People’s Party

National Organizing Committee

Election, Membership and Procedures

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The People’s National Committee

Over the past four years, thousands of people across the country have come together in a historic movement to build a major new political party free of corporate money. Now we’re incredibly proud to have reached a major milestone in the growth and development of the People’s Party: the formation of a representative National Organizing Committee charged with forming the rules for the People’s Party National Committee.

The National Organizing Committee is an interim representative body that will be seated prior to the formation of the National Committee. Once elected, the National Committee will take the place of the National Coordinators’ Circle as the leadership body of the National People’s Party. The National Coordinators’ Circle will continue to oversee the daily work of the National People’s Party until replaced by the National Committee. Additions or replacements to the membership of the National Coordinators’ Circle will be chosen through a vote of its current membership.

What is the National Organizing Committee?

The National Organizing Committee (NOC) is an interim representative body that will be seated prior to the formation of the National Committee, who will be elected at the People’s Party Founding Convention. Once elected, the People’s National Committee will take the place of the National Coordinators’ Circle as the leadership body of the National People’s Party.

What will the National Organizing Committee do?

The National Organizing Committee shall be empowered to create the structure, charter, and bylaws of the National People’s Party building from the Draft National Charter and the Draft National Bylaws templates prepared by the People’s Party National Coordinator’s Circle in consultation with legal and political party experts.

The People’s Party supports democratic systems of governance and expertise. Therefore, we have called for a membership vote on this process. People’s Party members will receive an email invitation to participate in this crucial process.

How will the National Organizing Committee members be selected?

Elections will be held for delegates to the NOC as well as for Interim National Chair of the People’s Party. Details of this process, created with input from the National Coordinators Circle, legal counsel, and experts on political party infrastructure, can be found below.

1. MANDATE and GENERAL PROVISIONS

a. Mandate

The National Organizing Committee of the People’s Party shall be empowered to create the structure, charter, and bylaws of the National People’s Party starting from the Draft National Charter and the Draft National Bylaws templates prepared by the People’s Party National Coordinator’s Circle with advisory opinion from legal and political party experts.

i. The National Organizing Committee shall also be empowered to create committees to research, consult, or to direct specific tasks within the scope and mandate of the National Organizing Committee, as necessary.

ii. Once the National Organizing Committee completes its task, and an election of officers for the National People’s Party is completed, the National Organizing Committee will disband and cease to exist.

b. Non-Discrimination

The People’s Party will not tolerate any discrimination, harassment, or retaliation to any person based on age, race, color, creed, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual preference, gender, marital status, handicap, or religion.

c. Community Agreements

Anyone participating in any People’s Party space, function, action, or committee at any level (local, state, or national) shall abide by our Community Agreements and additional rules where specified.

d. Interim Operating Agreements

The Interim Operating Procedures (December 15, 2020) of the Movement shall be incorporated into these Procedures in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with any bylaws, rules, procedures, or any special rules of order the National Organizing Committee may adopt.

2. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

a. The parliamentary authority for the Movement shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, 12th Edition in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with any bylaws, rules, procedures, or any special rules of order the National Organizing Committee may adopt.

3. MEMBERSHIP

a. Membership in the National Organizing Committee will consist of the following:

i. All existing members of the People’s Party National Coordinators Circle (NCC) as of the date of the announcement of the National Organizing Committee shall participate as voting Members.

ii. All members of the People’s Party National Regional Coordinators shall participate as voting Members.

iii. State Representatives from each People’s Party state or territory organizations that meet one of the following criteria shall participate as voting Members:

1. States and territories that are organized and have at least ten (10) Active Members (as defined in the People’s Party Interim Operating Agreements as Members who have attended at least four (4) of the last six (6) state meetings) or which have held at least four (4) state meetings shall be eligible to elect two (2) Active Members as representatives for their state.

2. Any state not meeting the above requirements shall be eligible to have two (2) Members that reside in that state or territory which shall be appointed by the National Coordinators Circle as representatives for their state.

3. States shall be able to send State Representatives using only one (1) of the criteria listed above.

4. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, any state or territory who meets the criteria of 3.a.iii.1 or 3.a.iii.2 above may be eligible to send State Representatives to the National Organizing Committee as soon as the criteria for organization within the state or territory are met.

5. States and territories shall identify all State Representatives to their Regional Coordinator in the People’s Party National Slack or Basecamp no later than fourteen (14) days following:

a. The announcement of the National Organizing Committee, or

b. The advancement of the state or territory to meet the requirements of an organized state or territory as outlined in 3.a.iii.1 above.

iv. Members of the People’s Party National Advisory Committee shall be eligible to participate as Members with full voice but no vote.

v. Organizational allies of the National People’s Party shall be eligible to send one (1) representative per organization to participate as Members with full voice but no vote.

vi. People’s Party Staff shall be eligible to attend all meetings of the National Organizing Committee as Members with full voice but no vote. All People’s Party Staff shall participate in the National Organizing Committee under this section.

b. Members of the National Organizing Committee shall have the right to express their views, arguments or opinions upon any business properly before the meeting subject to these Procedures and the rules and regulations adopted by the National Organizing Committee pertaining to the conduct of meetings, but no Member in exercising such rights shall evade or avoid their responsibility to the National Organizing Committee as an institution or engage in or instigate any conduct which would interfere with the National Organizing Committee’s performance of its obligations. If it should appear to the Chair that any Member is conducting themselves to constitute a threat to the orderly conduct of the business of the meeting, the Chair may order them ejected.

c. Members who commit to serve on the National Organizing Committee are expected to attend the meetings of the National Organizing Committee.

d. If an emergency prevents a Member from being able to attend two or more meetings, they shall be permanently replaced as a Member by the method by which they were originally selected to the National Organizing Committee as per 3.a.iii.

4. INTERIM NATIONAL CHAIR AND AUTHORITY

a. The National People’s Party shall host an election for Interim National Chair of the National People’s Party.

b. The Interim National Chair shall Chair and facilitate all meetings of the National Organizing Committee.

c. The Interim National Chair shall Chair the National Party until the completion of the National Organizing Committee and election of permanent officers.

d. The Interim National Chair shall have the authority to call all Regular, Special, and Emergency Meetings of the National Organizing Committee.

e. The Interim National Chair shall appoint a Parliamentarian, who shall have full voice and no vote.

f. The Interim National Chair shall appoint a Secretary to take the official notes of the National Organizing Committee, who shall have full voice and no vote.

5. ELECTION COMMITTEE

a. The National Coordinators’ Circle shall appoint an Election Committee consisting of three (3) Active Members to conduct and oversee elections for Interim National Chair.

i. The Election Committee shall certify the Active Member status of each candidate for Interim National Chair.

ii. The Election Committee shall certify support for candidates for Interim National Chair as per 6.b.

iii. The Election Committee shall tally and certify the final vote for Interim National Chair, which shall be reported directly to the membership of the People’s Party.

6. INTERIM NATIONAL CHAIR ELECTIONS

The Interim National Chair election shall proceed as follows:

a. All candidates for Interim National Chair must be Active Members (as defined in the People’s Party Interim Operating Agreements as Members who have attended at least four (4) of the last six (6) meetings) of a National Working Group, National Circle, State Hub, State Central Committee, or State Organizing Committee.

b. All candidates for Interim National Chair shall affirm the support of twenty-five (25) unique electors who are Active Members (as defined in the People’s Party Interim Operating Agreements as Members who have attended at least four (4) of the last six (6) meetings) of a National Working Group, National Circle, State Hub, State Central Committee, or State Organizing Committee in writing per the approved form, which shall be submitted to the Election Committee.

c. The entire membership of the People’s Party shall be eligible to vote for Interim National Chair.

7. MEETINGS

a. All meetings will take place via a People’s Party Zoom account.

b. Regular Meetings will be weekly on Thursdays at 8:30 pm ET.

c. Notice to the National Organizing Committee shall occur at least three (3) days prior to any Regular Meeting. Notice to the National Organizing Committee shall occur at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to any Special or Emergency Meeting. Notice shall be served using the designated channel in the People’s Party National Basecamp workspace.

d. The quorum for all meetings of the National Organizing Committee shall be fifty percent (50%) plus one of the total Members of the National Organizing Committee.

e. The Agenda for all meetings of the National Organizing Committee shall be the Draft National Charter and the Draft National Bylaws. Specific Agenda items to be discussed shall be announced along with the meeting notice as per 7.c.

f. Significant additions to, or deletions from, the Agenda may be introduced as a motion which shall be presented in writing and signed or affirmed by no less than ten percent (10%) of the Members of the National Organizing Committee at the beginning of the meeting in which that Agenda item is being considered.

g. Amendments to the Agenda may be introduced as a motion when that Agenda item is being considered.

h. Motions shall only be introduced and considered during meetings of the National Organizing Committee.

i. Other than official meetings of the National Organizing Committee, no other meetings shall be authorized to do the work of, or make recommendations to, the National Organizing Committee.

8. COMMUNICATIONS

a. All internal communications of the National Organizing Committee shall take place during meetings of the National Organizing Committee, or in designated channels in the People’s Party National Slack workspace and Basecamp Team.

b. All official communications of the National Organizing Committee shall be by the Secretary through approved People’s Party platforms.

9. VOTING

a. All votes of the National Organizing Committee shall be decided by majority vote of voting Members in attendance during any meeting called by the Chair which has a quorum of Members in attendance.

b. There shall be no proxy votes and no alternates.