Harris County Guidelines

Attached is a copy of the report prepared by Dr. Rea for delegate status in Senate 17. This process applies to each and every Senate District within Harris County and its guidelines must be used.

REMEMBER - Because it has been decided to use an open process, individuals who voted in the Democratic Primary on March 2, but did not attend their precinct convention, may still attend the Senatorial Convention, participate and run for delegate or alternate to the State Convention.

I was there and believe that some really good things are happening in the party.

All of the Senate District conventions will be open. If you voted in the Democratic Primary you can go to the senate district caucus and petition to be admitted to the precinct caucus and become a delegate to the state convention of the Texas Democratic Party. I explained it to the precinct chairs and am attaching it for your information.

It is an exciting time to be a Democrat in Harris County.

Ron
Nominations Committee Process Report for SD 17
March 20, 2010
Ronald B. Rea, Ph.D., Co-Chair of At-Large Nominations for SD 17

1. The 2010 convention will be an open convention. Anyone who voted in the Democratic Primary on March 2 may sign in and be seated as either a Delegate or Alternate whether or not they were selected as a Delegate or Alternate at the Precinct Convention, unless the precinct already has its full entitlement and provided that the Precinct Caucus votes to add them to the caucus. For each delegate there is one alternate slot allocated to the precinct.

2. After transitioning Alternates to Delegate status at the initial precinct caucus to fill all of the Delegate positions to which the precinct is entitled, the precincts will be able to add delegates and alternates from persons signing in who were not selected as either a delegate or alternate at the precinct convention on March 2. Provided the full number of delegates to which the precinct is entitled is not present at the time the Temporary Chair convenes the Convention, the precinct may caucus to add delegates until the entire precinct allocation is reached. Persons signing in at the SD convention who were not elected delegates or alternates at the precinct convention may be added by a precinct caucus. The precinct caucus secretary (or chair) will submit a report to the Credentials Committee asking that the caucus elects be added to the convention roll and receive credentials permitting them to vote on matters brought before the convention.

3. If the precinct elects its full allotted number of delegates and alternates, persons who sign in at the convention who are not elected as a delegate or alternate to the convention, may still submit their request to be a delegate or alternate to the state convention to the At-large nominations committee. Forms will be provided in each precinct packet to record the delegates and alternates elected at the precinct caucus. In addition the precinct packet will include forms for persons not selected as either a delegate or alternate at the precinct caucus to petition the Nominations Committee to be nominated as a delegate or alternate to the state convention.

4. Each precinct or paired precinct is entitled to a delegate. The number of delegates to which each precinct is entitled is determined by dividing the number of votes that the precinct cast for the Democratic Party candidate for Governor in 2006 by 180. Precincts that did not cast at least 180 will be paired with other precincts so that each paired precinct may select delegates and alternates by the same formula.

5. The excess number of votes over 180 that each precinct cast for the Democratic Candidate for Governor are allocated to an at-large pool and totaled so that the SD may receive the total number of Delegates to which it is entitled. The excess number of votes from the precincts is divided by 180 with the sum being the number is the number of delegates that the nomination committee will select to assure balance in the delegation.

6. To determine the profile of the at-large delegates, a tally is made by the nominations committee for each of the fairness attributes to be considered in balancing the delegation. The fairness attributes that are considered are:
Age 35 years or younger
Ethnicity
GLBT status
Disability status
Gender

7. The Nominations Committee makes its report to the Convention. The convention may elect to approve the report or may entertain nominations from the convention. In making nominations from the floor to replace a delegate, the persons making the nomination must specify by name which of the delegates nominated by the nomination committee is to be replaced by the person being nominated from the floor.

8. Upon completion of the process of nominations from the floor, the entire delegation must vote to ratify the delegation.

9. The convention must elect the delegation chair.