII Amendments
Section 1. Usual Procedure
Section 2. Expedited Procedure
Section 3. Applicability
RULES OF THE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE OF LANCASTER COUNTY
Adopted September 5, 1967 and amended in 1971, 1977, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2011 and 2016
Article I
County Committee
Section 1. Members:
- Composition. Each election district within Lancaster County shall elect one man and one woman as a member of the County Committee.
- Qualifications. Each member of the County Committee shall be a resident and registered Republican voter of the district in which he or she is elected or appointed. A County Committee member elected via write-in votes must receive at least as many votes as the minimum number of signatures required on a nomination petition for such office. The County Chairman shall declare vacant the position of a County Committee Member if the member no longer resides within the boundaries of his or her voting district, or upon receiving a letter from the member, or other satisfactory evidence that the member has resigned from or is no longer eligible for the position, or if the member is elected or appointed to any position (including judge of elections, inspector of elections, clerk of elections or machine inspector) on any District Election Board (as that term is defined in the Pennsylvania Election Code, Act of June 3, 1937, P.L. 1333, as amended, 25 P.S. § 2601 et seq.).
- Term. Each member of the County Committee shall be elected by the Republican voters in his or her district at the Primary Elections designated by law for such election and shall serve for a term of two (2) years, unless the position has been declared vacant in accordance with (B) of this section.
- Vacancies.
(a) Vacancies in membership on the County Committee shall be filled by the County Chairman appointing a resident, registered Republican voter from the election district in which the vacancy has occurred, after having consulted with the Area Chairman and the other County Committee member in that election district. Such appointment shall be for the unexpired term of the member whose position is filled.
(b) The County Chairman shall make no appointments to the County Committee within the sixty (60) days immediately preceding the Full County Committee convention called pursuant to Article VIII of these bylaws, except that the Chairman may appoint a successor to fill a vacant County Committee position in a voting district where the vacancy has occurred as a result of the predecessor’s death or removal from the voting district in the thirty (30) day period immediately preceding the convention.
- Duties. The Republican County Committeeman and Committeewoman shall be responsible for the organization of an effective political force for the Republican Party in their election district, which shall include effective local registration and voter drives, and shall make certain that the Republican Party is properly represented with the best candidates for local offices, including election officials. Vetting and endorsement of Republican candidates shall be part of that responsibility.
Section 2. Authority:
The County Committee shall have full control of the Republican Party of and in the County of Lancaster and its various election districts.
Section 3. Meetings:
- Biennial Organization. No later than forty-five (45) days after the primary election at which the members are elected in each district, the County Committee shall meet upon the call of the Chairman to organize. Should the Chairman fail to hold such meeting within the time specified, the County Committee shall meet upon the call of the Leadership Team within ten (10) days after the expiration of said forty-five (45) day period.
- Endorsement Meetings. Endorsement meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Article VIII herein.
- Special. Special meetings of the County Committee may be called at any time by the Chairman, by a majority of the Leadership Team, or of the County Committee.
- Notice. Written notice of all meetings shall be mailed to each member of the County Committee at least seven (7) days before the date of the meeting. Notice shall be given at least two days in advance of the scheduled meeting by a media-wide press release issued by the County Chairman. Notices of special meetings that are sent to the members of the County Committee shall include notice of the purpose of such meeting.
- Quorum. Except at any meetings at which endorsement will be considered, a majority of the members of the County Committee shall constitute a quorum thereof. Registrations at the meeting shall be evidence of a quorum.
- Proxies. A member unable to attend a meeting of the County Committee may substitute a resident, registered Republican of his or her voting district to act for him or her, provided such substitution is made in writing and filed with the Secretary before or during the initial roll call of the meeting.
- Order of Business. The order of business of meetings of the County Committee shall be as follows:
1) Establishment of Quorum
2) Adoption of Agenda/Orders of the Day
3) Action on Minutes of Previous Meeting
4) Reports of Officers
5) Reports of Standing Committees
6) Reports of Special Committees
7) Unfinished Business
8) Election of Officers (if applicable)
9) New Business
10) Resolutions
11) Adjournment
- Resolutions.
Any member may propose a resolution for adoption by the County Committee.
- The Resolution must be signed and dated and submitted to the County Chairman at least ten (10) days before the scheduled start of a regular meeting of the County Committee. The County Chairman shall promptly transmit a copy of the resolution to the Rules and Resolutions Committee before the County Committee meeting.
- Prior to the County Committee meeting, the Rules and Resolutions Committee shall meet to consider the resolution before reporting it to the floor. Any member who proposes a resolution is entitled to be heard by the Rules and Resolutions Committee. For each resolution, a majority of the Rules and Resolutions Committee may recommend approval or rejection of the resolution to the entire committee, but in any case any properly proposed resolution shall be heard by the full County Committee.
- Proposed Resolutions of Commemoration, Commendations, In Memoriam and/or Expressions of Gratitude, at the sole discretion of the County Chairman, may be considered at a County Committee meeting even if submitted after the time frame Article I, Section 3.H.1.
Article II
Officers of the County Committee
Section 1. Composition:
The officers of the County Committee shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman (of the opposite sex to the Chairman), Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2. Designation:
All officers shall be elected by the members of the County Committee at its biennial organization meeting and continue in office until their successors are duly elected.
Section 3. Qualifications:
All officers shall be registered, resident Republican voters and, with the exception of the Chairman, two (2) of the three (3) officers shall have previously served one (1) full term of office as members of the County Committee of Lancaster County or of State Committee as a Lancaster County delegate.
Section 4. Vacancies:
- Chairman. In the event of the Chairman’s death, resignation, removal, loss of qualification or inability to serve, that office shall be assumed by the following officers in this order: Vice-Chairman, Secretary. Such service shall be limited to the time the Chairman is absent or incapacitated, or until such time as the County Committee fills the vacancy. In the event of death, resignation or loss of qualification of the Chairman, the County Committee shall fill such vacancy at a meeting called within thirty (30) days of such event.
- Other Vacancies. In the event of the death, resignation, removal, loss of qualification or inability to serve of any other Officer, the County Chairman shall fill such vacancy by appointing a duly elected County Committee member until the vacancy is filled for the Officer’s unexpired term by the County Committee at a meeting called within thirty (30) days of such appointment.
Section 5. Duties:
- Chairman. The Chairman shall be the chief executive officer of the Republican Party of Lancaster County, the Chair of its Leadership Team, and its designated spokesman at all levels of Party affairs. He shall be a member of the Lancaster delegation of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. He/she shall preside at all meetings of the County Committee, Leadership Team, and the Hearing Committee, appoint all committees other than those required by these Rules to be otherwise designated and perform such services as shall be conducive to the welfare of the nation, state, county and party or shall be imposed upon him or her by the laws of Pennsylvania. He/she shall be responsible for organizing the Committee’s involvement in registration and campaign activities for National, State, County and Legislative candidates within the County.
- Vice-Chairman. The Vice-Chairman shall perform such duties as shall be assigned by the Chairman or the County Committee, and shall assume all duties of the Chairman in accordance with Article II, Section 4.A.
- Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible that a roll of the members of the County Committee is maintained constantly with correct contact information of the members. The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping correct minutes of all proceedings of the County Committee, and shall perform such other duties as shall be assigned by the Chairman or the County Committee.
- Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive all moneys paid or contributed to the Republican Party of Lancaster County or its officers or members and shall pay out the same only upon warrants drawn by the Chairman. The Treasurer shall timely file all reports of his accounts required by law. If the County Committee shall require, the Treasurer shall furnish bond in such amount and with such surety, if any, as fixed by the County Committee.
Section 6. Assistants:
The Chairman shall appoint such Assistants as the Chairman shall deem helpful to perform his or her duties. Should he/she desire to give any title and/or duties which shall imply the Assistant as an officer (e.g., Assistant Treasurer or Assistant Secretary), such appointment shall first be confirmed by either the County Committee or the Leadership Team.
Article III
Leadership Team
Section 1. Composition:
Membership on the Leadership Team shall consist of the following persons:
- The Leadership Team shall consist of the duly elected Area Chair from each School Area Committee and the Officers of the County Committee.
- One additional at large member may be appointed by the Leadership Team by majority vote, which individual shall have served as a County Committee member for a minimum of six (6) years and/or served as a prior officer of the County Committee. This candidate should have direct experience with the proper functioning of the Committee, the conduct of elections, public relations, fundraising, finance and/or other skills that may be of particular use to the Leadership Team at the time of the at large member’s Leadership Team service. The at large member shall serve until the next County reorganization meeting, but may be reappointed thereafter.
- Ex-officio, non-voting member(s) of the Leadership Team may be appointed by any sub-group of the County Committee as may be recognized from time to time by the Leadership Team as a formal entity within the organization. By way of example, this may include, but is not necessarily limited to, the Women’s Republican Club, Young Republicans, Senior Coalition, Latino Republican Council, etc.
Section 2. Duties:
The affairs of the Committee shall be managed by a Leadership Team, which shall advise and assist the Chairman and exercise, by majority vote, only such duties as specifically provided for and in accordance with these Rules and Bylaws.
Section 3. Meetings:
The Leadership Team shall hold meetings, both regular and special. Regular meetings shall be held on a regularly scheduled basis, to be approved in advance by the Leadership Team for the forthcoming year. Special meetings, as deemed necessary, may be called by the Chair, the Officers, or by a majority of the Leadership Team.
Section 4. Place of Meeting:
Meetings may be held at the principal office of the Committee, or at such other place, within Lancaster County, as shall be designated in the notice of the meeting.
Section 5. Notice:
- Notice of the time and place of any meeting, regular or special, along with the meeting agenda, shall be served at least five (5) days prior to the meeting either personally upon each director, or mailed or otherwise electronically transmitted to his or her address as it appears on the records of the Committee.
- Any director may waive notice for any meeting.
- The attendance of a director at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such director attends for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business because the meeting was not lawfully called or convened.
Section 6. Quorum:
A majority of the directors in office with voting authority shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Except as otherwise provided herein, or as required by law, the acts of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the acts of the Leadership Team. Voting may be done by voice vote or any means deemed appropriate by the Chair or the Leadership Team. A director may participate in a meeting of the Leadership Team by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other. Participation in a meeting in this manner shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.
Section 7. Voting:
All action taken by the Leadership Team shall be pursuant to the affirmative vote of a majority of directors in attendance at the meeting.
Section 8. Proxies:
Directors may attend a meeting and vote on any action to be taken by proxy. However, proxies may only be held by another officer of the School Area Committee from which the absent director hails, and evidence of the proxy must be provided in writing to the Chair.
Section 9. Prohibition against expenditures not provided for in the approved budget:
No obligations or expenditures shall be made which are not provided for in the approved budget except upon approval of the Budget Committee. However, expenditures above five thousand dollars ($5,000) which have not been budgeted must be approved by the Leadership Team. All political contributions shall be approved by the Leadership Team.
Section 10. Prohibition against borrowing funds or incurring debts:
No Officer of the County Committee, the Leadership Team, or Finance Committee, shall incur debt on behalf of either the County Committee, the Leadership Team, or Finance Committee without prior approval of the members of the Leadership Team. It shall be the responsibility of the Finance Committee to raise the necessary funds to repay the debt. Debt as defined in these Bylaws shall not include budgeted cash flow unbalances of ninety (90) days or less.
Article IV
Hearing Committee
Section 1. Composition:
Membership on the Hearing Committee shall consist of the following persons:
- The Chairman of the County Committee, who is also to be the Chairman of the Hearing Committee, unless the Chairman is involved in the issue which is the subject to the complaint, in which circumstance the Vice Chair may serve if not also involved in the underlying matter.
- One member elected by the School Area Committee, who shall not otherwise serve as the Area Chair or member of the Executive Committee for the Area.
Section 2. Duties:
The Hearing Committee shall be responsible for conducting hearings relating to violations by members of the Committee of these Bylaws, and particularly any matters pursuant to Article VII herein, and to make a recommendation to the Leadership Team regarding said violations.
Section 3. Hearing Procedure:
Any member of the County Committee may bring a formal complaint for violation of these Bylaws, particularly any matters pursuant to Article VII, before the Hearing Committee, which shall hold a hearing within thirty (30) days following receipt of the complaint. The parties must be given ten (10) days advance notice of the date and time of the proposed hearing. The complaining member and the accused member or officer may present such evidence or call such witnesses as may support his or her argument, and may be represented by an attorney provided advance notice of that representation has been provided to the Hearing Committee.
The County Chairman shall preside over the hearing of the Hearing Committee, except when the County Chairman is the accused or the complainant, in which case the Vice Chairman shall serve as the presiding officer. The County Chairman or the Vice Chairman shall consult with the County Party Solicitor, who shall be in attendance at all hearings, regarding any motions and shall guarantee a fair hearing. The Hearing Committee may adopt, with the advice and consent of the Leadership Team, appropriate procedural rules for the conduct of hearings.
All Hearing Committee hearings shall be conducted in such a fashion as to preserve the confidentiality of the proceedings. Prior to each hearing, the Hearing Committee members hearing the case will be expected to execute and abide by a Non-disclosure Agreement which prohibits the disclosure of all information learned by the Committee member during the course of the proceedings.
Additionally, each Committee member shall certify in writing that no conflict of interest exists which would prevent him/her from hearing the complaint in a fair and unbiased manner. Prior to the commencement of the hearing, any party to the hearing, whether a Hearing Committee member, complaining party, accused or witness, will also have the opportunity to raise any actual or perceived conflict of interest that they believe may exist, which conflict shall be considered and determined by the County Party Solicitor in accordance with his/her duty to ensure a fair hearing.
There shall be no quorum requirement applicable to Hearing Committee meetings.
The Hearing Committee’s recommendation shall be presented to the Leadership Team within two (2) days after the hearing for action by the Leadership Team. Action by the Leadership Team shall be taken within fourteen (14) days of the transmittal, and in consideration of Article VII, Removal from Office. Members of the Leadership Team will be expected to execute and abide by the same non-disclosure and conflict procedures required of the Hearing Committee. Notice of any final determination of the Leadership Team, however, may be provided to the County Committee as a whole at the discretion of the County Chair, with the advice and consent of the Leadership Team.
Section 4. Proxies:
Proxies shall not be permitted at hearings of the Hearing Committee.
Article V
Area and District Committees
Section 1. Composition:
- Area Committees: All members of the County Committee in every election district, and in every city, borough, township and/or school district shall organize themselves as a Republican committee which shall be composed of all such members within such area, and shall be known as the area committee for that election district, city, borough, township and/or school district.
- County Magisterial, General Assembly and Congressional District Committees: All members of the County Committee within each County magisterial, general assembly and congressional district shall constitute the district committee for such district. The County Chairman or his/her designee shall chair such District Committee and shall call and preside at all meetings. The Chairman or his/her designee shall have no vote unless he/she is a member of the County Committee in that legislative district.
Section 2. Officers:
Any area committee consisting of more than two (2) members shall elect a chairman who need not be a member of the County Committee. Any area committee may have such other officers as it may designate from time to time.
Section 3. Meetings:
The biennial organization meeting of each such area shall be held within thirty (30) days after the biennial organization meeting of the County Committee, and the area committee chair shall promptly report the results of the election of officers to the County Chair thereafter. All other meetings of the Area Committee shall be called by the Chairman thereof, a majority of the area committee, or the Chairman of the County Committee, or as provided in by-laws of the area committee. At any meeting at which an endorsement under Section 5 of this Article is to be effected, written notice thereof shall be given to all committee members affected thereby at least seven (7) days before the date of the meeting (a) except that no notice shall be required if the meeting is set at a prior meeting of the area committee at which all members of the area committee are present at the time the date, time and place of the endorsement meeting is announced or (b) except further that written notice will be sufficient, if mailed at least five (5) days prior to the endorsement meeting to those members not present at any such prior meeting at which the date, time and place was announced.
Section 4. Rules and Bylaws:
School Area Committees are not required to adopt rules/bylaws, but are encouraged to do so. For each area committee which adopts rules/bylaws, such rules/bylaws shall not be inconsistent with the Rules of the State Party, County Committee, or law. The rules/bylaws of the area committee shall govern the operation of the party within their respective area. Area Committees shall file copies of their rules/bylaws with the Secretary of the County Committee and shall supply the names and addresses of members of their committees following each reorganization meeting of the area committee and following each amendment to the rules/bylaws. Such rules/bylaws, or changes thereto, shall not be effective until filed with the Secretary of the County Committee.
Upon notification from the County Chairman that the committee’s rules/bylaws are inconsistent with the State Party Rules, the County Committee Rules, and/or law, the area committee shall take prompt steps to amend its rules/bylaws to make them consistent. The County Committee will assist the area committees in the drafting and adoption of rules/bylaws upon request. No area or district committee shall operate inconsistently with the Rules of the Republican Committee of Lancaster County.
Section 5. Duties:
- At least twenty-one (21) days prior to the first legal day for securing signatures on nomination petitions, the area committee shall meet to consider candidates for office in that area.
- Should the area committee not so meet, then any member of the County Committee in that area may request the County Chairman to intervene. In such event, the County Chairman shall call such a meeting as soon as is reasonably possible.
Section 6. Endorsements:
No person shall be deemed to be endorsed for office in that area by an area committee except upon secret ballot in which the endorsed person received a vote at least equal to two-thirds (2/3) of a quorum of the area committee.
Section 7. School Area Chairman:
The School Area Chairman shall be responsible for organizing the area’s involvement in all campaigns for school area-wide offices. He/she shall assist the County Committee members within the district. He/she shall assist the County Chairman in organizing the area’s involvement in all national, state, county and legislative campaigns and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned him or her from time to time by the County Chairman.
Article VI
Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees:
The standing committees of the Republican Party of Lancaster County and Chairpersons thereof are appointed by the Chairman and shall consist of:
- Finance. The Finance Chairman and Committee shall lead the charge to raise funds for the party necessary to meet the annual budget and/or satisfy debt authorized by the County Committee in accordance with the Bylaws, pay over the same to the Treasurer, and advise the Treasurer regarding the annual budget.
- Budget. The County Chairman, Treasurer, and Finance Committee Chairman shall constitute a Budget Committee. The Budget Committee shall prepare an annual budget for the County Committee no later than May 1 of each year, and shall submit this annual budget to the Leadership Team, which shall approve or modify said budget in a timely manner before the end of the fiscal year. The Treasurer shall prepare and submit to the Leadership Team a monthly statement of income and expenditures to permit the Leadership Team to assure itself that there are no unauthorized expenditures or commitments.
- Vacancy. The Vacancy Committee shall be responsible for recruiting potential County Committee members to fill vacancies in accordance with the Rules and Bylaws.
- Voter Registration. The Voter Registration Committee shall consist of the Chairman, and one member from each School Area (regardless of committee membership), each appointed by the Chair of the County Committee upon the recommendation of the School Area Committee or with the advice of the Leadership Team. It shall make a continuing effort to enroll Republican voters on a systematic basis.
- Election. The Election Committee shall be charged with long-range election planning and recruitment of candidates at all levels.
- Rules and Resolutions. The Rules and Resolutions Committee shall have the responsibility to provide ongoing oversight of these Rules and Bylaws, and for reviewing proposed Resolutions in accordance with Article I, Section 3.H.
- Youth. It shall be the responsibility of the Youth Committee to develop programs in each School Area for the development of programs for and recruitment of future Republican voters.
Section 2. Audit Committee:
The County Chairman, with the advice and consent of the Leadership Team, shall appoint an Audit Committee which shall audit the accounts of the Treasurer. A public accountant may be employed in lieu of such a committee. The report of such audit shall be made to the County Committee.
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees:
The County Chairman may establish and appoint such other committees as the County Chairman may, from time to time, determine are necessary to or expedient in the furtherance of the business of the County Committee.
Article VII
Removal from Office
Section 1. Legal Offense:
The office of any member of the County Committee, officer thereof, any member of the Leadership Team, any member of the Hearing Committee shall automatically be vacated upon conviction, admission of plea of Nolo Contendre of any felony or a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude.
Section 2. Candidate or Party Support:
The office of any member of the County Committee, officer thereof, any member of the Hearing Committee, any member of any standing committee, and/or any other citizen who is currently engaged, formally or informally, to advise and/or work on behalf of the County Committee, shall be vacated for open and active support of a candidate or party other than Republican, after verification of the facts in a hearing held for that purpose by the Hearing Committee in accordance with the hearing procedures set forth in Article IV.
Section 3. Misfeasance, Malfeasance or Nonfeasance:
Any member of the Committee who is charged with not being a qualified elector, who neglects or refuses to perform the duties of his or her office, or who is otherwise accused of engaging in misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance shall be subject to removal following a finding of such behavior by the Hearing Committee issued pursuant to a hearing held in accordance with Article IV.
Section 4. Removal of Officers:
The elected Officers of the County Committee may be removed from office on the affirmative vote of two thirds (2/3) of the voting membership in favor of removal. Such vote shall take place upon the submission of a resolution calling for the removal of the officer. A quorum for any meeting called for the purpose of considering a Resolution calling for the removal of an Officer is two thirds (2/3) of the entire County Committee membership.
Article VIII
Endorsement Procedure
Section 1. Endorsements:
Endorsement comes from the collective action, consistent with these Rules, of the Lancaster County Republican Committee at a properly called meeting for that purpose, or of the election district(s) constituting the entire geographic political district to be represented by the candidate to be endorsed.
Section 2. Minimum Endorsement Requirement:
No person shall be deemed to be endorsed except upon secret ballot in which the person received a vote at least equal to two-thirds (2/3 or 66.67%) of a quorum of the members of the applicable endorsing Committee certified to be present in person or proxy and entitled to vote on such endorsement. This rule (viz. Section 1 of this Article) shall be referenced as the “Minimum Endorsement Requirement.”
Section 3. Quorum:
A quorum for meetings for endorsing candidates is two-thirds (2/3) of the eligible voting membership of the applicable endorsing committee.
Section 4. Endorsing Committee:
The applicable endorsing Committee shall consist of all County Committee members representing all election districts within the geographic political district which the endorsees seek to represent. All such Committee members shall participate in the endorsement voting process.
Section 5. Endorsement Meeting:
Endorsement meetings for County, State or Congressional candidates, or for National Convention delegates and alternate delegates, shall be held no later than the initial date for candidates to circulate nomination petitions. Endorsement meetings for county magisterial district, school district, municipal or election district candidates shall be held no later than twenty-one (21) days before the initial date for candidates to circulate nomination petitions.
Section 6. Preparatory Informational Meetings and Straw Polls:
The endorsement process for County, State or Congressional candidates, or for National Convention delegates and alternate delegates, shall begin early enough to allow for the timely and efficient conduct of preparatory informational and vetting meetings and straw polls by School District Area Committees, General Assembly District Committees, or Congressional District Committees. No later than such date as set each year by the County Chairman, prospective Republican County, State or Congressional candidates, or National Convention delegates and alternate delegates, should file a letter with the County Chairman indicating their interest in being endorsed.
After such date as set by the County Chairman, each School District Area Committee, General Assembly District Committee, or Congressional District Committee shall hold informational and vetting meetings and straw polls with all Republican candidates who have requested endorsement. The scheduling of these Committee meetings shall be coordinated between the County Chairman and the Chairmen of the School District Area Committees and shall be held in a sufficient period of time prior to the meeting of the applicable endorsing Committee. Prior to the first informational and vetting meeting and straw poll, the County Chairman may establish uniform procedural rules for the conduct of such meetings, with the advice and consent of the Leadership Team. A straw poll shall be taken by secret ballot at the conclusion of each Committee informational and vetting meeting. The results of the straw poll shall immediately be conveyed to the County Chairman who shall, as soon as practicable thereafter, announce the said results publicly.
Section 7. Chairman of Endorsing Committee:
The County Chairman or his/her designee shall preside at meetings to consider endorsement of County Magisterial District, County, State or Congressional candidates and of National Convention delegates and alternate delegates. The chairman of the applicable school district, municipal or election district Area Committee shall preside at meetings to consider endorsement of school district, municipal or election district candidates. A presiding chairman shall have no vote unless he/she is a member of the applicable endorsing Committee.
Section 8. Endorsement Voting Procedure:
- First Endorsement Ballot. Any candidate who receives, on the first ballot, enough votes to meet at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement, shall be declared an endorsed candidate.
- Second Endorsement Ballot. In the event that no candidate, or fewer candidates than the number for whom endorsement is sought, receives at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement on 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. On the second ballot, any candidate receiving enough votes to meet at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
- Third Endorsement Ballot. In the event that no candidate, or fewer candidates than the number for whom endorsement is sought, receives at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement 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. On the third ballot, any candidate receiving enough votes to meet at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
- Fourth Endorsement Ballot. In the event that no candidate, or fewer candidates than the number for whom endorsement is sought, receives at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement on 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 those candidates receiving the highest number of votes on the third ballot. On the fourth ballot, any candidate receiving enough votes to meet at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
- Additional Endorsement Ballots. In the event that all endorsements have not been obtained by the fourth ballot, the endorsing 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 enough votes to meet at least the Minimum Endorsement Requirement shall be declared to be an endorsed candidate.
Section 9. Continued Endorsement Meetings:
Should no quorum be present, or should a vote succeed for the meeting to adjourn prior to an endorsement decision being made, the applicable endorsing Committee shall recess to a date and time certain for the continuation of business.
Section 10. Endorsement for Political Districts not Wholly within Lancaster County:
- Cooperative Agreement by County Chairmen.
Whenever a geographic political district to be represented by an endorsee has boundaries outside of Lancaster County, endorsement shall be as agreed upon by the Republican County Chairmen of the applicable counties, taking into account the percentage of Lancaster County Republican voters within such political district.
- Approval by Committee Members.
Such agreement shall be approved, in advance or subsequently, by the applicable Lancaster County Committee members representing all Lancaster County election districts within the geographic political district.
- Relevance of these “Rules” to such Endorsement.
Whenever Lancaster County Committee members constitute the majority of Republican committee people within such a geographic political district, the endorsement rules as prescribed herein shall prevail.
Section 11. State Committee:
Endorsement of candidates for members of the State Committee shall be governed exclusively by this Section 11. Candidates for the office of member of the State Committee, identical in total number as specified in section 4 below, shall be declared endorsed upon receiving a plurality of the votes of the members of the County Committee or of the City Committee (as applicable), certified to be present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote on such endorsement.
Article IX
Candidate Vacancies
Vacancies on the Republican electoral ballot occurring after the date of any primary election and before the November municipal or general election shall be filled by a majority of a quorum of the members of the County Committee representing the political district who are present and voting (including the whole County, if applicable) wherein such vacancy has occurred. A substituted nomination certificate shall be prepared, executed and timely filed by the Chairman and the Secretary pursuant to the applicable requirements of the Pennsylvania Election Code and the provisions of this Article.
Article X
State Committee Members
Section 1. Applicability of State Committee Rules:
This Article shall be subject to the “Rules of the Republican State Committee of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” which shall be controlling in the event of any discrepancy or insufficiency of these Rules with the State Committee Rules.
Section 2. Election of Candidates:
The members of the State Committee, the total number of whom shall be as specified by the Rules of the State Committee, shall be elected as follows:
- One member, of either sex, from the City of Lancaster.
- The remaining members, to be as equally divided between the sexes as is mathematically possible, from the County at large, excluding the City of Lancaster.
Section 3. Vacancies:
Vacancies in membership on the State Committee shall be filled by the County Chairman, with the advice and consent of the Leadership Team, who shall appoint a resident, registered Republican voter from the City of Lancaster, if the former member was elected from the City of Lancaster, or from the County at large, excluding the City of Lancaster, if the former member was elected from the County. Such appointment shall be for the unexpired term of the member whose position is filled.
Article XI
Rules
Section 1. Suspension of Rules:
These rules may be temporarily suspended at or during any meeting of the County by the affirmative vote of three-fourths (3/4) of a quorum present and voting at either meeting.
Section 2. Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised:
Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and as may be amended from time to time, shall apply in all situations not covered by these Rules.
Article XII
Amendments
Section 1. Usual Procedure:
The foregoing rules may be amended, altered or extended from time to time by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the County Committee present. All such alterations or amendments shall be proposed at one meeting of the County Committee and adopted at a subsequent meeting. If proposed changes were not initiated by the Rules and Resolutions Committee, a full and correct copy of the proposed amendment or alteration of the rules shall be provided to the Rules Committee, in writing, within five (5) days after the first meeting at which they were proposed. The Rules and Resolutions Committee shall have no less than ten (10) days to review and evaluate the proposed alteration or amendment, and provide a written evaluation to the Chairman on the eleventh (11) day after submission of the proposal to the Rules and Resolutions Committee. Thereafter, the Chairman shall send to each member of the County Committee a full and correct copy of the proposed amendment or alteration at least ten (10) days before the time of the meeting at which the said amendment or alteration is to be finally acted upon, together with the evaluation by the Rules Committee of the proposed amendment
Section 2. Expedited Procedure:
The foregoing rules may be amended, altered or extended from time to time by a vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the members of the County Committee present and voting. All such alterations or amendments shall have been approved in advance by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the members of the Leadership Team present and voting and provided that a full and correct copy of the proposed amendment or alteration shall have been mailed to each member of the County Committee at least fourteen (14) days before the time of the meeting at which said amendment or alteration is to be finally acted upon. This procedure may not be used for any alteration in the rules as to the composition of the Leadership Team, any amendment to this article, or any amendment which relates to the procedure and/or vote required for endorsements for public office.
Section 3. Applicability:
These Rules shall become effective only upon proper filing as required by state law and/or the Rules and Bylaws of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.
