ADP Bylaws
Approved June 14, 1980
As Amended January 26, 2008
PREAMBLE
These bylaws cover the operation and organization of the Arizona Democratic Party, a party organization established pursuant to ARS Title 16, Sections 16-821 – 828; such sections shall be considered Appendix 1 of these bylaws.
ARTICLE I
ORGANIZATION
SECTION 1. State Committee. There shall be a State Committee, with membership as provided by law and in Article II of these bylaws, which shall have duties and responsibilities as provided by law and these bylaws. The State Committee shall be the governing body of the Arizona Democratic Party and shall have authority over all actions of the Executive Committee, Executive Board, and other committees of the Arizona Democratic Party.
SECTION 2. Executive Committee. There shall be an Executive Committee, with membership as provided by law and in Article IV of these bylaws, which shall have duties and responsibilities as provided by law and these bylaws, subject to direction by the State Committee.
SECTION 3. Executive Board. There shall be an Executive Board, with membership consisting of the elected State Committee Officers as provided in Article III of these bylaws, which shall have duties and responsibilities as provided by these bylaws, subject to direction of the State Committee.
ARTICLE II
STATE COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. Membership. Unless otherwise prescribed by law, membership of the State Committee shall consist of the chairperson of each county committee of the Democratic Party of Arizona, plus one (1) member of the county committee for every three (3) members of the county committee elected pursuant to statute. Only precinct committeepersons elected at the preceding primary election shall be eligible for membership on the State Committee at the statutory organizational meeting. Elections to the State Committee shall be held at the biennial meeting of each county committee. In the case of Maricopa and Pima Counties, these members shall be elected at the biennial district meetings as provided in the respective County bylaws. Nominations for election to the State Committee shall be allowed from the floor. No slate identification shall be allowed on any ballots or balloting at these elections. Following the statutory organizational meeting, vacancies may be filled by any precinct committeeperson pursuant to statutory procedure.
SECTION 2. Organizational Meeting. The State Committee shall hold a biennial organizational meeting in Phoenix no earlier than ten (10) days after the last county meeting of the party and in no event later than the fourth (4th) Saturday in January following a general election.
SECTION 3. Duties of the State Committeepersons. The duties of the Committeepersons shall include but not be limited to:
a) Canvass and campaign only on behalf of Democratic candidates.
b) Assist in registration programs and in turning out a maximum Democratic vote.
c)Support the permanent State Party organization as well as their County and District Party committees.
d)Encourage financial support of the State Democratic Party, their County Committees and their districts.
e)Protect and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and the State of Arizona.
SECTION 4.A Committeeperson shall be deemed to have resigned if:
a)he or she fails without reasonable explanation to attend in person or by proxy three (3) consecutive meetings of the State Committee; or
b)if it is the opinion of two-thirds (2/3) of the total membership of the body that elected a State Committeeperson, as expressed by a vote at a regular or specially called meeting of that body, that the State Committeeperson has refused or neglected his or her duties; or
c)if the Committeeperson has publicly supported an opposition candidate in a partisan election.
Following a deemed resignation, as described in this Section, the County Chair shall notify the Committeeperson that because of his or her actions said Committeeperson is deemed to have resigned. The Committeeperson may appeal such a decision to the County Committee for reinstatement. The State Chair shall be notified of the steps in the aforesaid actions before any such action shall become final. If a Committeeperson wishes to further appeal his or her removal, the State Executive Committee shall act as final board of arbitrators. The decision reached by the Executive Committee shall be final.
SECTION 5. Vacancies. A vacancy in the State Committee shall occur if a member dies, resigns, fails to maintain Democratic registration, is removed by cause, or otherwise ceases to be a member of his or her county committee. In addition, in counties with populations of less than five hundred thousand (500,000) persons, a vacancy shall exist in the state committee when a member moves from the county from which elected. In counties with populations of five hundred thousand (500,000) or more persons, a vacancy shall exist in the state committee when a member moves from the legislative district from which elected. Within fifteen (15) days of the occurrence of a vacancy in the office of State Committeeperson, in counties with populations less than five hundred thousand (500,000) persons, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment made by the State Chair with the advice and consent of the County Chair of the county in which the vacancy occurred, and shall be filled by a qualified person who resides in the same County in which the vacancy occurred. In counties with populations of five hundred thousand (500,000) or more persons, such vacancy shall be filled by appointment made by the State Chair with the advice and consent of the County Chair of the county in which the vacancy occurred and the District Chair of the district in which the vacancy occurred, and shall be filled by a qualified person who resides in the same district in which the vacancy occurred.
ARTICLE III
STATE COMMITTEE OFFICERS
SECTION 1. Officers. The statutory officers, Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall be elected at each biennial organizational meeting. At this meeting, the State Committee shall also elect from its membership a First Vice-Chair of a different gender and county of residence as the Chair, a Senior Vice-Chair of the same gender and different county of residence as the Chair, three (3) Vice-Chairwomen, three (3) Vice-Chairmen, an Educational Coordinator, and an Affirmative Action Moderator. The National Committee Members are Party officers but shall be elected as described in Article X, Section 2. No more than two (2) of the four (4) Vice-Chairmen or two (2) of the four (4) Vice-Chairwomen shall be elected from the same county. The First Vice-Chair and Senior Vice-Chair shall be the highest-ranking vice-chairs of their gender. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be appointed by the State Chair; all other officers shall be elected.
SECTION 2. Election of Officers.
a)All nominations for State Committee officers shall be made from the floor of the convention or meeting and no slate identification shall be allowed on any ballots or balloting at these elections. Any duly elected or appointed State Committeeperson may be eligible for any elective office but no person shall be submitted as a candidate without the consent of such person having first been obtained. In all cases where there is more than one (1) candidate for office, voting shall be done by individual ballot. No county shall bind itself to the unit rule. An automatic recount is required if the number of votes cast is greater than the number of committeepersons present in person or represented by proxy or if the ballot shall result in the election of an officer not just the elimination of a candidate and there is a margin of less than six (6) votes between the elected officer and the next candidate. To be elected, a person must receive votes on a majority of ballots cast. In the event a second or subsequent ballot is necessary, the name of the candidate with the lowest vote total from the preceding ballot will be excluded. The same procedure shall be followed until a nominee shall have received votes on a majority of ballots cast.
b)Officers of the State Committee shall be elected in the following order: State Chair; First Vice-Chair; Senior Vice-Chair; Vice-Chairwomen; Vice Chairmen; Secretary; Treasurer; Educational Coordinator; and Affirmative Action Moderator.
SECTION 3. Duties of Officers. In addition to their duties as State Committeepersons, the duties of the Party Officers shall include but not be limited to:
a)The State Chair shall direct the affairs of the Party and shall be the spokesperson for the Party. He or she shall preside over all meetings of the State Committee, the Executive Committee, the Executive Board and Party Conventions or meetings as may be held. He or she shall appoint such committees as required by these bylaws or deemed necessary by the Chair to carry out the programs and policies of the Party. He or she shall direct the central office of the party and other offices that it may establish. The Chair shall submit a proposal for approval for an annual budget to the Executive Committee.
b)The First Vice-Chair shall assist the Chair in the performance of his or her duties and in the absence of the Chair shall act in his or her stead. The First Vice-Chair shall be a member of the Democratic National Committee according to its rules and shall attend meetings of that committee along with the State Chair.
c)All Vice-Chairpersons shall serve as liaisons to geographic regions of the state and caucuses, and perform such duties as are assigned to them by the State Chair.
d)The Secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the State Committee, the Executive Board, and the Executive Committee; a roll of members of the State Committee; a copy of formal reports of its officers, committees, and sub-committees; and a copy of all resolutions adopted by the State Committee; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the State Chair.
e)The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds and securities of the Arizona Democratic Party; maintain adequate records pertaining to the finances of this organization and file all required federal and state reports; be responsible for the financial affairs of the Arizona Democratic Party; prepare an annual report for each fiscal year within forty-five (45) days of its closure for distribution at the next State Committee meeting; serve as a member of any committee pertaining to finance or that receives or disburses funds; and at least once a month, to the extent that funds are available and expenditures are authorized by law, pay outstanding bills which are those bills that have been duly incurred within the current budget as permitted by these bylaws. The Treasurer shall disburse funds in accordance with the direction of the Executive Board and where the legality of an expenditure is questioned by the Treasurer, the opinion of legal counsel is final.
f)The Educational Coordinator shall assist with and direct the implementation of the Party Platform and program for multicultural outreach and have such other duties as assigned by the State Chair.
g)The Affirmative Action Moderator shall assist with and direct the implementation of the Party Affirmative Action Program as outlined in Article IX of these bylaws and have such other duties as assigned by the State Chair.
h)The State Committee-elected National Committeemen and State Committee-elected National Committeewomen shall have duties as described in Article X, Section 3, and have such other duties as assigned by the State Chair.
i)The Sergeant-At-Arms shall maintain order at all meetings of the State Committee and of the Executive Committee and shall keep an inventory of equipment that belongs to the State Party and shall report on this inventory at least once each year.
SECTION 4. State Committee Staff. The Chair shall appoint such staff, including counsel, as may be helpful to carry on the duties of the organization. No such appointment shall extend beyond the term of the Chair.
SECTION 5. Removal of State Committee Officers. Any regular officer of the State Committee shall be removed from office by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the total number of the State Committee.
SECTION 6. Vacancies. Vacancies among the officers shall be filled by an election of the State Committee at an open meeting called with at least twenty-one (21) days written notice mailed by the State Democratic Office or State Chair. The postmark will signify compliance with the twenty-one (21) day notice requirement. If the Chair vacates his or her position and is replaced by a person of the opposite gender, the Senior Vice-Chair shall become the First Vice-Chair of the Party with all attendant duties including membership on the Democratic National Committee, and the First Vice-Chair shall become the Senior Vice-Chair. A vacancy in the office of Chair may be filled by any State Committee member residing in any county, and no Vice-Chair will be disqualified by virtue of residency.
SECTION 7. Expenses of Officers. The officers may be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in the performance of their duties as set forth in the annual budget.
SECTION 8. Annual Budget. The budget, approved by the Executive Committee, shall represent the expenditure authority of the Party, subject to amendment, and be in effect for the year starting on the first month after approval. Any expense in excess of the amount budgeted shall be subject to approval of the Executive Committee. A financial report shall be furnished at least quarterly by the Treasurer. No contracts for capital expenditures, employment, consultants or contracts in excess of $10,000 signed by the Chair or on behalf of the Party shall extend beyond the term of the Chair without approval of the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE IV
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. Membership. Unless otherwise specified by law, the membership of the Executive Committee shall consist of the County Chairperson and the first and second County Vice-Chairpersons from each county; the State Committee-elected National Committeemen, the State Committee-elected National Committeewomen; three (3) members-at-large from each Congressional District; the President or a representative of the President of the Young Democrats of Arizona; the President or representative of the President of the Arizona Federation of Democratic Women’s Clubs; and the other State Officers as listed in Article III of these bylaws. The Chair of the State Committee shall serve as Chair of the Executive Committee.
SECTION 2. At-Large Members. The three (3) members-at-large from each Congressional District must be chosen by the State Chair; these appointments shall be made within the month following the biennial meeting.
SECTION 3. Executive Committee Duties. The Executive Committee shall approve the budget and amendments to the budget, approve specific contracts extending beyond the Chair’s term, act as the final board of arbitrators for State Committeepersons seeking reinstatement after removal, and perform such duties as assigned by the State Chair.
SECTION 4. Meetings. The Executive Committee shall meet at least quarterly.
ARTICLE V
EXECUTIVE BOARD
SECTION 1. Membership. The membership of the Executive Board shall consist of the elected officers of the State Committee: State Chair, First Vice-Chair, Senior Vice-Chair, Vice-Chairwomen, Vice-Chairmen, Secretary, Treasurer, Educational Coordinator, and Affirmative Action Moderator, the State Committee-elected National Committeemen and the State Committee-elected National Committeewomen. The Chair shall serve as the Chair of the Executive Board.
SECTION 2. Executive Board Duties. The Executive Board shall act on behalf of the State Committee between State Committee meetings and perform other such duties as assigned by the State Chair.
SECTION 3. Meetings.
a)The Executive Board shall meet at least quarterly.
b)The Executive Board can meet within 48 hours on the call of the Chair. Members may participate in person or electronically.
ARTICLE VI
OTHER COMMITTEES
SECTION 1. Standing Committees. Standing Committees of the State Committee shall be the Affirmative Action Committee, Bylaws Committee, Communications Committee, Credentials Committee, Election Integrety Committee, Finance Committee, and Resolutions Committee. The determination of the personnel, size, and other details of the composition of Statnding Committees shall be the duties of the State Chair.
a) It shall be the duty of the Affirmative Action Committee to undertake the responsibilities stated in Article IX, Section 1 of these bylaws.
b) It shall be the duty of the Bylaws Committee to keep the bylaws of the Party consistent with the aims and policies of the Party and to propose changes in the bylaws. The Bylaws Committee shall report to the State Committee and shall recommend approval, rejection, or amendment of all bylaw amendments.
c) It shall be the duty of the Communications Committee to help create media awareness of the activities of the Party and to assist in any communications and voter outreach programs of the Party.
d)It shall be the duty of the Credentials Committee to approve the credentials of all State or Executive Committee members at meetings of these committees and to review and approve all proxies in accordance with Article VIII, Section 6 of these bylaws. All challenges of members or proxies shall be referred to the Credentials Committee for resolution. The Credentials Committee shall oversee all vote counts. In the event that a ballot is required, the Credentials Committee shall count the ballots, determine the intent of the voter and resolve any conflicts regarding the validity of any ballot cast.
e) It shall be the duty of the Election Integrity Committee to represent the Party in all efforts to assure the integrity of the election process in consultation with the State Chair.
f) It shall be the duty of the Finance Committee to assist the State Chair in raising funds for the State Party.
g)It shall be the duty of the Resolutions Committee to review all resolutions proposed to the State Committee in accordance with these bylaws. The Resolutions Committee shall report to the State Committee and shall recommend approval, rejection, or amendment of all resolutions. The Resolutions Committee shall establish and publish the procedures for the proposition of resolutions that are consistent with these bylaws.
SECTION 2. Special Committees. Special Committees of the State Committee shall be the, Coordinated Campaign Committee, Delegate Selection Committee, Platform Committee, and other such committees as may be appointed by the State Chair or as may be directed by the State Committee. The determination of the personnel, size, and other details of the composition of Special Committes shall be the duties of the State Chair, except the Coordinated Campaign Committee, the composition of which shall also be determined in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee.
a) It shall be a duty of the Coordinated Campaign Committee to raise funds to support the activities of the State Party’s Coordinated Campaign.
b)It shall be the duty of the Delegate Selection Committee to ensure that the rules for delegate selection for conventions and meetings are kept consistent pursuant to Article XI of these bylaws and to undertake selection of delegates in accordance with those rules.c)It shall be the duty of the Platform Committee, which shall be chaired by the Educational Coordinator, to draft a platform that shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for additions and changes prior to its submission to the State Committee, and such endorsed document shall be available one (1) month prior to the meeting of the State Committee at which it is to be considered for approval.
SECTION 3. Committee Statements. No committee shall be authorized to issue any statement on behalf of either the State Committee or the Executive Committee or as coming from the Party, and any statement of report issued by any committee in its own behalf shall be confined within the scope of its duties.
SECTION 4. Funds. All funds for committees are under the internal control of the Party and fall within the duties of the Treasurer.
SECTION 5. Democratic Clubs. The State Committee shall certify any Democratic club which has been recognized by the Democratic County Committee in which the club members reside, under rules established by the bylaws of their Democratic County Committee.
SECTION 6. Statewide Caucuses:The ADP encourages broad participation and diversity. In recognition thereof, provision is hereby made for official recognition of Statewide Caucuses.
Definition: A Caucus is a group of Democrats whose members join together to organize the communities they represent within the ADP for activities, goals and purposes consonant with the overall activities, goals and purposes of the ADP and the Democratic National Committee.
Procedure
(A)A prospective Caucus may apply to the Executive Board of the State Committee for official recognition as a Caucus of the ADP. Applications must be signed by a minimum of twenty current members of the State Committee and must be presented to the Executive Board 30 days prior to any quarterly meeting of the State Committee, for consideration at the Quarterly meeting. A prospective Caucus may apply to the Executive Board no more than twice during any two-year period between one biennial organizational meeting and the next
(B)Provided that all criteria for Caucus recognition herein set forth are met, the Executive Board shall recognize an applicant Caucus as a Caucus of the ADP, unless, upon the vote of two-thirds of all the members of the Executive Board, the activities, goals, and purposes of the Caucus are found to be specifically detrimental to the activities, goals, and purposes of the ADP. If a Caucus application is rejected, the Executive Board must immediately in writing provide the applying Caucus the reason for the denial.
Conditions of Recognition and/or Maintaining Recognition. A Caucus will not be recognized as a Caucus of the ADP or will immediately lose its recognition upon a determination by the Executive Board (given in writing to the Caucus with the Caucus having a reasonable opportunity to challenge the determination and/or to remedy same) that any of the following Prerequisite Conditions do not or no longer exist or that any of the following Revocation Events have occurred, or for such other stated reason as the Executive Board finds in the best interest of the ADP:
Prerequisite Conditions:
1.Minimum current 20 State Committee members as enrolled members residing
in at least 3 Arizona counties
2.The Caucus has adopted by-laws:
a.Requiring members to be registered Democrats
b.Stating that one of the purposes of the caucus is to elect Democrats
and to work to strengthen the ADP
c.Which are not in conflict with, or in contradiction to, the by-laws of the ADP.
3.Agreement by the Caucus to follow the Bylaws of the ADP.
4.The Caucus shall not be nor operate as a political action committee (“PAC”) as PACs are
defined by and subject to either the Arizona Revised Statutes or by the United States Code.
Revocation Events
5.The Caucus fails to remain in compliance with the above Prerequisite Conditions.
6.Caucus endorsement of any candidate for public office during the pre-primary or primary period.
7.Caucus endorsement or effort on behalf of candidates other than Democratic candidates.
Benefits of Recognized Caucus Status. At such time as a Caucus is officially recognized as a Caucus of the ADP, the Caucus shall be entitled to further normal benefits of ADP recognition, such as meeting announcements by the ADP on its website and elsewhere, meeting time, space and facilities at State Committee meeting venues at no charge to the Caucus, opportunity to report from the floor at State Committee meetings. Although a Caucus may identify itself as a Caucus recognized by the ADP, such recognition shall in no way entitle a Caucus to speak on behalf of the ADP as a whole, and the Caucus shall take care that no such impression is given in its activities or statements.
State Committee Membership. At such time as the Caucus shall have 75 members in good standing, the caucus shall be entitled to select one of its members to be a member of the Executive Committee of the ADP.
ARTICLE VII
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS
SECTION 1. Endorsements. The State Committee shall endorse persons to be candidates for Presidential Electors of the Party. Each such Elector shall be required to pledge as a condition of his or her selection that he or she will vote for the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominee of the National Democratic Convention of the Democratic Party.
ARTICLE VIII
MEETINGS
SECTION 1. Meetings. The State Committee and the Executive Committee shall meet on the call of the Chair or in accordance with any resolution adopted by it. The Chair shall call a meeting within twenty (20) days of the date designated by any petition filed with the Secretary and signed by ten (10) percent of the total membership of the body whose meeting is sought, as long as such petition is signed by members of at least three (3) counties. The State Committee shall meet at least once each quarter.
SECTION 2. Written Notice. Proper notice shall be given of the date, time, and place by mail to each member at his or her address as shown on the records of the State Committee by first class mail at least ten (10) days prior to a meeting or by bulk mail at least seventeen (17) days before the meeting.
SECTION 3. Quorum. A quorum of members of the body that is meeting shall consist of at least forty (40) percent of the membership, provided that notice has been given in accordance with Section 2 of this Article. Proxies will be counted as members present. A quorum shall be present for all voting.
SECTION 4. Voting. Voting within the State Committee, the Executive Committee or any of their sub-committees shall be on an individual basis and may be actual roll call vote, by county, by division of the body in commonly accepted manner, or by voice vote, as may be appropriate. No slate or title identification shall be made on any ballot or in balloting.
SECTION 5. Debate. No delegates or members shall speak longer than five (5) minutes at one time, except as provided in the order of the day or by a vote of the majority of members present.
SECTION 6. Proxy Attendance. Members of the State or Executive Committees meeting pursuant to these bylaws may vote by proxy, in which event the following regulations apply:
a)Each Proxy shall be given to a precinct committeeperson residing in the County where the member resides, except any member residing in a Legislative District lying wholly within a single county shall give his or her proxy to another qualified precinct committeeperson residing within such district.
b) Each proxy shall be attested by a notary or by two witnesses.
c) Each proxy shall state a specific meeting for which it is given and shall be valid only for that meeting.
d) Each proxy shall be dated as of the date it is given and shall be valid only if executed within twenty days.
e) There shall be no limit to the number of proxies an individual can hold unless the State or Executive Committee meeting is held in the county of residence of a committeeperson, then that committeeperson shall carry no more than three (3) proxies.
f) Proxy voting in the matter of delegate selection for the national convention or any meeting covered by separate rules such as delegate Selection will be covered by those rules.
g) Proxy Attendance: Any member who has been present at a State or Executive Committee meeting held pursuant to these bylaws, may, upon leaving the meeting, give his/her proxy in accordance with subsection a); however, if no other qualified precinct committeeperson of the county where the member resides will be present after the departure of the member, the member may give his/her proxy to the State Chair to be voted in accordance with written instructions the member shall put on the proxy form, or, in the absence of such written instructions, to be voted at the discretion of the State Chair.
h) All proxies must be voted in accordance with written instructions the member includes on the proxy form. Failure to do so will invalidate the proxy.
Proxy voting is not permitted at any other committee meeting pursuant to these bylaws.
SECTION 7. Agenda. The Chair shall prepare the agenda for each meeting; such agenda must provide adequate opportunity each meeting for any member of that body to present new business.
SECTION 8. Open Meetings. All meetings of the State Committee and its subcommittees shall be open meetings.
SECTION 9. Parliamentary Procedure.
a)The State Chairman may appoint a Parliamentarian who shall serve without a vote by reason of such office. Should the Parliamentarian be absent at any meeting at which his/her services are required, the State Chairman may appoint another to act for any such meeting.
b)All meetings of the Party shall be conducted under Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, most current edition.
SECTION 10. Proposed Resolutions. A member proposing a resolution shall, whenever possible, submit in writing a copy of the proposed resolution thirty (30) days prior to the meeting, for the purpose of permitting a copy of the proposed resolution to be mailed to all members along with the call to the meeting. Nothing in this section shall be construed as to limit the ability of any member to submit a resolution less than thirty (30) days prior to a meeting. Any member submitting a resolution less than thirty (30) days prior to a meeting, shall provide sufficient copies of said resolution to be distributed to every member present.
ARTICLE IX
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
SECTION 1. Committee. The State Committee shall establish a permanent Affirmative Action Committee under the direction of the Affirmative Action Moderator and the State Chair. This Committee will be charged with, but not limited to, the following responsibilities:
a)Prepare a program and budget aimed at insuring that there is no discrimination in representation in the State Committee based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, physical handicap, religion, philosophical persuasion, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Specifically, this program should stress methods to bring underrepresented groups into the Party organization as Precinct Committeepersons and State Committeepersons.
b)Set goals and timetables for achieving participatory representation of the groups.
c)Make a quarterly progress report to the State Committee.
SECTION 2. Membership. The Affirmative Action Committee shall consist of at least ten (10) members representative of the makeup of the Democrats of the State of Arizona. The Committee members shall be appointed by the State Chair. The Affirmative Action Committee shall elect from its members an Assistant Moderator, a Secretary and such other officers as they deem necessary.
SECTION 3. Meetings. The Moderator shall call at least one (1) meeting, but not limited to one (1), each quarter.
SECTION 4. Targeting Under-Represented Groups. To determine whether various groups are under-represented, the latest U.S. Census or an equivalent recognized demographic study (that indicates a profile of Democratic voters) shall be used wherever possible. Any group, according to race, color, sex, national origin, or age that has a percentage of the State Committee less than their percentage of the State of Arizona by more than five (5) percent, shall be considered as a group that is under-represented and shall receive the focus of attention of the Affirmative Action Committee first.
SECTION 5. County Committees. Each County shall have an Affirmative Action Committee and a program with time schedules.
ARTICLE X
NATIONAL COMMITTEE
SECTION 1. Membership. According to the rules of the Democratic National Committee, the State Chair and the First Vice-Chair along with the National Committeemen and Committeewomen shall be the Arizona members of the Democratic National Committee.
SECTION 2. National Committeemen and National Committeewomen. The State Committee shall elect by a majority vote the number of National Committee Members authorized by the Democratic National Committee, all of whom are qualified Democratic electors and who have been elected or appointed as precinct committeepersons, to represent the state of Arizona on the National Committee for a term of four (4) years. These elected National Committee Members shall be divided equally between male and female members as closely as is possible. Should a vacancy occur in the Arizona membership, the State Committee shall elect one (1) of its members to fill the unexpired term. The normal election for the National Committee Members shall be held at the first State Committee meeting in the year of the National Convention to select a presidential nominee.
SECTION 3. Meetings. The members in Section 1 of this Article shall attend such meetings as are called by the National Committee, whenever possible.
ARTICLE XI
DELEGATE SELECTION
SECTION 1. Rules. There shall be rules for delegate selection for conventions and meetings of the National Committee, which are in accordance with the guidelines set by the Democratic National Committee. These rules shall be an Appendix to these bylaws and may be enacted, changed or modified separately from these bylaws, but must comply with these bylaws.
ARTICLE XII
BYLAWS
SECTION 1. Effective Date. These bylaws shall go into effect immediately upon their adoption and shall continue in force for present and future membership subject to amendment or termination in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
SECTION 2. Amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a vote of not less than two-thirds (2/3) of the members of the State Committee present, in person or proxy, at a regular or specially called meeting of the State Committee. Any proposed change must be presented in writing accompanied by a statement explaining the purpose to be achieved and reasons supporting the change. There will be sufficient copies to distribute to members present. For all meetings except the biennial organizational meeting, amendments in writing must be received in the State Headquarters or by the Secretary at least thirty (30) days prior to its consideration at the meeting. The proposed amendments will be mailed with the call of the meeting. Motions to amend these bylaws may be made at the statutory organizational meeting only if accompanied by sufficient copies to be simultaneously distributed to members present. No proposal to amend or terminate these bylaws shall be considered by the State Committee unless it has been submitted in compliance with the provision of this article.
SECTION 3. County and District Bylaws. Each County and District Committee shall have bylaws and such bylaws shall not be contrary to these bylaws.
Approved June 14, 1980
Amended December 5, 1981
Amended November 16, 1985
Amended May 24, 1987
Amended January 26, 1991
Amended May 8, 1999
Amended July 17, 1999
Amended February 23, 2002
Amended November 19, 2005
Amended January 26, 2008