Endorsement Standing Rule of the IMDC

The Executive Committee may place consideration of endorsement of candidates for public office in Mendocino County before the membership.

The membership may vote to direct the Executive Committee to place consideration of endorsement of candidates for public office in Mendocino County before the membership of a subsequent meeting.

Overview

We assume that candidates will get the most benefit from our endorsement if they have at least 2 months to include it in their campaign collateral. The IMDC will appoint an Endorsements Committee (EC) to manage the process. Briefly, the steps are:

Appoint the committee that develops an invitation to candidates to request endorsement and provide pertinent information to IMDC. This is posted on the web site for candidates to download, fill in, and return via email.
Filing closes, the EC notifies candidates of the invitation with instructions for responding within 14 days
The EC posts the candidates responses on the web site, and schedules presentations at a club meeting.
At the club meeting, the membership votes for candidates' endorsement which requires 80% affirmative vote of members in good standing present and voting to achieve endorsement.
The endorsement process must be completed at least 60 days (+-) before the election.

Candidate Qualifications

The IMDC shall limit endorsements to candidates for local office with constituents residing in the inland portions of Mendocino County. Only candidates who have replied to the questionnaire within a time period set by the EC for each election, and requested consideration may be considered for endorsement.

The IMDC shall only endorse candidates who are registered to vote in the Democratic Party.

The IMDC may endorse as many candidates for an office as there are seats to be filled. This restriction may be waived with an 80% vote of members in good standing present and voting.

Members may vote on endorsements who were members at the time of opening of the filing period for candidates for the respective election, or were lapsed members at that time and who became members in good standing by the time of the endorsement.

Candidate Endorsement Process

When consideration for endorsement is properly placed before the membership, the Chair shall entertain nominations and seconds of candidates for one office at a time.The Chair may alter the order of the following steps to expedite the process.

Once all nominations for an office have closed, the chair shall allow nominated candidates to address the membership. After candidates have presented to the membership, interested parties may present arguments concerning any candidate's endorsement request.

The chair may limit presentation times depending on the total number of nominated candidates for an office; however, no nominated candidate for an office shall be disadvantaged or allowed less time. Following the close of presentations, discussion of the nominated candidates is in order.

At the close of discussion, the chair shall call for a vote of the body on endorsement for each nominated candidate individually.

Members may vote to endorse or not to endorse on each nominated candidate individually.

A nominated candidate must receive at least 80% affirmative votes of members in good standing present and voting to be endorsed.

Endorsement goes to the nominated candidate, or nominated candidates in case of multiple seats, who receive the highest percentage of affirmative votes. In the event that multiple nominated candidates receive the same percentage equaling or exceeding 80% the vote of members in good standing present and voting, the restriction on dual endorsement is automatically waived, and the body will continue deliberation until an endorsement decision is reached.

The Chair may then proceed to accepting nominations for endorsement for another office.

The IMDC shall not independently advertise our endorsements beyond our membership.

Withdrawal of an endorsement must originate with a vote of the Executive Committee and requires an 80% vote of members in good standing present and voting. Only after a withdrawal process is completed, may the Executive Board place on the agenda a new endorsement consideration.

Timing

The IMDC shall endorse after the close of filing for office.

At any time prior to, or at, the IMDC meeting closest to 1 month before the close of filing for office for any election in Mendocino County, the Executive Committee shall appoint an ad hoc committee called the Endorsement Committee (EC) consisting of at least three members in good standing for the purpose of executing this Endorsement Standing Rule.

Any time prior to the closing of the filing for office, the EC shall cause a questionnaire, for the purpose of soliciting interest in endorsement by the IMDC, and information from the candidates, to be created and posted on the inlandmendodems.org web site.

Questionnaire Example

At close of filing for office, the EC shall notify via email to all Democratic Candidates of the location of the questionnaire and instructions for completing and returning it to the EC.

The EC shall post on the inlandmendodems.org web site, responses from candidates who respond within 2 weeks of the posting of the questionnaire.

The IMDC shall post a notice that contains links to all of the candidates' responses and the agenda at least 10 days before an IMDC meeting nearest a date 90 days before an election, on all of our social media outlets and through an email to our members in good standing list, giving an opportunity for a representative from any stakeholders in the local Democratic Party community to speak concerning all Democratic Party candidates who are being considered for endorsement.

At a club meeting nearest a date 90 days before an election, the Executive Committee shall schedule time for executing the Endorsement Process as defined in this document. All endorsements shall be completed at a club meeting nearest a date 60 days, before any election for which the endorsement is tendered. (For example for a November election, the endorsements must be completed on or before the September meeting)

Timeline

July <07/11/2024> Close of Filing-30 days Exec Com Appoint EC (i.e., 30 days prior to Close of Filing)
July <07/15/2024> Open of Candidate Filing
July <07/16/2024> Exec Meeting
August <08/8/2024> Member Meeting
August <08/10/ 2024> Close of Filing + 1 (Election Day-87 days) Questionnaire posted and candidates notified
August <08/13/2024> Exec Meeting
August <08/24/2024> Close of Filing+15 days (Election-72 days) Candidates' response received (i.e., 15 days after Close of Filing)
August <08/25, 2024> Close of Filing+16 days (Election-71 days) Post response on web site, include links in agenda and post agenda
September <09/12/2024> Member Meeting - vote on endorsements
September <09/15/2024> Election-50 days Endorsements Completed Candidates notified
Election Day!!!

{Dates are for reference relative to 2024. They will change each cycle}

Ballot Measure and Initiative Endorsement

The Executive Committee may place consideration of endorsement of a Mendocino County ballot measure or initiative before the membership. The membership may vote to direct the Executive Committee to place consideration of a Mendocino County ballot measure or initiative before the membership of a subsequent meeting.

The IMDC shall not endorse a ballot measure or initiative contrary to the California Democratic Party or the Democratic Party of Mendocino County.

The IMDC shall not endorse a ballot measure or initiative contrary to the California Democratic Party or the Democratic Party of Mendocino County.

A motion to either support or oppose a Mendocino County ballot measure or initiative must receive at least 80% support of the membership.

IMDC Endorsement Standing Rule