FROM GA MINUTES: County polling procedure proposal: This proposal puts the polling process under the responsibility of CCWG, allows for fractional polling, and set the term at 2 years for pollsters. It passed by consensus, as proposed. Add to 8-2.1 g) --------------------------------------------------------------- Green Party Proposal Form PRESENTER : Campaign & Candidates Working Group CONTACT : Warner S. Bloomberg III CCWG Coordinator (San Jose, CA, 408-295-9353, wsb3attyca@aol.com) SUBJECT : Establish policies and procedures for County Polling on California ballot measures. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: GPCA Bylaws, Section 9-1.1, provide that the state party may take positions opposing or supporting statewide ballot measures, and Section 9-1.2 provides that the General Assembly of Delegates shall decide the process for endorsement or opposition. Policies and procedures for County Polling were adopted at the December 2003 (Fullerton, Orange County) plenary, but documentation of that decision has been ambiguous. Although County Polling regarding initiatives has occurred since the 2004 elections, a need for updated procedures and clarification of policies has become apparent. Updating this proposal is part of the goals of the CCWG 2007 Work Plan. The following proposals mostly follow past practices and clarify that the described procedures do not require CC involvement (which delayed County Polling by approximately two weeks in August 2006). PROPOSAL: A County Polling Committee (CPC) is hereby established as part of the programs and activities responsibilities of the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group (CCWG). 1. Co-Coordinators. The CPC will be led by two Co-Coordinators appointed by the CCWG (Co)Cordinator(s) not later than the end of the first state meeting held in odd numbered years. The GPCA Coordinating Committee (CC) Liaison to the CCWG shall promptly inform the CC Co-Coordinators of the names and contact information for those persons. Except as otherwise provided below, the term of office for CPC Coordinators shall be two years from date of appointment. In the event of a vacancy, the CCWG (Co)Coordinator(s) shall appoint a replacement to complete the term of office. In the event the term of office of a CPC Co-Coordinator expires and there has not been a re-appointment or replacement appointed, the term of office of the current Co-Coordinators shall continue until new appointments are made or until the current Co-Coordinators resign or become disqualified (i.e., by change of residence or party affiliation). Transition Provisions: The initial terms of office shall start upon adoption of this proposal and shall continue until 2009. Upon adoption, the CCWG (Co)Coordinator(s) shall promptly appoint the initial CPC Co-Coordinators. 2. Responsibilities. The CPC shall coordinate the collection of reports describing and making recommendations concerning statewide ballot measures prior to formal polling of active GPCA county organizations (Count GPs). The CPC shall publish its report(s) as part of a County Polling process to determine if sufficient County GPs support or oppose specific ballot measures to constitute a GPCA position opposing or supporting that measure. The CPC reports on ballot measures shall include an analysis of each proposition in relation to the GPCA Platform, resolutions and general principles. Each report shall conclude with a recommendation and the name(s) and county of each author of the report. Each County Polling report may include multiple reports on different initiatives or referendum and shall include instructions on how County GPs are to respond to the request for County Polling responses, including the time period for any County Polling on ballot measures. The CPC will collect responses from County GPs and report those results to the CC, the CCWG and the County GPs. The CPC Co-Coordinators shall serve as the administrators and lead contacts for the CPC. 3. Processes. Promptly after the close of the ballot certification date and announcement by the California Secretary of State of measures certified for inclusion in the next statewide ballot, the CPC shall invite any GPCA member to participate in summarizing and evaluating ballot measures. To the extent possible, this invitation will precede the close of the certification period. The CPC Co-Coordinators shall promptly form teams from volunteers to complete the applicable reports within approximately one month following the close of the certification date. The reports shall be communicated to County GPs via the County Contacts email list and by other additional methods as the CPC Co-Coordinators may consider appropriate. County GPs will report their respective positions on each ballot measure. A County GP may choose among the following choices for each ballot measure: "Yes" or "Support" (meaning the County GP votes that the GPCA should support the measure); "No" or "Oppose" (meaning the County GP votes that the GPCA should oppose the measure); "No Position" (meaning that the County GP votes that the GPCA should not take any position on the measure); or "Abstain" (meaning that County GP takes no position on what should be the GPCA position). Abstentions will be counted to determine quorum, but will not be counted to determine if there are sufficient votes to support, or oppose, or have no GPCA position, on a ballot measure. County GPs shall have the same number of votes on each ballot measure as the County GP could have a total number of delegates at the first General Assembly of Delegates to be held following the start of the County Polling period. A County GP may report a distribution of votes for any ballot measure as decided by its internal processes up to the maximum number of its total delegate votes. County Polling results shall be communicated by at least one County Council member of the County GP to the CPC Co-Coordinators in writing (including email). A County GP may divide its votes as to any ballot measure by half votes. A quorum for purposes of County Polling shall be at least one half (1/2) of the total number of active GPCA county organizations at the time of the start of the County Polling period. If quorum is not achieved from the number of reports received by the CPC Co-Coordinators for any ballot measure by the completion of the County Polling period (including extensions), no GPCA position will result from the County Polling as to that measure. A GPCA position to support, or oppose, or have no GPCA position on a ballot measure shall require a minimum of Eighty Percent (80%) of the number of votes received by the close of County Polling Period. If that threshold of votes is not received by the CPC Co-Coordinators for any ballot measure by the completion of the County Polling period (including extensions), no GPCA position will result from the County Polling as to that measure (notwithstanding achievement of quorum). If that threshold of votes is received by the CPC Co-Coordinators for any ballot measure by the completion of the County Polling period (including extensions), then that position to support, or oppose, or have no GPCA position on the ballot measure shall be the formal position of the GPCA, effective immediately. County Polling will begin approximately one month following the close of the ballot certification date and last for a period of approximately five weeks. Promptly following the close of the Polling period, the CPC Co-Coordinators shall report the results to the CC Co-Coordinators, CCWG (Co)Coordinator(s),Media Committee (Co)Coordinator(s) and to the County Contacts email list. In the event a quorum has not been achieved during the initial polling period, the CPC Co-Coordinators may extend the polling period for as long as an additional three weeks, or until two days before the convening of the next General Assembly of Delegates, whichever occurs first. For purposes of example, the schedule for County Polling in 2008 is expected to be as follows: End of January 2008 Certification date for ballot measures on June 2008 ballot February 2008 Collect ballot measure reports March 2008 County Polling April 2008 Announce County Polling results End of June 2008 Certification date for ballot measures on November 2008 ballot July 2008 Collect ballot measure reports August 2008 County Polling September 2008 Announce County Polling results 4. Plenary Agenda. The Agenda Team shall schedule and the CPC Co-Coordinators shall report on County Polling results at the beginning of the first day of the first GPCA Assembly of Delegates (Plenary) following the close of any County Polling period, or if the Plenary begins during the County Polling period. In the event the GPCA position as to any ballot measure has not been determined by County Polling not later than two days before the commencement of the General Assembly of Delegates immediately following the start of the County Polling period, consideration of each such ballot measure shall be presented to the Delegates for determining the GPCA position, if any, as part of the Plenary Agenda. The CPC Co-Coordinators shall promptly advise the Plenary Agenda Team concerning any such items to be presented at that Plenary. The CPC ballot measures reports and voting instructions to County GPs shall be published in the Agenda Packet for that Plenary. The CCWG and CPC Co-Coordinators shall have joint responsibility to present those issues for support, opposition or taking no position by the General Assembly of Delegates whose decision shall establish the GPCA position as to any ballot measure position not decided by County Polling. The provisions of this Section 4. shall apply only if the Plenary is held not less than four weeks before the election in which any applicable measure appears on the ballot. 5. Ballot Measures Polling, Only. The procedures described above apply only regarding determining GPCA positions as to statewide ballot measures. Similar procedures may be adopted concerning candidate endorsements or other GPCA decision-making, but use of any County Polling process for those, or any other purposes, is not part of this proposal. If this proposal is adopted, it shall apply only to procedures regarding determining GPCA positions on statewide ballot measures. 6. Regional Representatives. Regional Representatives have the responsibility to actively encourage County GP's in their geographic area of responsibility to respond to County Polling and return timely reports of votes on each ballot measure. Following County Polling, Regional Representatives shall submit a written report to the CC concerning the status of any County GP that has not filed a timely County Polling report. 7. Documentation. Upon adoption, this Proposal shall be appended as part of a Procedures and Policies supplement to the GPCA Bylaws with the notation of date of adoption and included, as amended from time-to-time, when those Bylaws are republished. COMMITTEE PROCESS: This proposal was published on the CCWG email list in February 2007. At the February 2007 CCWG monthly teleconference, it was agreed that this proposal should be placed on the Consent Calendar for the May 2007 San Francisco County Plenary and that, if it was not accepted by that method, the proposal would be presented as an agenda item during the next Plenary. The proposal was republished on the CCWG email list in March and discussed during the March 2007 CCWG teleconference, at which time, following further amendments, it was approved by consensus. At the May 2007 San Francisco Plenary, there was one person with a concern who prevented acceptance of the proposal. The proposal was resubmitted for consideration at the September 2007 Riverside Plenary, but was removed from the agenda in consideration of time requirements to allow Standing Committee and Working Group meetings. The current proposal incorporates some additional clarifying text suggested by a delegate at that last Plenary. TIMELINE: Adoption at the next plenary in Alameda County in March 2008 for immediate implementation. This proposal would require the CCWG to promptly appoint the initial CPC Co-Coordinators for a term of office ending in 2009. CPC Co-Coordinators would have to promptly initiate the collection of reports for the June 2008 Primary Elections that also would include ballot measures. County GPs need to plan to consider and respond to County Polling in Spring 2008 and late Summer 2008. RESOURCES : Recurring time and energies in creating and presenting ballot measure reports via County Polling or to a General Assembly of Delegates for each election cycle. Time and energies for local GPs to consider and report on ballot measure positions. Possible IT Committee time and energies in posting County Polling results as reported. Recruitment and appointment of CPC Co-Coordinators by the CCWG. Additional possible involvement of other SC/WGs in recruiting report contributors and Media Committee after GPCA positions have been determined for each set of ballot measures. Regional Representatives would be required to monitor whether County GP's in their region participate in each County Polling and report failures to participate to the CC. Possible IT Committee involvement posting County GP responses as they are made on a website. Possible collaborative involvement by Platform Committee and Green Issues Working Group participants on specified issues of interest as they arise. CC maintenance of an index of positions on ballot measures as part of an ongoing index of policy resolutions.