REPUBLICAN TOWN COMMITTEE BY-LAWS

Rules Governing The Republican Party of the Town of North Stonington, Connecticut
As revised on July 23,2001


Rules Governing the Republican Party of the Town of North Stonington, Connecticut
Article I
Purpose

The purposes and functions of the Republican town Committee of the Town of North Stonington are: To encourage able Republicans to run for office, to seek out and recommend to the Republican caucuses at least one qualified Republican for each office vacancy, to conduct party caucuses; to organize and direct general election campaigns; to elect Republicans to office; to recommend able and qualified Republicans for appointive offices; to study and recommend improvements in the form of local government; to study and support ( or oppose ) State legislation concerning the Town of North Stonington; to sponsor and encourage constructive Party activities; and to administer party funds in the Town.

Article II
Town Committee

SECTION 1 COMPOSITION
The North Stonington Republican Town Committee shall consist of twenty-five members and shall be elected from the town at large.
SECTION 2. QUALIFICATIONS
Each member must be an enrolled Republican elector of the Town during the entire term of his/her membership.
SECTION 3. ELECTION
a. Town committee membership shall be chosen by Caucus and the names of the party-endorsed candidates shall be filed with the Town Clerk not later than the forty-sixth day preceding the date of the Primary by the presiding officer and the Secretary of the Caucus.
b. The date for primaries for the election of Town Committee members shall be the first Tuesday of March in the even-numbered years (Sec. 9-425) or as directed by State Statutes.
c. A Town Committee is lawfully elected when: (1) no candidate or slate of candidates other than party-endorsed candidates has been filed with the Town Clerk by four o’clock p.m. on the last day to file Primary petitions; (2) they are duly elected as a result of a primary; (3) otherwise lawfully elected.
SECTION 4. TERM
The terms of Town Committee members shall start on the first Monday following the date of the primary set in connection with their election, and they shall serve for two years or until successors shall have been chosen, but not more than twenty-six months, and provided when theses rules are amended to increase Town Committee membership, they shall specify the day upon which terms of the new positions created by said increase shall begin, and how the new positions shall be filled. The terms of all members shall end on the same day.
SECTION 5. VACANCIES
Vacancies occurring for any reason in Town Committee membership or elected offices of the committee shall be filled by vote of the remaining members of the Committee. When a resignation occurs, it should be submitted in writing to the Chairman and the Secretary shall file with the Secretary of the Republican State Central Committee the name and address of the person filling the vacancy.
SECTION 6. MEETINGS
a. Regular meetings of the Town Committee shall be held at least eight times a year. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Chairman at his/her discretion or shall be called by the Chairman or Vice Chairman within fifteen days after receipt of a written request signed by at least six members of the Town Committee stating the purpose of the meeting. The Chairman shall instruct the
Secretary to give five days notice of the time and place of all such meetings to the Town Committee members and to state the purpose of these special meetings. Should circumstances require immediate action by the Committee, such five day notice may be waived.
(Section 6. Meetings continued)
b. Any Town Committee member who is absent for three consecutive meetings may be replaced after a hearing, by the affirmative vote of two thirds of the entire authorized membership of the Town Committee at a duly warned meeting.
c. Open Meetings. All Town Committee meetings shall be open to the public unless the Town Committee shall, because of unusual circumstances, by majority vote, elect to go into executive session.
d. Quorum. Eight members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.
SECTION 7. OFFICERS
Within two weeks after their election, the members-elect of the Town Committee shall meet for organization and shall elect a Chairman and a Vice Chairman, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers a may be deemed advisable, The Chairman position may be filled by two co-chairmen, whose responsibilities and rights are the same as a single Chairman. The Chairman may cast a vote to break a tie, including a tie in the vote for the selection of party-endorsed candidates, in the event that the additional ballot described in Article III, Section 2 (c) fails to break the tie.
a. Each of such officers shall have the duties usually incident to his office and such other duties as the Town Committee may time to time prescribe.
b. The terms of all officers shall be two years or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, but no more than twenty-six months.
d. Within one week after organization of the Town Committee, the Secretary shall file with the Secretary of the Republican State Central Committee a list of the names and addresses of the officers and members of the Town Committee, also the name and address of the Republican Registrar of Voters.
ARTICLE III
PARTY-ENDORSED CANDIDATES
SECTION 1 - The Republican Party-endorsed candidates in the Town of North Stonington shall be selected by a Caucus of the enrolled Republicans. Republican Party-endorsed candidates must be registered Republican North Stonington voters on the current Registrar’s list.
SECTION 2 - In case of a contest, the following rules shall apply:
a. All voting for party-endorsed candidates, when more than one person is nominated for a single office, shall be by written ballot, cast only by those persons enrolled on the last completed enrollment list.
b. Plurality shall be sufficient for endorsement - the person(s) receiving the greatest number of votes shall be declared endorsed by the Moderator.
c. In the endorsement of candidates when two or more are to be nominated for the same office:
THE MODERATOR SHALL DECLARE ENDORSED THE PERSONS HAVING THE GREASTEST NUMBER OF VOTES FOR THAT OFFICE. IN THE EVENT THAT TWO OR MORE PERSONS TIE IN HAVING THE GREATEST NUMBER OF VOTES FOR THE LAST VACANCY TO BE FILLED, THE MODERATOR SHALL DECLATRE THE NOMINEES WHO HAVE THE GREASTEST OF VOTES ENDORSED AND SHALL CONDUCT AN ADDITIONAL BALLOT TO BREAK THE TIE AMONGST THOSE NOMINEES WHO HAD THE SAME NUMBER OF VOTES FOR LAST PLACE.
d. On any ballot on which more than one person is to be endorsed, a voter, may cast a vote for each vacancy to be filled, or for a lesser number, if the voter so desires, The same name shall not appear more than once on a single ballot. Such an occurrence shall void the ballot.
SECTION 3 - The Committee on Vacancies shall be the Republican Town Committee; they are authorized to fill vacancies for party-endorsed candidates who have withdrawn.
SECTION 4 - The full Committee will interview and recommend Republican replacement(s) to fill vacancies of Republican held elected offices.
ARTICLE IV
AMENDMENTS
SECTION 1 - These Rules may be amended at a Caucus of the enrolled Republicans duly called and warned, stating that amendments will be proposed.