1. 2010 Pre-Primary Convention DPBC Training for Ward Meetings Do it again in 2010!

2. Packet Contents Smaller Envelope w/ Materials Checklist Affixed Smaller Envelope w/ Materials Checklist Affixed Ward Roster Ward Roster Butcher Paper Butcher Paper Black Marker Black Marker

3. 21A

4. MP

15. 1.Arrive on site (prior to 6:30 PM) _______ Doors to the facility being used should be opened to the public at 6:30 PM. Ward chairs should insure that they have their sites ready for the public prior to 6:30.

16. 2.Locate the correct area In some cases multiple wards are meeting in the same general location, but in separate rooms or in different corners of a large room, like a cafeteria. The ward chair should insure that he or she is setting up in the correct location for his or her ward, and that arriving Democrats will be able to easily find their ward’s location. Post the sign (included in your packet) to clearly indicate the location of your ward.

17. 3.Set up the tables, chairs and materials Allow time, prior to the doors opening at 6:30, to set up chairs and tables (if needed) and to set up the sign-in sheets and other materials from the packet.

18. 4.Appoint a temporary ward Credentials Committee Appoint a number of the first arrivals (3 is usually a good number) to serve as a temporary Credentials Committee for the ward. These individuals will serve to certify qualified voters. They should sit as close as practical to the facility’s entrance with the official ward roster, help each arriving person find their name and have each person both initial the official ward roster next to their name as well as fill out and sign the sign-in sheet. They should encourage everyone to include their email address (a personal email address... not a government email address) and telephone number where indicated.

21. 5.Call meeting to order (no earlier than 7 PM) _______ & Pledge of Allegiance The meeting should be formally called to order as soon after 7 PM as possible, but under no circumstances should the meeting be called to order before 7 PM. Record the time on the checklist in the space provided. Many facilities will have an American flag on display. If a flag is available, the Pledge of Allegiance should be made at this time. If multiple wards are sharing a facility the ward chairs conducting the meetings may wish to make the Pledge a joint activity.

22. 6.Read the Call The chairperson should read the Call aloud for all to hear and understand.

23. 7.Elect a temporary Chairperson By rule, participants at the meeting must be given the option of electing a temporary chairperson, other than the ward chair or the person who has been designated by the County Chair, for the purpose of conducting this one meeting. While this opportunity is rarely taken, it must be offered to the participants. If participants choose to not exercise this right, the ward chair or person who has been designated by the County Chair will continue to preside over the meeting.

24. 8.Appoint a Secretary A temporary Secretary must be appointed to take the minutes. The Secretary for this meeting should have legible handwriting. Paper and pen for the Secretary’s use are provided in the packet. The Secretary should also be charged with listing nominees on the butcher paper or Nomination & Tally Worksheets

25. 9.Receive & vote on the temporary ward Credentials Committee’s report After reviewing the official roster and the sign-in sheet, the temporary Credentials Committee for the ward should report to those present that everyone signed in is a qualified elector within the ward per the official roster. The chairperson should ask for a motion to accept the committee’s report by acclamation and a second. If anyone objects to acceptance by acclamation then a vote by secret ballot must be taken.

26. 10.Close Voter Certification (no less than 30 minutes after Call to Order) _______ With the vote to accept the report of the Credentials Committee voter certification will officially close. This should happen no less than 30 minutes after the Call to Order, with the time recorded both in the minutes by the Secretary and by the chairperson on the checklist. Individuals arriving after the certification has closed will be allowed to stay and observe the meeting, and can be candidates for delegate (subject to confirmation that they are on the official roster), but will not be allowed to participate in the voting.

27. 11.Nominate and Elect Delegates and Alternates Nominations for delegate can now be made, followed by the actual election of delegates. Individuals may nominate themselves and may also nominate others.

28. Care should be exercised that individuals nominated DO appear on the official ward roster of registered Democrats and do NOT appear on the list of automatic delegates. Remember that State Central Committee members are automatic delegates and do not count against the ward’s allocation; ward chairs who are not SCC members are also automatic delegates but DO count against their ward’s allocation. The temporary Credentials Committee can assist the chairperson by dividing up the official roster for confirmation of names of nominees who are not present at the meeting. If an individual who is not present is nominated an “X” or “ ” should be marked on the line in the roster for the person’s initials.

29. Individuals who would be unable to fully participate in both the County Pre-Primary Convention and the State Pre-Primary Convention should NOT allow their names to be placed in nomination. Remember that there are no proxies allowed at the conventions, per state rules, and absent delegates accomplish nothing more than making it difficult to achieve a quorum.

30. As each individual is nominated and confirmed as eligible, the Chairperson should record the nominee’s name on the large section of butcher paper from the packet while the Secretary records the same information on the Nomination & Tally Worksheets. The name recorded should be exactly as it appears in the official roster (no nicknames, please).

31. When no additional nominations are forthcoming a motion to close nominations, followed by a second and vote for closure should be made.

32. Then the voting for delegates can begin. If the number of nominees is equal to, or less than, the number of positions to be filled, the delegation may be voted in by acclamation with a voice vote. Otherwise, voting will be by secret ballot as follows:

33. Each attendee in the ward will write their choice of a delegate (may be themselves, if they’ve been nominated) on a ballot. Ballots will be gathered, counted and recorded on the listing created and maintained by the Secretary.

34. b)If a single individual has the highest number of votes, that person is elected and the number of remaining positions to be filled is decreased by one. c)If multiple nominees are tied for the highest number of votes, and that number of nominees is less than or equal to the number of remaining positions, those nominees are elected and the number of remaining positions to be filled is decreased by the number elected. d)If multiple nominees are tied for the highest number of votes, and that number of nominees is greater than the number of remaining positions, the tie must be broken by drawing lots. The ¼ deck of playing cards provided in your packet should be used for this purpose.

35. If, after the above process, there are still unfilled positions, repeat b., c., or d.... whichever is appropriate... with the next highest number of votes and continue until all positions have been filled. The names of those elected, as well as the number of votes they received and the card drawn for any tiebreaker should be recorded on the election results sheet. The same information should also be recorded in the appropriate column of the official ward roster.

36. Please Record Your Results In BOTH of These Places!!!

37. Any nominee who receives at least one vote but is not elected as a delegate will be listed as an alternate delegate. Alternates should be listed on the official results sheet in order based on number of votes and then by the card for any tiebreaker.

38. If you’re still unclear on this process, see the example shown at the end of these instructions.

39. 12.Elect member of Convention Credentials Committee Once the delegates have been elected, there exists one additional position for the ward to fill. Each ward is entitled to one seat on the Convention Credentials and Rules Committee. Nominees for this position must be from among the list of elected and automatic delegates to the convention. Only those who would be available for scheduled meeting of this committee at 9 AM on February 13th, and is not already a member of the Resolutions and Platform Committee should accept nomination for this committee, since both committees meet simultaneously at that time at the UNM Law School. Election of the member of this committee should, once again, be by secret ballot.

40. 13.Submit, discuss and adopt resolutions Once all the elections have been completed all used ballots and contested ballots must be placed in the appropriate envelope and sealed. Then, any member of the ward may submit resolutions. Submitted resolutions should be discussed and voted on at this time. Any resolutions adopted by the ward should be carried by the ward’s Resolutions Committee member to the February 13th meeting at the UNM Law School for inclusion in the discussion at the county level.

41. 14.Conduct other business Any other business of the ward can then be conducted.

42. 15.Adjourn the meeting With all ward business complete, the chairperson should ask if there’s a motion to adjourn, followed by a second and a vote to adjourn. When adjournment is declared the chairperson should thank those who participated, and encourage continued participation in party affairs.

43. 16.Collect all materials and clean-up site Collect ALL materials used, and clean up the site to the best of your ability. Remember that we are guests in the schools and community centers that we’re using, and we want to see to it that we’re welcomed back again next year. All materials used in the election process must go back into the envelope, which then must given to the state party representative who will insure that all materials are returned to DPBC Headquarters that evening!

44. 2010 Pre-Primary Convention DPBC Training for Ward Meetings Do it again in 2010!

45. EXAMPLE OF DELEGATE ELECTION For this example we’ll use a hypothetical ward that has an allocation of ten delegates. The ward also has two individuals who are members of the State Central Committee, but the ward chair is NOT an SCC member. The two SCC members are automatic delegates, and do not count against their ward’s allocation. The ward chair is also an automatic delegate, but since she’s not an SCC member she counts against the allocation, leaving the ward nine positions (allocation of 10 minus one) to be filled by election.

46. EXAMPLE OF DELEGATE ELECTION 20 members of the ward show up for the meeting and nominate 15 members to fill the nine remaining positions. When the voting is done one individual has received three votes, three individuals have received two votes each, and eleven individuals each received one vote.

47. EXAMPLE OF DELEGATE ELECTION Since the highest number of votes is three, received by one person, that person is elected, leaving eight positions remaining to be filled. The second highest number of votes was two, with three individuals tied with that number. Those three individuals are elected, leaving the ward with five remaining positions to be filled.

48. EXAMPLE OF DELEGATE ELECTION With nine people tied for the five remaining positions, the chairperson pulls out the ¼ deck of playing cards and shuffles the 13 cards included. The nine individuals who had each received one vote will each draw a card. The five individuals holding the highest cards become delegates. The remaining four nominees, by virtue of having gotten at least one vote, are designated as alternates.

49. 2010 Pre-Primary Convention DPBC Training for Ward Meetings Do it again in 2010!