Adapted from the Democratic State Party Rules ARTICLE VIII as of March 20, 2022, and excerpted for Applicability
RULES GOVERNING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN TOWNS NOT HAVING LOCAL PARTY RULES, NOT DIVIDED INTO MULTIPLE DISTRICTS, AND LESS THAN 5,000 POPULATION
The following rules shall govern the activities of the Democratic Party in each town of the state in which no rules have been adopted by the local Democratic Party or have not been filed in accordance with Article VIII. The following rules also shall govern the activities of the Democratic Party in each town for circumstances where the local rules are silent or otherwise void. Where alternate sections bearing the same number are given, the applicable one, as indicated in the margin, shall govern.
Section 1: Town Committee Composition
The town committee shall consist of not less than ten (10) members, who shall be elected at large. Representation should be given to each section of the town.
Section 2: Terms of Members
Members of the town committee shall serve for a term of two (2) years, commencing on the day following the day established for holding a primary for the election of said town committee members and ending with the day established for the holding of a primary for the election of the members of the succeeding town committee. The provisions of this section shall apply notwithstanding the lack of cause for a primary to elect said members.
Section 3: Vacancy
Any vacancy on the town committee, arising from any cause including failure to elect, may be filled by the town committee by a majority vote of those present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose.
Section 4: Election and Call of Organizational Meeting
Not more than thirty (30) days following the day fixed for the holding of a primary for the election of town committee members, the chair of the town committee in office on the day of said primary shall call a meeting of the newly elected town committee for the purpose of electing such officers of the town committee as are prescribed in local party rules. If such Town Chair fails, for any reason, to call such meeting by the end of the prescribed thirty (30) day period, the Vice-Chair in office at the time of the primary shall call the meeting within forty-eight (48) hours. If for any reason, the Vice-Chair does not call the meeting within the prescribed forty-eight (48) hour period, the State Central Committee members in the district shall call the meeting within the next forty-eight (48) hours. When the meeting must be called by the Vice-Chair or a State Central Committee member, the call of the meeting will be valid notwithstanding any otherwise applicable rule concerning time and notification of town committee meetings.
Section 5: Qualifications
The officers of the town committee need not be members of the committee.
Section 6: Term
Officers so elected shall hold office until their successors have been elected.
Section 7: Duties
Each of such officers shall have the duties usually incident to his or her office and such other duties as the town committee may from time to time prescribe. In the event that a vote is taken that shall result in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by the vote of the chair of the town committee, but this provision shall not affect his or her right to cast any vote, as a member of the town committee, to which he or she is otherwise entitled.
Section 8: Filing List of Officers and Members
Within one week after the organization of the town committee, the Secretary shall file a list of the names and addresses of the officers and members of the town committee with the Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee.
Section 9: Vacancy in Town Committee Office
If there shall be a vacancy in any office of the town committee, arising from any cause, the town committee may fill the same by a majority vote of those present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose.
Section 10: Meetings, Minimum Meetings
The town committee shall meet at least four times a year.
Section 11: Special Meetings
Special meetings of the town committee may be called upon written request, signed by twenty percent (20%) of the members of the committee, presented to the Chair. Upon receipt of such request, the Chair shall instruct the Secretary to give reasonable notice of the time and place and purpose of such meeting to all members of the committee.
Section 12: Selection of Party Endorsed Candidates
The enrolled members of the Democratic Party in the municipality, at a caucus called for the purpose, shall, by a majority vote of those present and voting, select party endorsed candidates for each municipal office and for town committee members, and shall elect delegates to conventions. In the endorsement of any person for an office or for a position as a committee member, or election of a delegate, for whom only the electors of a political subdivision of the municipality may vote, only the enrolled members of the Democratic Party in such political subdivision may participate. The time and place of holding all such caucuses shall be determined by the town committee, and notice of the time, place, and purpose of any such caucus shall be given to all enrolled Democratic voters of the municipality at least five (5) days, but not more than fifteen (15) days, in advance of the caucus by the publication of the same in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality and by posting the same on the public signpost in said municipality. The time of any such caucus shall be fixed so as to comply with the provisions of the Connecticut General Statutes. The chair of the town committee shall be the temporary chairperson of all such caucuses and shall preside until the meeting has selected its permanent chairperson. In like manner, the Secretary of the town committee shall act as secretary at all such caucuses until the meeting has selected its permanent secretary.
Section 13: Slate Endorsement
At any caucus or town committee meeting duly called for the election of delegates to any convention, nominations for said delegates may be made by (1) presentation to the caucus or town committee of a slate composed of a number of persons not exceeding the number of such delegates to which the town is entitled under the state rules of the Democratic Party or (2) by the nomination of individual candidates. In the election of such delegates, each member of the caucus or town committee member present and voting shall vote for a number of candidates not to exceed the number of a full slate as defined above. The voting for delegates to each convention shall be done separately for each convention.
Section 14: Party Endorsed Candidates for Municipal Office
Candidates for municipal office chosen as provided in Section 12 above shall run in the primary for such office as party-endorsed candidates. Any candidate shall be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the office for which he or she is a candidate if no valid opposing candidacy has been filed for nomination to such office by four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the twenty-first (21st) day preceding the day of the Democratic primary for such office.
Section 15: Party Endorsed Candidates for Town Committee
Candidates for town committee members chosen as provided in Section 12 above shall run in the primary for town committee members as party-endorsed candidates. Any candidates shall be deemed elected as members of the town committee if no valid opposing candidacies have been filed for town committee members by four o’clock (4:00) p.m. on the twenty-first (21st) day preceding the Democratic primary for town committee members.
Section 16: Insufficient Endorsements
If for any reason, sufficient endorsements of candidates for municipal office or town committee members are not made, any eligible person may seek to become a candidate in accordance with Conn. Gen. Stat. §§9-405, 9-406, and 9-372 et seq.
Section 17: Certification of Party Endorsed Candidates and Elected Delegates
The Secretary and the Chair or presiding officer of the town committee, caucus, or convention, as the case may be, shall certify to the municipal clerk the names and street addresses of the party-endorsed candidates selected, and delegates elected, as provided in Sections 12 and 13 above. Such certification shall include the title of the office or position as a committee member for which each person is endorsed and the date upon which the primary is to be held, or the convention for which the delegate has been elected. In the case of the endorsement of a person for an office or for a position as a committee member, or election of a delegate, for whom only the electors of a political subdivision of the municipality or for a senatorial district located entirely within the municipality may vote, the Secretary of the town committee shall certify to the municipal clerk the name or number of such political subdivision or senatorial district.
Section 18: Date of Party Endorsement of Candidates
Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for the nomination of candidates for municipal office or for election as town committee members shall be made within the time frame established by the Connecticut General Statutes. Said endorsement shall be certified to the clerk of the municipality by the following two officials: the Chair and Secretary of the town committee, the permanent chair and secretary of the caucus or the permanent chair and secretary of the convention.
Section 19: Tie vote
In the event that a vote on the selection of party-endorsed candidate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by the vote of the permanent chairperson of the caucus, but this provision shall not affect his or her right to cast any vote as a member of the caucus in the first place.
Section 20: Vacancies in Party Endorsed Candidacy
- If a party-endorsed candidate for nomination to a municipal office or for election as Town Committee member, prior to twenty-four (24) hours before the opening for the polls at the primary, dies, or prior to ten (10) days before the day of the primary withdraws his or her name from nomination, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold office or position for which he or she is a candidate, an endorsement may be made to fill such vacancy by the town committee, by a majority vote of those present and voting, at a meeting called for that purpose; provided if the original endorsement was made by the members of the town committee elected from only one political subdivision of the municipality, only such members shall participate in the endorsement to fill such vacancy.
- The chair of the town committee may cast a vote on such endorsement to break a tie, but this provision shall not affect his or her right to cast any vote, as a member of the town committee, to which he or she is otherwise entitled. The Secretary of the town committee shall immediately certify the endorsement to fill such vacancy to the Democratic Registrar of Voters.
- No candidate shall be deemed to have withdrawn until a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate is filed with the municipal clerk.
Section 21: Plurality Vote Determinative of Nomination
The nominations of the Democratic Party to all offices and the election of members of the town committee and delegates to conventions shall be made in all respects as provided in the State Primary Law, as the same may be amended from time to time. At a primary for the nomination to a municipal office or for the election of town committee members the winner shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast.
Section 22: Vacancy in Nomination.
If a nomination has been made for a municipal office and the nominee thereafter, but prior to twenty-four (24) hours before the opening of the polls on the day of the election for which such nomination has been made, dies, withdraws his or her name, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold the office for which he or she has been nominated, a nomination to fill such vacancy may be made by the town committee, by a majority vote of the town committee members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose. The chair of the Town Committee may cast a vote on such nomination to break a tie, but this provision shall not affect his or her right to cast any vote, as a member of the town committee, in the first place. In the case of a withdrawal, said nomination shall not be valid until the candidate who has withdrawn has filed a letter of withdrawal, signed by such candidate, with the Secretary of the State, and also has filed a copy with the municipal clerk. The Chair of the town committee shall certify the nomination to fill such vacancy to the Secretary of the State and shall file a copy with the municipal clerk. Such certification of a nomination to fill a vacancy due to death or disqualification shall include a statement setting forth the reason for such vacancy.
Section 23: Definitions
As used in these rules, “municipal office” means any elective office of a town, city or borough and the offices of justice of the peace, a state representative in an assembly district composed of a single town or part of a single town, a state senator in a senatorial district composed of a single town or part of a single town, and judge of probate in a probate district composed of a single town. The other terms used in these rules shall have the same meanings as in the State Primary Law, as the same may be amended from time to time.
Section 24: Special Caucuses.
Special caucuses may be called for any lawful purpose by a majority of the town committee or by not less than ten percent (10%) of the registered Democratic voters in the town. The call for any such special caucus shall be in writing and signed by each of the persons issuing the same, and notice of the time, place and purpose of said special caucus shall be given to all registered Democratic voters in the town, at least five (5) day in advance of such caucus, by publication in a newspaper having circulation in said town and by posting on the public signpost.
ARTICLE IX
FILING OF LOCAL RULES
Within seven (7) days after party rules or any amendments to party rules are adopted by the Democratic Party in any town, a copy of the same shall be filed with the Secretary of the State Central Committee and the Secretary of the State and as otherwise required by law. Any amendments so filed shall set forth in full the section to be amended. Matter to be omitted or repealed shall be surrounded by brackets, and new matter shall be indicated by capitalization. Adopted party rules or amendments shall not be effective until sixty (60) days after the filing with the Secretary of the State Central Committee.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS TO LOCAL PARTY RULES
Local party rules may be amended by one of the three following methods:
- By a caucus of the enrolled Democratic electors of the municipality called in the same manner as a caucus for selecting party-endorsed candidates as provided in Section 12 of Article VIII of these rules.
- By a convention of delegates chosen by the enrolled Democratic electors of the municipality in a manner prescribed in the local party rules of each municipality.
- By the Democratic town committee at a meeting called in the same manner as a town committee meeting for selecting party-endorsed candidates as provided in Section 12 of Article VIII of these rules, or as provided in local party rules.
In any municipality in which the town committee has not so adopted and filed such rules or amendments, the chair of the town committee in any municipality consisting of one voting district, or in the event of his or her failure to act, the Vice-Chair, shall call a caucus within twenty (20) days upon filing with the Registrar of Voters of such party in such municipality a petition signed by at least five percent (5%), but no more than five hundred (500), of its enrolled party members, to take action on such petition.
In all other municipalities, the chair of the town committee, or, in the event of his or her failure to act, the Vice-Chair, shall call a convention within twenty (20) days upon the filing with the Registrar of Voters of such party in such municipality of a petition signed by at least five percent (5%), or at least five hundred (500) (whichever is less), of its enrolled party members, to take action on such petition.
Such convention shall consist of three (3) delegates from each voting district elected at a caucus of the enrolled party members of that district. It shall be the duty of the Town Chair, or, in the event of his or her failure to act, the Vice-Chair, to call such caucuses, which shall be held on the same day, designating the time, place and day by publishing said call in a newspaper having a circulation in such municipality, at least five (5) days before the day of such caucuses.
In the event the enrolled Democratic electors or the town committee in any town shall fail to adopt a method for amending the local party rules, then the method of amending said local party rules of the said municipality shall be the same method used to select party-endorsed candidates until such time as a method of amendment is lawfully adopted and filed by the proper authority.