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FairfaxDemocrats.org
Bylaws of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee as proposed January 5, 2010- vF
BYLAWS OF THE FAIRFAX COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
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As proposed January 2010
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ARTICLE I – NAME, AUTHORITY, PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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Section 1.
This committee shall be known as the “Fairfax County Democratic Committee”, referred to in
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these Bylaws as the “County Committee”.
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Section 2.
These Bylaws are adopted by the County Committee under the auspices of the Democratic
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voters of Fairfax County and the authority of the Virginia Democratic Party Plan and shall continue in
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effect subject to amendment as elsewhere provided. The County Committee shall have full charge of the
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affairs of the Democratic Party in Fairfax County, including the nominating process for, and support of,
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Democratic candidates. If any provision of these Bylaws conflicts with a provision of the Virginia
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Democratic Party Plan, the Party Plan shall control.
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Section 3.
It shall be the duty of the County Committee, as well as each officer and member thereof, to
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actively seek the registration of voters, to perfect the Democratic organization within the County, to
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encourage the expression of positions to elected officials on policy issues, and to do all within their
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power to aid in the victory of the Democratic Party’s nominees in all elections, except as otherwise
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provided in the Virginia Democratic Party Plan as it deals with nominees who support candidates
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opposed to a Democratic nominee.
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ARTICLE II – BIENNIAL REORGANIZATION BY
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PRECINCT, DISTRICT AND COUNTY COMMITTEE
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Section 1.
As provided in the State Party Plan and Article III of these Bylaws, the membership of the
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County Committee shall expire and new members shall be elected at caucuses to be held on or
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between the first and second Saturday in December of each odd numbered year at one a venue within
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each magisterial district. The caucuses may be held on different days within the eight-day period.
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Section 2.
As provided in Article V of these bylaws, immediately following the election of precinct, and
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At-Large and Emeritus representatives to the County Committee, those newly elected members shall
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organize the District Committee, including the election of District officers.
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Section 3.
As provided in the State Party Plan and Article IV of these Bylaws, the newly elected
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members of the County Committee shall meet within 40 days of the precinct caucuses on or by the
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second Tuesday of the following January to reorganize and elect officers of the County Committee.
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Section 4.
For the purpose of transition, exceptions to the foregoing Sections of this Article are provided
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in Article IV.
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ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
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Section 1.
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(a) The precinct and At Large County Committee shall consist of those members elected by the
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Democratic voters of Fairfax County and those members elected by the County Committee itself to
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fill vacancies which occur subsequent to such election by voters.
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FairfaxDemocrats.org
Bylaws of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee as proposed January 5, 2010- vF
(b) Those Democratic elected officials, including officials in non-partisan office who are endorsed by the
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Democratic Party, holding office in, or from, Virginia who reside in Fairfax County shall be voting ex
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officio members of the County Committee upon signing a filing form and payment of the filing fee.
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(c) Elected members of the Democratic National Committee who reside in Fairfax County shall be
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voting ex officio members of the County Committee upon payment of the filing fee.
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(d) Members of the Virginia State Central Committee who are not otherwise members of the County
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Committee and who reside in Fairfax County shall be voting ex officio members of the County
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Committee upon payment of the filing fee.
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(e) Democratic members of the Electoral Board, and the County Registrar of Voters, if a Democrat, shall
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be voting ex officio members of the County Committee upon signing a filing form and payment of the
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filing fee.
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(f) Immediate past County Chair and chairs of each District Committee who reside in Fairfax County
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shall be voting ex officio members of that District Committee and the County Committee upon
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payment of the filing fee.
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(g) Any former Virginia Governor who is a Democrat and resides in Fairfax County shall be life time
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honorary member of the County Committee and shall be a voting member upon signing a filing form
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and payment of the filing fee.
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(h) Any former Democratic member of the Virginia General Assembly and any former Democratic
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Supervisor or Democratic Constitutional Officer elected in the Commonwealth of Virginia who
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resides in Fairfax County and is currently a Democrat shall be a voting ex officio member of the
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County Committee upon signing a filing form and payment of the filing fee.
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(i) Elected Democratic officials who represent districts which include precincts in Fairfax County, but
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who do not reside in Fairfax County, shall be nonvoting ex officio members of the County Committee
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upon signing a filing form.
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(j) Persons who have given long-term, exceptional service to the County Committee may be elected at
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the January reorganization meeting as honorary lifetime voting members; these shall be known as
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the Mary Anne and Jack Hurt Memberships; there shall be no filing fee for lifetime memberships.
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(k) Up to four persons who have been members of the County Committee for at least 20 years or
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elected officials who have represented Fairfax County for at least 10 years may be elected at the
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District reorganization caucuses asEmeritus members; payment of the filing fees for emeritus
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memberships shall be optional. Candidates for Emeritus standing shall file and be elected at
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the District Reorganization Caucus.
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Section 2.
When the County Committee is to be reconstituted by the Democratic voters of Fairfax
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County, the existing County Committee shall determine, by resolution at its September meeting, the
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time, place and manner of such election, the basis of representation of each precinct and district, and
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the time, place and manner of filing declarations of candidacy for election to the County Committee.As
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provided in the State Party Plan, The precinct and district meetings for this purpose shall be held on
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or between the first and second Saturday in December of each odd numbered year. The County Chair
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shall cause ample public notice of all these actions to encourage maximum participation of
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Democratic voters. The County Chair shall send directly e-mail and have delivered by the Postal
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Service to all current members of the Count Committee, and shall effect to have placed on the
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Count Committee’s website, and distribute as widely as possible to all print and electronic media
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public notice of all these actions to encourage maximum participation of Democratic voters.
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FairfaxDemocrats.org
Bylaws of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee as proposed January 5, 2010- vF
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Section 3.
Each precinct shall be represented by the number of members apportioned in accordance
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with Article II, Section 2. One of the seats apportioned to each precinct shall be reserved for a member
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who is a resident of that precinct at the time of his or her election. If no such resident seeks election to
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the County Committee, one seat in that precinct shall remain vacant until such a person is available.
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Section 4.
Declarations of candidacy for election to the County Committee shall be accompanied by a
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filing fee in an amount fixed by the County Committee; fees shall be waived for any Democrat who signs
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a statement of inability to pay.
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Section 5.
Members may be removed from the County Committee for failure to perform the
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functions designated on their filing forms. Any member’s name may be submitted for removal to
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their District Committee by the District Chair or four members of that District Committee. If a
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majority of the District Committee confirms the removal, the name shall be forwarded to the
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County Committee, where a majority vote may remove the member. At least ten days notice shall
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be given to the member prior to either the District Committee or County Committee
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consideration.
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ARTICLE IV – OFFICERS
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Section 1.
At the reorganization meeting, the members of the County Committee shall elect the
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following officers: Chair, referred to in these Bylaws as the “County Chair;” Vice Chair South; Vice Chair
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Central; Vice Chair North; Vice Chair for Outreach; Vice Chair for Precinct Operations; Vice Chair for
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Administration; Vice Chair for Voter Registration and Get Out the Vote Operations; Vice Chair for
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Finance; Corresponding Secretary; Recording Secretary; Treasurer; and, Assistant Treasurer. Such
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elections shall be by secret ballot except when a candidate is unopposed.
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Section 2.
The Vice Chairs South, Central and North shall be referred to as the “Regional Vice Chairs”.
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The Vice Chair South shall reside in Lee, Mount Vernon or Springfield District. The Vice Chair Central
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shall reside in Braddock, Mason or Providence District. The Vice Chair North shall reside in Dranesville,
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Hunter Mill or Sully District.
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Section 3.
The Regional Vice Chair who resides in the same region as the County Chair shall be the
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third ranking Vice Chair; the other two Regional Vice Chairs shall each be the first ranking Vice Chair for
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one year during the biennium, the three Regional Vice Chairs to determine in which order. The highest
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regional Vice Chair available shall preside in the absence of the County Chair.
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Section 4.
The Vice Chair for Administration Technology shall be the Chair of the Voter Records
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Committee; the Vice Chair for Voter Registration shall be the Chair of the Voter Registration
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Committee; and, the Vice Chair for Finance shall be the Chair of the Finance Committee.
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Section 5.
The Vice Chairs, South, Central and North, shall be the County Committee’s representatives
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to joint campaigns in Fairfax County.
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Section 6.
Vacancies in any of the above offices shall be filled by election at the next regularly
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scheduled meeting. When a vacancy in the County Chair occurs in the three-month period prior to a
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general election, the ranking Vice Chair, North or South, shall assume the duties of the County Chair
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and the election of the County Chair shall be postponed until the first County Committee meeting
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subsequent to the general election, except in the year of the County Committee’s reorganization, when it
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shall be held at the January reorganization meeting.
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