St. Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Ward ___                                                       February 3, 2009

PROPOSED AGENDA

1.  Call to order.

2.  Reading of the DFL affirmative action statement.

3.  Election of Convention Chair and Secretary.

4.  Adoption of the agenda and rules.

5.  Voluntary donations to cover costs.

6.  Mayor and School Board candidates become eligible to address convention.

7.  Election of Ward party officers.

                A.  Co-chairs (one of each gender).

                B.  Assistant co-chairs (one of each gender).

                C.  Secretary, Treasurer, and Affirmative Action Officer.

                D.  City convention committee members (must be gender balanced).

8.  Election of ___ delegates to City convention.

9.  Candidates for positions other than School Board and Mayor are eligible to address the convention.

9.  New business.

10.  Adjournment.

 

St. Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Ward ___                                                       February 3, 2009

PROPOSED RULES

General Rules of Order

1.  This convention will abide by the St. Paul City DFL Party Constitution and bylaws, the 4th Congressional District Party Constitution and bylaws, and the State DFL Party Constitution and bylaws.  The current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised will govern all other matters not stated below.

 

2.  A majority vote of the convention is required to adopt these rules and agenda.  The debate or amendment of the rules will be limited to a total of five (5) minutes with two (2) speakers on each side of any question.  The Ward Chair is empowered to appoint a Parliamentarian for the convention.

 

3.  Once these rules have been adopted by the convention, any changes require the approval of a two-thirds majority of the convention.

 

4.  The quorum for conducting any business of the convention is a majority of the registered and voting delegates including upgraded alternates.  The test of a quorum will be each ballot.

 

5.  To address the convention or Chair, delegates must first go to the microphone, be recognized by the Convention Chair, and state their name and precinct.

 

6.  The Convention Chair may not entertain or accept a motion to adjourn until all convention business is finished.

 

Seating of Delegates and Alternates

7.  Registration of delegates and alternates to the Ward convention shall continue until adjournment.

 

8.  Alternates shall be upgraded to delegate status as openings appear in the rank order established when the credentials were issued, otherwise by lot.

 

9.  Each precinct chair or designate shall handle the upgrading of alternates, roll calls, and ballot voting. 

 

Convention Floor Control

10.  Due to limited space, the convention floor will be limited to credentialed delegates, alternates, convention staff, candidates seeking endorsement by the St. Paul DFL in the 2009 election cycle, elected officials currently holding office, candidates seeking endorsement in later election cycles and their representatives, and the media.

 

11.  The Ward Chair or a designate will provide each person from the above groups with an identifying badge as proof of credentials.  Only persons with a badge will be allowed onto the convention floor.

 

12.  The Ward Chair will appoint up to six (6) Sergeant -at-arms, who are not affiliated with any campaign, to ensure that the auditorium does not exceed the Fire Marshal’s capacity for occupancy and that only persons with credentials are on the floor.

 

Campaign Materials

13.  All campaigns must consult with the Ward Chair prior to posting or handing out any campaign material.

 

14.  Campaigns will be billed directly from the St. Paul Public School district for any damage caused to the building by campaign supplies and/or campaign staff.  The Ward DFL will not take down signs or remove stickers for any campaign—rather we will instruct the school to have their custodial staff do so and bill the campaign directly for the labor and materials. 

 

15.  The Ward DFL has arranged for tables in the building’s entry for campaigns to use.  Campaigns must share these tables and ensure that they are clean prior to the end of the convention.

 

16.  Because it is important that we keep the building’s entry as accessible as possible, campaigns must wait to use the space/hallway behind the entry to talk with caucus attendees rather than approaching them as they first enter the building.    

 

Signs

17.  Signs for all campaigns will be limited to those two feet by four feet or less.  The quantities of signs allowed for campaigns are:

(a) Campaigns for Mayor are allowed to display eight (8) signs inside and five (5) signs outside the building.

(b) Campaigns for SPPS Board of Education are allowed to display eight (8) signs inside and five (5) signs outside the building.

(c) Campaigns for any other candidates or ballot measures are allowed to display three (3) signs inside and three (3) signs outside

the building.

 

18.  Signs may not be taped or otherwise fixed to the exterior of the building.  Campaign or issue signs outside the building must be on metal stands (lawn side stands) and can be placed in the snow and grass only.

 

19.  Absolutely no campaign signs are allowed on the entry doors.

 

20.  All signs inside must be fixed by blue painter’s tape and will only be allowed on brick, concrete, glass or tile surfaces.

 

21.  No stickers of any kind are permitted in the building.

 

Literature

22.  Precinct conveners will not hand out any campaign or issue literature.  Campaigns are responsible for handing out their own literature. 

 

23.  Campaigns are responsible for gathering any leftover literature.  Ward staff will not collect and return extra literature for campaigns.  Any literature left at the caucus sites will be recycled when the building closes at 10:00pm on February 3rd.

 

Speeches

24.  Anyone wishing to address the convention must check-in with the Ward Chair or another person designated by the Ward Chair. 

 

25.  The Convention Chair, at his/her discretion, may recognize any candidate or office holder.  Elected officials representing any part of the Ward will be given priority to speak due to the scarcity of time.  Candidates or office holders may speak to the convention for no more than two (2) minutes.

 

26.  Each Mayoral or School Board candidate shall have up to a total of five (5) minutes for floor demonstrations, nominating speeches, and candidate speeches.  Candidate order will be determined on a first come first serve basis.

 

Voting Rules

27.  Only credentialed delegates will be allowed to vote.

 

28.  The Convention Chair may appoint tellers as needed to tally votes.

 

Election to St. Paul City Convention

29.  Delegates may request subcaucusing if the number of delegates seeking election to the City convention is greater than the number of delegates that the Ward will elect to be seated at the City convention.  If the convention chooses to subcaucus, this will be done by the walking subcaucus method.

 

30.  Election of City convention delegates and alternates may be done by voice or paper ballot.

 

31.  City convention delegate selection must be as gender balanced as possible.

 

Resolutions

32.  Resolutions forwarded on from the precinct caucus will be passed through the Ward convention and will be prepared for consideration at the St. Paul DFL convention on March 21st at Arlington High School.