What To Expect At The SD8 Convention

by Michael Handley, Senatorial District 8 Convention Chair

The party convention system in Texas was created to do several things: elect party officers at all levels, set party message and platform, and develop campaign volunteers and activists. All of these objectives are accomplished by grassroots Democrats who first become delegates to their Senatorial District and County Conventions, and then advance to serve as delegates at the Texas Democratic Party State Convention.

This year Senatorial District 8 is allocated a total of 193 state convention delegates - 153 from the Collin County portion of SD8 and 40 from the Dallas portion.   Each precinct is allowed to elect one delegate and one alternate for each full 300 votes cast in the precinct for the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Bill White. (About Delegate Allocations for Collin County SD8)

A person becomes a delegate to the State Convention by being elected at their county convention, or in larger counties one of multiple senate district conventions within the county. Each county and senate district convention in 2014 starts with a meeting of attendees from each precinct within the senate district to elect one or more delegate(s) and alternate delegate(s) to attend the state convention.  Alternate delegates act as backup to corresponding delegates. In case an elected delegate can not attend the state convention and vacates their delegate position, the alternate delegate becomes the voting delegate to the state convention.

Here is the step-by-step summary of what to expect at your local convention:

(NOTE: The following agenda timeline is subject to change as the Texas Democratic Party issues procedural advisories and planning for the convention progresses.)

1. Pre-register online at: http://register.txdemocrats.org


2. Put March 22, 2014 on your calendar. That’s the date of your local convention.


3. Check the Texas Democratic Party calendar or watch for an email from the TDP noting the time and location of your local convention. The calendar can be found here: http://www.txdemocrats.org/events


4. Arrive at your Senatorial District Convention on March 22, 2014 and sign in. Your signature makes you an official attendee. After you sign in and collect your convention information packet, you will be directed to your assigned precinct or precinct group seating area. (8:15 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.) (Delegate Allocations For SD8 Collin Co. Precincts)


5. Various organizations and candidates will have information tables for you visit before the convention convenes and during times the convention stands at ease.


6. The Senatorial District Convention is called to order. (9:00 a.m.)


7. The Chair will announce appointments of the Permanent Credentials Committee and its Chair. This committee immediately meets to adopt the permanent convention roll while opening ceremonies proceed.

   The permanent roll will be all persons who have placed their signature on the sign-in who have signed the Oath of Affiliation and/or voted in the Democratic Primary. There are no other actions to be taken unless the Committee finds that someone is not registered to vote in the County or Senate District, voted in the Republican Primary, etc; The Committee report would state that they have been removed from the roll. If a person arrives during the Convention, they are to be allowed to qualify by signing in. No action is to be changed that has happened prior to their arrival. They may participate in any subsequent actions.

8. The Senatorial District Convention Chair will announce rules regarding resolution and rules submission, including location and the time limits on submission (approximately one hour after the beginning of the convention). (How To Write A Resolution)


9. Opening announcements, ceremonies, and opening program blocks. (9:00 a.m. - 9:35 a.m.)


10. When the Credentials Committee completes its business the committee chair gives the report of the Permanent Roll to the floor of the Convention. Suggested motion: “The Credentials committee recommends the adoption of the Roll as the list of all persons who have signed in on the official forms here today and are qualified as having voted in the Democratic Primary or signed the Oath of Affiliation to the Democratic Party.” The Credentials Committee report shall be adopted by a majority vote. (Approximately 9:35 - 9:40 a.m.)


11. The Senatorial District Convention Chair calls for election of a Convention Secretary. The Secretary takes minutes. The Chair and the Secretary are responsible for submitting the Minutes of the Convention to the State Chair upon conclusion of the Convention. (9:45 a.m.)


12. The Chair will next announce committee chairs and members of the permanent Committees on Nominations, Resolutions, and Rules. (9:50 a.m.)  (About Convention Committees)


13. The Rules Committee will immediately meet and then report back to the convention floor. In almost all cases, this Committee will quickly report back that the Convention will operate under the Rules of the Texas Democratic Party and Robert’s Rules of Order. The SD Convention may adopt other rules as long as they do not conflict with State Party rules. The Rules Committee Chair will give the committee's report to the convention floor and make motion for the adoption of Permanent Convention Rules. The Rules will be adopted by majority vote. (10:00 a.m.)


14. The Senatorial District Convention Chair will call for precincts / precinct groups to caucus to elect their state delegates and alternates. (see grouping precincts for more information) At this “precinct convention” all the people from your precinct gather:  (10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.)


1. Participants in Precinct Convention. All attendees who reside in the precinct (or grouped precincts) are eligible to participate. Persons arriving after the list of participants is completed and who are otherwise qualified to participate shall have their names entered on the list and may participate in proceedings subsequent to their arrival. Such persons, however, may not vote on matters previously voted upon or on which a vote has been called for by the Chair. Their political preference shall not cause a change in the proportional allocation of Delegates if the same has been announced at the time calling for the election of Delegates and Alternates in the Order of Business prescribed by the Rules.


2. The Precinct Chair, if present, shall chair the precinct convention and call the convention to order. In the case of Grouped Precincts, the Precinct Chair of the largest precinct by population shall have this responsibility. If no Precinct Chair is available, or the elected Precinct Chair declines the position, the Senatorial District Chair may appoint any participant to preside over the election of the Precinct Convention Chair. If no appointment has been made, any participant may lead this election process. The attendees shall elect a person by majority vote to be Chair. If only one nomination is made, that nominee is elected automatically upon closing of nominations.


3. The Precinct Chair shall be responsible for all documentation prior to the call to order and election of the Precinct Convention officers. In the case of Grouped Precincts, the Precinct Chair of the largest precinct by population shall have this responsibility.


4. Duties of Precinct Officers. The Chair shall preside over the precinct convention. The Secretary shall complete precinct convention reports and return them in a timely manner to the County Chair or Senatorial District Chair or Convention Committees as designated by them. The Chair and Secretary shall jointly be responsible for and shall affix their signature to all reports and minutes to ensure that an accurate written record of convention proceedings is kept, including the list of persons present and a list of Delegates and Alternates elected to the State Convention. The lists shall include residence addresses and cities or towns and any other information as directed by TDP Rules. (Texas Election Code §174.027)


5. The Precinct Chair will call the precinct convention to order. The chair will determine the number of people in attendance. A secretary will be selected to keep minutes of the meeting.


6. The Precinct Convention shall elect a secretary to take notes and complete all required reporting forms. The Chair and the secretary shall jointly be responsible for timely submission of reporting forms or minutes to the Chair of the Convention or their designee.


7. The chair will announce the number of delegates and an equal number of alternates to be elected to the state convention (the precinct or precinct group is allowed to elect a delegate and an alternate for each 300 votes cast in 2010 for Bill White, the Democratic nominee for governor. 300+ votes equals one delegate/alternate; 600+ equals two delegates/alternates; 900+ votes equals three delegates/alternates, etc.)  (About Delegate Allocations for Collin County SD8)


8. If your precinct had less than 300 votes, then your precinct will have been grouped by the county/senate district executive committee with other small precincts to elect the allotted number of delegates based on the total number of votes for Bill White.


9. The chair will call for self-nominations for those who wish to be candidates for delegate. Nominations cannot be closed until all who want to be considered are nominated. Each participant may cast a number of votes equal to the number of delegates allocated to such precinct (or grouped precinct) convention. For example, if there are three positions to be filled, each participant may cast three full votes in the following manner:
   
   
   1. One vote for each of three candidates;
   2. Two votes for one candidate and one vote for one other candidate: or
   3. Three votes for a single candidate.


10. Persons receiving the highest number of votes shall be the delegates elected by the group. The group receiving the next highest number of votes shall be alternate delegates. In the case of a tie vote for either delegate or alternate, the delegate or alternate shall be determined by lot or chance.


11. Consensus election: If the attendees can agree by consensus before holding the elections laid out in (c ) who they wish to send to the state convention as the delegate(s) and alternate(s), then an attendee may make a motion to elect those persons by acclamation.


12. The Precinct Chair and Secretary will report the results of the election. When the precinct conventions are completed, each precinct convention chair/secretary shall report the names of their delegates and alternates to the convention chair or their designee. A master list of delegates and alternates shall be created and reported to the nominations committee. 


13. The precinct convention adjourns until the full local convention is called back to order.


14. Any person who was elected alternate or was not selected for any position may apply to the nominations committee to become an at-large delegate (if any are available). If you wish to attend the state convention, and were unsuccessful in being elected from your precinct, you should follow the instructions of your chair on how to request consideration by the Nominations Committee. Seek out and make your wishes known to members of the committee to place you on the at-large delegate list.


15. The Convention continues with speakers and other program events on the main floor while committees meet to conduct their business. (10:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.)


1. Convention Program and Speakers. Speakers and other program events on the main floor


2. Nominations Committee Meets. This committee meets after gathering all the results from the precinct conventions. The committee will assess the delegation elected from the precincts and determine the ratio of men and women, ethnic minorities, youth, seniors, and LGBT representation. The nominations committee balances the delegation on gender and diversity. The Chair of the Nominations Committee notifies the Convention Chair when the committee is prepared to make its report to the convention floor. (About Nominations Committee)


3. Resolutions Committee Meets. In order to be considered at State Convention, a written resolution must have passed at a county or senatorial district convention.
   
   Proposed resolutions may be submitted to the Chair for referral to the Rules Committee beginning on the date of the statutory meeting of the county executive committee after the First Primary, March 13, 2014. The Convention Chair shall announce at the beginning of the convention where and with whom resolutions shall be filed during the convention. The period for filing resolutions shall be open for at least one hour from the time of said announcement. The Convention may waive this one hour period if there is no objection from any attendee. Any attendee to the Convention may submit to the Chair or a designee a proposed resolution for consideration by the Convention. At the conclusion of the filing period, the Resolutions Committee will meet to consider each resolution submitted. The committee accepts or rejects proposed resolution, by majority vote. The Chair of the Resolutions Committee notifies the Convention Chair when the committee is prepared to make its report to the convention floor.


4. Rules Committee Meets. Any attendee to the Convention may submit to the Chair or a designee a proposed change to the Texas Democratic Party Rules for consideration by the Convention.  In order to be considered at State Convention, a written TDP Rule revision (written in the form of a resolution) must have passed at a county or senatorial district convention.
   
   Proposed rules may be submitted to the Chair for referral to the Rules Committee beginning on the date of the statutory meeting of the county executive committee after the First Primary. The Convention Chair shall announce at the beginning of the convention where and with whom TDP Rule revisions shall be filed during the convention. The period for filing TDP Rule revisions at the convention shall be open for at least one hour from the time of said announcement. The Convention may waive this one hour period if there is no objection from any attendee. At the conclusion of the filing period, the Rules Committee will meet to consider each submission. The committee accepts or rejects proposed TDP Rules, by majority vote. The Chair of the Rules Committee notifies the Convention Chair when the committee is prepared to make its report to the convention floor.


16. Committee Reports. (11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.)


1. Resolutions Committee Report. The Chair of the Resolutions Committee presents the committee report to the convention floor. The full convention body votes to accept the committee's report of resolutions it has approved.  (About Resolutions Committee) 
   (How To Write A Resolution)


2. Nominations Committee Report. The Chair of the Nominations Committee presents the committee report to the convention floor. The full convention body votes to accept the committee's report, which include a summary of delegate and alternate counts, and the number of at-large delegates and alternates recommended by the committee. (About Nominations Committee)


3. Rules Committee Report. The Chair of the Rules Committee presents the committee report to the convention floor. The full convention body votes to accept the committee's report of TDP Rules revisions it has approved.


17. Chair of the Senatorial District delegation of State Convention is ratified.


18. Convention Closing Comments. (12:15 p.m.)


19. Move to Adjourn the SD Convention


20. Adjourn (12:30 p.m.)