Libertarian Party of Bexar County
ARTICLE I: General
A. Name: The name of this organization is "Libertarian Party of Bexar County": AKA: "LPBC".
B. Purpose: The purpose of these Bylaws is to define goals, membership, officer election procedure and officer duties, and to provide guidelines for Precinct, County and District Conventions.
C. Address: The official mailing address of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County will be decided by its officers.
ARTICLE II: Goals
The purpose for which the Libertarian Party of Bexar County is organized is to implement and give voice to the principles embodied in the Statement of Principles of the Libertarian Party of Texas by:
A. Precincts: Developing Libertarian Party Precincts in Bexar County so they can hold Precinct Conventions.
B. Counties: Holding a Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention and if needed, assisting adjacent counties to hold conventions.
C. Districts: Working with adjacent counties to hold District Conventions for those political Districts that overlap into their counties.
E. Campaigns: Coordinating and promoting campaigns and activities to disseminate Libertarian information.
D. Candidates: Nominating and supporting candidates for local, state and national office so they can be a voice for Libertarian ideas and win elections.
F. Texas: Affiliating with the Libertarian Party of Texas, and endorsing and working with other organizations that promote liberty for all people.
ARTICLE III: Members
Members consist of GENERAL MEMBERS, AFFILIATES, DELEGATES and OFFICERS: No dues are required to be a member.
A. GENERAL MEMBERS: Anyone who is on any Libertarian Party of Bexar County mailing list.
B. AFFILIATES: Any Bexar County registered voter who signs an affidavit with the Libertarian Party of Bexar County agreeing not to participate in official activities of any other political party during that election year.
C. DELEGATES: Libertarian Party of Bexar County has three types of Delegates: Precinct, District and County.
1. PRECINCT DELEGATES: Any AFFILIATE who attends the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention who was elected to be a delegate by his/her Precinct Convention or by the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention.
2. DISTRICT DELEGATES: Any AFFILIATE who attends his/her District Convention who was elected to be a delegate by his/her Precinct Convention or by his/her District Convention.
3. COUNTY DELEGATES: Any AFFILIATE who attends the Libertarian Party of Texas Convention who was elected to be a delegate by the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention or by the Libertarian Party of Texas Convention.
D. OFFICERS: Libertarian Party of Bexar County has three Organizations, each with their own Officers: Precinct, District and County. AFFILIATES at their Precinct Convention elect Precinct Officers. District Delegates at their District Convention elect District Officers. Precinct Delegates at the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention elect County Officers.
ARTICLE IV: Meetings
Robert's Rules of Order shall be used for matters of procedure not covered in these Bylaws. The elections for county Officials, terms of office, voter eligibility, and convention dates and times are set by the Texas Election Code.
A. Precinct Conventions: Affiliates in each precinct elect a Chair, any other Officers they deem appropriate, and Representatives to be Delegates at the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention and at their District Convention. They can also adopt resolutions for their Precinct Delegates to present at the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention and carry out other business allowed by Libertarian Party of Texas rules. In the event a Precinct has no Chair the County Chair can appoint one.
B. County Convention:
1. By majority vote, Precinct Delegates shall elect:
a. Affiliates who are attending the convention who will also be included as Precinct Delegates.
b. County Officers.
c. Candidates to run for public office.
d. Representatives to be Delegates at the Libertarian Party of Texas Convention.
2. Choices shall always include "None of the Above".
3. Precinct Delegates can carry out any other business allowed by Libertarian Party of Texas rules. They can vote to adopt resolutions, including resolutions for their County Delegates to present at the Libertarian Party of Texas Convention. They can also vote to change these Bylaws with a 2/3 majority.
C. District Conventions: District Conventions are held to elect those candidates whose district covers more than one county. Precinct Delegates elect, by a majority vote, the Officers to run the Convention and the Candidate to run for public office. Choices shall always include "None of the Above".
D. Business Meetings: A majority of Officers have to be present to conduct official business. An Officer who misses three meetings in a row ceases to be an Officer at the beginning of the third meeting, but may be voted back in later. Each Delegate has one vote, except the Chair, who shall vote only to resolve a tie. Delegates, with a majority vote may appoint, title, or remove Officers and carry out any other business they deem appropriate. All meetings are open to the public. Meetings usually occur quarterly with notice published on the Libertarian Party of Bexar County website.
E. Emergency Meetings: Emergency meetings are for Precinct Delegates. The meeting can be called by the Chair, or two Officers or ten Precinct Delegates with a twenty day notice (by letter, e-mail or telephone) stating clearly why the meeting is being called and what will be voted on. Twenty percent of the Delegates have to be present to conduct official business. The meeting can be called to solicit the Delegates' consensus on important issues, or for the Delegates to give more explicit direction to the policies and specific actions of the Officers, or to appoint, title, or remove Officers. Secret ballot is required if requested by any Delegate.
ARTICLE V: Officers
A. Function: The function of the Officers is to manage the affairs of Libertarian Party of Bexar County and implement its goals within the limits of its resources.
B. Offices: The elected Officers of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County shall be Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Other Officers. The last Chair automatically becomes an Officer (called Past Chair) without an election.
C. Elections: Election of Officers shall occur at the Libertarian Party of Bexar County Convention. Precinct Delegates will elect Officers by a majority. Choices shall always include "None of the Above". Their terms will begin immediately upon winning the election. Outgoing Officers will have one week to turn over Libertarian Party of Bexar County records to new Officers.
D. Duties:
1. Chair: Chair shall preside over meetings, oversee all activities of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County, perform duties necessary to maintain Libertarian Party of Bexar County legal status as a political party, and perform other duties assigned by Libertarian Party of Texas.
2. Vice Chair: Vice Chair shall assist the Chair and perform the Chair's duties in his/her absence.
3. Secretary: Secretary shall keep accurate records (minutes) of the proceedings of all official meetings of the Libertarian Party of Bexar County, and shall keep these records up to date and in order in a master file.
4. Treasurer: Treasurer, or Treasurer's designated agent, shall receive, hold, disburse and account for all Libertarian Party of Bexar County funds under the direction of majority vote of Officers. Treasurer shall keep these records up to date and in order, in a master file.
5. Past Chair: Past Chair has no duties except to attend Meetings and advise Chair.
6. Other Officers: There can be as many other Officers as there are tasks that need to be done and people willing to do them. But the title of the Office created, like "Newsletter Editor" or "Candidate Coordinator" or "Communications Director", has to be stated along with the duties of the Office before voting can take place.