PROPOSAL NUMBER: 003-04

PROPOSAL NUMBER: 003-04

PROPOSAL SUBJECT: GPCO Presidential Nomination Procedure for 2004

PRESENTER: Royal Gorge Green Party

TIMELINE EFFECTIVE: Until after April 24

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In the past Presidential nominations there has essentially not been a competitive campaign. The GPCO Nominating Convention needs a procedure to bring the grassroots choices to the GPUS Nominating Convention.
IMPLEMENTATION - RESOURCES:
None

FULL PROPOSAL:
The delegates from the locals to the GPCO Nominating Convention will choose the candidate(s) for which the delegates (22 authorized) to the GPUS Nominating Convention will vote. The manner of those delegates’ voting will be determined by the following procedure:

1. Nominations for Presidential candidates will be taken from the floor.
2. All nominated candidates’ names will be displayed along with the choices of “no candidate” and “uncommitted.”

2a. A “sense of the convention” (a non-debatable, straw vote) will determine if electioneering speeches will be allowed at this point.

3. When all nominations are in, the facilitator will call for the first vote.
4. The results of the ballot will be visibly posted. Any candidate or choice getting less than 5% of the votes is eliminated on this ballot.
5. If no candidate or choice gets 60% of the votes cast, a second vote will be taken.

5a. If the “sense of the convention” chooses, another round of speechifying may occur.

6. The results of the ballot will be visibly posted. Any candidate or choice getting less than 5% of the votes is eliminated on this ballot.
7. If no candidate or choice gets 60% of the votes cast, a third vote will be taken.
8. The results of the ballot will be visibly posted. Any candidate or choice getting less than 5% of the votes is eliminated on this ballot.
9. If no candidate or choice gets 60% of the votes cast and no candidate or choice is eliminated in the third round of voting, the convention must vote to continue balloting (a non-debatable, procedural vote).
10. Any subsequent ballots the convention chooses to have will use the same criteria as previous ballots.
11. When closure of balloting occurs, the final vote results will become the GPCO Presidential slate.
12. The numbers of votes will be converted to percentages of total votes cast and each of the surviving choices and candidates will have the appropriate percentage assigned to that choice.
13. Delegation instructions at the GPUS Nominating Convention

13.a. When the delegates are chosen, their votes on the floor of the GPUS Nominating Convention will be assigned and bound through the second ballot for the Presidential Candidate of the Green Party of the United States with the exception of the uncommitted delegates. Only if a candidate withdraws his or her name from nomination will a delegate be released from binding early.

13.b. The actual number of delegates on the floor of the convention should be apportioned as closely as practicable based on the proportions arrived at in 12.

13.c. A delegation coordinator will be chosen and be responsible for these provisions.

13.d. On all subsequent ballots after the second, the delegate is released from any binding direction for voting.

Pros and Cons:
Pro: The use of three ballots for nominations conforms to state law. Using an “open nomination” process makes None Of The Above (NOTA) unnecessary.
It is structured to allow the convention all the decision-making power.
Allows the choices of “no candidate” and “uncommitted.”

Con: There is some complication of process involved.
It restricts the freedom of the delegates to vote their personal choices.

Alternatives:
Just letting anyone who wants to be a delegate go and vote as they choose.