North Carolina Democratic Party
Plan of Organization
As Amended Jan 20th, 2007

5.00 COUNTY CONVENTIONS

5.01 MEETING AND FUNCTION

Annual Meeting. Annual county conventions shall be held on a date designated by the county chair that is within the eight (8) day period designated by the state chair pursuant to Section 4.08 (2). The county chair shall designate the time for the county convention. Weekday county conventions shall begin no earlier than 6:00 PM and no later than 7:30 PM. Weekend county conventions shall be held between the hours of 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. In presidential election years, there shall be no eight (8) day period allowed and the county convention shall be held on the exact date designated by the state chair pursuant to Section 4.08 (2).

Place of Convention. The county chair shall, thirty (30) days prior to the date such convention is to be held, designate the exact time and place where the convention is to be held and the same shall be announced prior to the adjournment of the precinct meetings.

Presiding Officer. All county conventions shall be called to order by the county chair, who shall serve as convention chair, but in his or her absence, the vice chair of the county executive committee in order of succession, the secretary and the treasurer shall, in order of succession, preside over the convention, and in case none of the foregoing persons shall be present, then any delegate to the convention may preside and serve as convention chair until a permanent convention chair is elected by the convention.

Order of Business – Odd-Numbered Years. The county convention, held in odd-numbered years, shall:

1. Elect, from among the active Democrats of the county, the officers of the county executive committee;
2. Elect, from among the active Democrats of the county, the members of the state executive committee to which the county is entitled;
3. Elect, from among the active Democrats of the county, the delegates to the annual congressional district convention;
4. Elect, from among the active Democrats of the county, two members of the congressional district executive committee, which members shall be the chair and the first vice chair of the county executive committee, provided that in those counties which are divided between two or more congressional districts, the county’s representatives on the congressional district executive committee shall be as set forth in Section 3.07;
5. Conduct any other business related to the affairs of the county party.

Order of Business – Even-Numbered Years. The county convention held in even-numbered years shall:

1. Elect, from among the active Democrats of the county, delegates to the annual congressional district convention and to the biennial state convention in accordance with Sections 6.01 and 6.02;
2. Elect, from among the active Democrats of the county, two (2) members of each of the following: the prosecutorial district executive committee, the state senatorial district executive committee and the state house of representatives district executive committee; provided that a county shall not elect members to that particular district executive committee, if it is not a part of a multi-county prosecutorial, state senatorial or state house of representatives district; and
3. Conduct any other business related to the affairs of the county party.

Resolutions and Platforms. Resolutions and Platforms from precincts receiving a favorable recommendation at the county convention shall be certified by the secretary and transmitted to the respective district chair(s) within five (5) days following the county convention. Resolutions and Platforms not receiving a favorable recommendation at the county convention can only be brought to the floor of the biennial state convention in accordance with Section 8.01.

Certification. Within five (5) days following the county convention, the county chair shall certify to the congressional district and state chairs the names, addresses, race, gender, telephone numbers, and email addresses (where available) of all persons elected as delegates to any convention, or as officers or members of any executive committee.

5.02 VOTING

Allocation of Votes. Each precinct shall be entitled to cast in the county convention one (1) vote for every one hundred (100) votes, or major fraction thereof, cast by the precinct for the Democratic nominee for Governor in the last preceding gubernatorial election; provided that each precinct shall be entitled to cast at least one vote at the county convention.

Votes Divided Among Delegates Present. The precinct delegates who attend the county convention shall be entitled to vote the full strength of their precinct upon matters of business which come before the convention, provided that precinct originally elected at least one delegate for each vote to which it was entitled, as provided in Section 1.08. Each such delegate present from a particular precinct shall cast an equal number of the votes to which the precinct is entitled. All votes which the precinct is entitled to cast shall be divided equally among all the delegates representing the precinct who are in attendance.

Tabulation of Votes. The county chair shall appoint sufficient number of secretaries or accountants, who shall reduce the votes to decimals, rounding off to the nearest hundredth, and tabulate the votes.

Voice Votes. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the county convention from making nominations, holding elections and conducting business by voice vote or by acclamation where a vote by precincts is not demanded by twenty-five percent (25%) of the certified voters present.

Vote May Not Be Changed. After a vote is cast, there shall be no change in such vote until after the roll call is completed and before the final result of the ballot shall be announced by the chair of the county convention.

Reporting and Challenging the Vote. It shall be the duty of the delegates from the several precincts to choose one of their number as chair, whose name shall be reported to the chair of the county convention, and whose duty it shall be to cast the vote of the precinct as directed; and the vote as announced by such person shall be recorded unless some delegate from that precinct shall challenge its accuracy, in which case it shall be the duty of the chair of the convention to cause the roll of delegates from that precinct to be called, upon which the vote of such precinct shall be tabulated and recorded according to the response of the delegates; but in no event shall the vote of one precinct be challenged by a delegate from another precinct.

5.03 RULES FOR COUNTY CONVENTIONS

The county executive committee shall have the power to make such other rules and regulations for the conduct of county conventions, not inconsistent with this Plan of Organization, as may be deemed necessary or expedient.

Quorum. At the county convention, a quorum shall exist at any time at which there is present on the floor at least one official delegate from fifty percent (50%) plus one (1) of the precincts with duly elected delegates to said convention.

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