presented by John Anthony LaPietra, 2/10/08
(poll-counting method amended 2/13/08 as stated on SCC list)

PROPOSAL to Finalize Procedure for
Polling Membership & Selecting
Convention Delegates (2/10/08)
I propose that GPMI adopt the following procedure to poll
its membership and select delegates to attend the 2008
GPUS Presidential Nominating Convention this summer.

* Invite Presidential candidates to attend our next SMMs
and/or send representatives or information.

* Include in the next issue of Green Light:

– A ballot including all candidates invited to the SMMs
who do not withdraw in writing or by e-mail to the
editor (or the Elections Coordinator) in time for
their names to be taken off the ballot -- plus spaces
for votes of “uncommitted”, “none of the above”, and
“no candidate” as well as space for write-ins.

– Information, up to one page each, from each invited
candidate who submits it, plus the same amount of
space for any of the other options on the ballot if
a GPMI member volunteers to advocate that option.
Any added cost of including candidate information
will be accounted for as required by law and FEC
regulations; individual GPMI members may donate
money to cover this cost, and GPMI will provide
appropriate information to the candidates involved
to help them with required campaign-finance reports.

– Instructions for confirming one's GPMI membership
at least 30 days before the spring SMM so that one's
ballot will be counted in the poll, voting the poll
ballot IRV-style, and making sure the Elections
Co-ordinator gets the ballot by noon on the first
day of the spring SMM. (Ballots will be counted
by first choices for the poll's binding effect.
Ballots may also be counted using IRV and using
approval voting to give the delegation information.)

* Authorize the Elections Co-ordinator to receive poll
ballots from members by mail (at the GPMI mailbox),
by hand, or electron-ically; to confirm current member-
ship on the date the ballot was cast; to count the
latest ballot received by noon of the first day of
the spring SMM from a “registered” GPMI member (and
to consult with the member if more than one ballot
purporting to be from that member is received, or if
information on the ballot is unclear); and to report
the results by the end of the spring SMM.

* Include the same information in at least one “GPMI Update”
e-mail between now and the deadline for “registering”
as a GPMI member to become eligible to vote in the poll
(that is, at least 30 days before the spring SMM).

* Allow each recognized, actively meeting local to select
one delegate (and, if desired, one alternate) for the
GPUS Nominating Convention. To do so, the local must:

– have all documentation in place to be considered
recognized;

– announce selection at a particular meeting (regularly
scheduled or announced at least 30 days in advance)
using its normal meeting announcement procedures,
and include it on the agenda of the meeting;

– select from among its members one delegate (and,
if desired, one alternate) at the meeting -- and
provide voting guidance to the delegate (and
alternate) -- in accordance with its own procedures
and by-laws and the Ten Key Values; and

– report the result of its selection to the Elections
Co-ordinator by the spring SMM along with documen-
tation that the delegate (and alternate, if any)
was a GPMI member at least 30 days before the
spring SMM and meets all the other requirements
below for state-level delegates (and alternates).

* Invite all GPMI members to be state-level delegates or
alternates to the GPUS Nominating Convention. State
the following requirements:

– Be a GPMI member in good standing by 30 days before
the spring SMM. (If not enough candidates to fill
GPMI’s allotment of delegates have been members in
good standing for 30 days by the spring SMM, then
the SMM is authorized to seek delegates among
former members and members with lapsed memberships
who may not necessarily meet the 30-day rule as of
the spring SMM. If there are still not enough
delegates at the end of the spring SMM, SCC is
authorized to seek more delegates among former
and lapsed members to fill all vacancies in the
delegation.)

– Commit to attending the GPUS convention (or at least
the voting sessions on Saturday).

– Provide full contact information and other information
required by GPUS or useful for tracking diversity of
the delegation.

And invite state-level delegate-candidates to:

– express their own Presidential preference[s] in a poll
similar to the general poll but with the opportunity
for added comment and the additional preference/option
of “voting as the poll directs”;

– say if they’re willing to serve as alternates; and

– be prepared to speak or otherwise campaign for the
position of delegate or alternate at the spring SMM.

* Put information received in time from state-level delegate-
candidates into Green Light and the “GPMI Update” in time
for that information to be considered before and at the
spring SMM.

* Select delegates (and alternates) at the spring SMM using
the following rules and procedure.

– Select as many delegates (and up to as many alternates)
as are allocated to GPMI, less those selected by locals.

– No member shall be a delegate (or alternate) both for a
local and at the state level.

– At the spring SMM, the Elections Co-ordinator will
provide printed copies of the delegate-candidate poll
responses of all delegate-candidates who submit them at
least a week before the SMM. All delegate-candidates
will have a fair and equal chance to speak (time permit-
ting) or otherwise campaign at the SMM for selection as
a delegate (or alternate).

– No member shall be a delegate (or alternate) both for a
local and at the state level.

– If there are more candidates than state-level delegate
seats available, all GPMI members with voting privileges
attending the SMM will vote (using approval voting) to
select as many of the top finishers as necessary to
fill all available state-delegate seats. The following
finishers will fill all available state-level alternate
seats if they are willing.

– [Alternative – add to the above:] To the extent candi-
dates are available, half of the state-level delegates
will be female and half will be male. If an odd number
of state-level delegates are selected, the odd seat
will be filled by whichever of the next-placed candi-
dates in each gender has more approval votes.

– After the poll results are announced, there shall be an
opportunity for any member present to propose either

• specific limits on how the results may bind delegates
(other than the first-round limit stated below); or

• that the results not bind state-level delegates at all.

Such a proposal must be declared to be based on one or
more of the Ten Key Values.

– The results of the statewide poll will be binding (to
the extent practical, and not limited or overridden
as described above) on the state-level delegates for
the first round of voting at the convention. That is,
votes cast by state-level delegates or alternates in
the first round must be proportional to the support
for candidates (or other options) shown in the results
of the statewide poll.
If a candidate withdraws from consideration (or any
option in the GPMI poll is not practically available)
by the time of that first round of voting, first-round
votes for the remaining options will be recalculated
based on the proportion of votes in the poll for those
remaining options only.

– After the first round, all state-level delegates (and
alternates) are free to vote their own preferences.
Also, the delegation (all state-level and local dele-
gates and alternates) may caucus at the convention –
as it deems necessary and appropriate – to take
action necessary to protect GPMI’s interest and intent
to have a Green Party Presidential ticket on the ballot
in Michigan.