MIDDLESEX COUNTY REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE BY–LAWS
(Adopted June 22, 2021)
Section 1:
Name:
The name of this organization shall be the "Middlesex County
Republican Committee", hereafter referred to as the "Committee".
Section 2:
Purpose:
(a) The purpose of this Committee shall be to espouse the
principles and platform of the Republican Party.
(b) This Committee shall represent the Republican Party of
Middlesex County regarding views and policies of the party concerning issues
and problems in government of Middlesex County, the State of New Jersey and
the United States of America.
(c) This Committee supports the concept of open conventions in
order to encourage all qualified individuals to seek public office.
(d) This Committee shall support and direct the campaign of
Republican candidates in the general election for the three above named levels
of government. Such support and direction shall be coordinated with campaigns
for local candidates in municipalities of Middlesex County which have local
elections.
Section 3:
Members:
(a) The voting members of this Committee shall be duly certified
Republican County Committee members as prescribed in Title 19, who may be
elected or appointed regardless of gender.
(b) Commencing in 2024, Republican County Committee
members shall be elected for two year terms in even numbered years.
(c) The non–voting members shall be the State Committeeman,
State Committeewoman, Presidents of Certified County Republican Clubs, (as
herein defined in Section 10), all Municipal Chairmen, all elected Republican
officials from Middlesex County, and officers of the Committee who are not
members of the Committee. Those members designated in this Section 3(b) as
well as all other Municipal Chairmen and Committee officers shall meet at the call
of the Committee Chairman to act as an Advisory Board in party policy. The
Chairman shall have the privilege of inviting to any such meetings other persons
such as chairmen of committees, Republican candidates or Republican experts
on pending actions.
Section 4:
Officers and Their Election:
(a) Officers of the Committee shall consist of the County
Chairman, First Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Secretary and
Treasurer.
(b) In the event the outgoing County Chairman has been
advised, in writing, more than 3 days prior to the meeting, that 2 or more
individuals intend to run for the same Committee office, then voting machines
shall be used.
(c) In any election where there are more than two candidates for
the same office, the winner shall be the one receiving more than 50% of the
votes cast for that office. If none of the candidates receive more than 50% of the
votes on the first ballot, another ballot shall be taken between the two candidates
receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot.
(d) Each candidate who is nominated may appoint one
challenger for each machine.
(e) For every office for which there are two or more candidates,
position on the ballot shall be determined by drawing.
(f) Election of officers shall be supervised by Republican
members of the Middlesex County Board of Elections.
Section 5:
Duties of Officers:
(a) (i) The Chairman shall preside at all meetings and shall
be responsible for the direction of the Committee. The Chairman shall designate,
on or before January 31 of each year, a campaign treasurer and a campaign
depository, and shall file the name and address thereof with the Election Law
Enforcement Commission. He may appoint chairmen of the following standing
committees: public relations, finance, activities, registration, political action,
vacancies and platform. He may also appoint a five member ethical standards
committee, (the chairman to be elected from the membership) for the purpose of
administering a code of ethics and reviewing and disposing of all matters
pertaining thereto. He may appoint chairmen and members of any other
committees which he deems necessary and he shall be a member of any and all
committees except the ethical standards committee.
(ii) The Chairman shall call all meetings of the Committee
and he shall instruct the Secretary to send notices of same.
(b) The First Vice Chairman shall preside in the absence of the
Chairman and shall serve in his place in the event of a vacancy of the office of
the Chairman until a new Chairman shall have been elected. In the absence of
both the Chairman and the First Vice Chairman, the Second Vice Chairman shall
assume such duties. Both Vice Chairmen shall assist the Chairman in the
performance of his duties.
(c) The Secretary shall record minutes of each meeting of the
Committee and shall keep permanent records of same.
(d) The Treasurer shall have custody of all Committee funds,
shall maintain regular accounts thereof and shall report on same at each
Committee meeting and at any additional time that he is requested to do so by
the Chairman. Committee funds shall be deposited at a bank to be designated
by the Chairman. Funds are to be withdrawn only by checks signed by the
Treasurer and countersigned by the Chairman. The Treasurer shall timely file
with the Election Law Enforcement Commission such reports as may be required
by "The New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act",
New Jersey Statutes 19:44A–1 et seq. The Treasurer's report shall be audited
by a qualified person or persons designated by the Chairman. Such audit shall
be conducted during the month proceeding the annual meeting month each year
and the results of same shall be reported each year at the annual convention.
An audit must precede any change in the office of the Treasurer.
Section 6:
Meetings:
(a) The Chairman may call meetings of the Committee for any
purpose which in his judgment requires such a meeting.
(b) The notice for the reorganization meeting shall be according
to the provisions of Title 19.
(c) The Chairman shall call a special meeting of the Committee
upon his direction to do so by a petition signed by at least 150 members of the
Committee and presented to the Chairman at least 20 days prior to the date of
such meeting. Said petition and notices shall contain the purpose of the meeting
and no other business shall be discussed at said meeting.
(d) Notice of all Committee meetings shall be mailed or e-mailed
by the Secretary at least ten days prior to the meeting date, or in the event of a
notice for the reorganization meeting, as soon after the completion of the primary
election voting as possible.
Section 7:
Screening Committee and County Convention:
(a) Screening Committee:
(i) Members of the screening committee or committees
shall be the County Chairman, County First Vice Chairman, County Second Vice
Chairman, County Secretary, County Treasurer, State Committeeman, State
Committeewoman and all elected County, State and National Republican officials
from Middlesex County, Municipal Chairmen and Presidents of Certified County
Republican Clubs, Municipal Chairmen or their representatives from affected
municipalities outside Middlesex County, Republican members of the Board of
Elections and bonus members as described hereafter. Middlesex County
municipalities shall have bonus members on the Screening Committee based
upon the Republican freeholder vote of the proceeding general election, based
on the following formula:
1 Bonus Vote: 1,000–4,999
2 Bonus Votes: 5,000–7,999
3 Bonus Votes: 8,000–10,999
4 Bonus Votes: 11,000 or more.
Bonus votes are to be selected by the County Chairman based upon the
recommendations from the affected Municipal Committee.
(ii) The screening committee or committees shall make
recommendation to the county convention for candidates, not necessarily limited
to one per ballot position.
(iii) Those candidates receiving a two-thirds vote of the
Screening Committee shall be recommended to the County Convention. When
no candidate receives a two-thirds vote, the Screening Committee shall, on each
ballot, drop all candidates who do not receive votes from at least 15% of the
members of the Screening Committee present and voting, or the lowest vote
getter, in the event each candidate received such 15% percent, until a candidate
receives a two-thirds vote or until two candidates for each ballot position remain,
both of whom shall be presented to the county convention.
(iv) Screening committee members shall only be
permitted to vote for candidates who will be on the ballot in their respective
municipalities. This provision shall not apply to the County Chairman, County
First Vice Chairman, County Second Vice Chairman, County Secretary, County
Treasurer, State Committeeman, State Committeewoman, Republican members
of the Board of Elections and Presidents of Certified County Republican Clubs.
(b) County Convention:
(i) The County Chairman shall be convention chairman
and shall appoint tellers, sergeant–at–arms, parliamentarians and others
necessary for the proper function of the Convention.
(ii) All convention delegates must be registered
Republicans.
(iii) Convention delegates will be certified by their
respective Municipal Chairman to the credentials committee by noon at last 10
days prior to the day of the convention. Procedures adopted by the Municipal
Committee for recruiting of excess delegates must accompany the certified list.
Appeals may be heard within 5 days of submission of the certified list.
(iv) Votes for legislative district candidates will be cast by
those delegates from those municipalities comprising the district. Additionally,
one vote each may be cast by the County Chairman, County First Vice
Chairman, County Second Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, State
Committeeman, State Committeewoman, Board of Election Commissioners and
by any elected County official who resides in that district. These shall be known
as "at–large" votes.
(v) Votes for county–wide candidates will be cast by the
delegates from all 25 municipalities. Additionally, at–large votes (one each) may
be cast by the County Chairman, County First Vice Chairman, County Second
Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, State Committeeman, State
Committeewoman, Board of Election Commissioners, and any elected County
official.
(vi) Each candidate for office, or his duly appointed agent,
wishing support of the County Convention must appear and request support at
the convention. This includes all incumbents. The County Chairman must be
notified of the candidate's intention one week before the convention.
Nominations to offices may be offered from the floor, without prior notice to the
Chairman, if the potential candidate presents a petition to the Chairman
containing the names of at least 25% of the registered delegates.
(vii) The Screening Committee shall report to the
Convention.
(viii) Ballot procedures:
(1) Each Municipal Chairman will cast the vote of
his delegation in direct proportion to the vote present within his delegation. No
unit rule will be permitted. No delegate will cast more than one vote. No bullet
voting will be allowed.
(2) On the first ballot a simple majority vote for any
candidate wins. A candidate is dropped who does not receive the following
percentage of the total vote:
Ballot #1 20%
Ballot #2 25%
Ballot #3 30% and up by 5% on
each ballot.
(3) On multiple offices, after the first candidate is
selected, each originally nominated candidate is eligible to re–enter the race for
the next ballot position (for next candidate position).
(4) In the event of a deadlock (defined as 3
successive ballots with no change in vote) the low candidate is dropped.
(ix) A quorum shall be a majority of the certified delegates
present.
(x) The convention rules shall be deemed adopted by the
convention unless a majority of the registered delegates object in writing to the
rules chairman at least 5 days prior to the convention.
(xi) The latest revision available of Robert's Rules of
Order will be the parliamentary authority on rules not governed by law, by–laws
or rules adopted by the convention committee.
Section 8:
Procedure:
This Committee shall act in all matters provided for in Title 19 and
the New Jersey Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act,
according to same, to the extent required by law. In matters neither provided for
in Title 19 nor prescribed in these by–laws, the latest revision available of
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall prevail.
Section 9:
Code of Ethics:
(a) In order to maintain public confidence in Republican
principles and in elected and appointed officials, the Committee feels duty–bound
to establish a set of guidelines (a Code of Ethics) to help direct the activities of its
candidates, office holders and leadership.
(i) Conflict of Interest: In order to insure fairness and
objectivity, elected or appointed officials shall not participate, by either word or
action, in any governmental transaction involving a firm, organization or other
entity in which he, his spouse, his child or relative by blood or marriage is an
officer, director, trustee, partner, employee, or has a substantial economic
interest.
(ii) Indictments: No candidate for election or re–election
who has been indicted by a grand jury shall receive the endorsement of the
Committee or the line designation in a primary election of the Middlesex County
Republican Organization, Inc., except if such candidate shall be found "not
guilty". Financial and other support shall be withheld from any Republican
candidate indicted after receiving the party's nomination. In addition, any elected
or appointed public official indicted while in office shall be expected to move for a
speedy trial.
(iii) Misuse of Influence: No Republican officeholder or
candidate shall accept or solicit, either directly or through some other person,
firm, organization or entity, any gift, favor, service, employment, or promise of
anything of economic or personal value which can be reasonably expected to be
offered with intent to influence his public duties or vote on some governmental
business.
(iv) Accessibility to the Public: All elected officeholders
are expected to encourage and adhere to the concept of public accessibility by
setting and publicizing specific hours and locations when and where they will
make themselves available for consultation with their constituency. Office
holders are also expected to have listed telephone numbers in each telephone
directory book covering their constituency.
(v) Improper Use of Office: All Republican officeholders
will be expected to utilize the utmost discretion and consideration regarding the
privileges and accoutrements of their office.
Section 10:
Certified County Republican Clubs:
(a) The Committee, in the manner as hereinafter set forth, shall
certify and/or recertify Republican Clubs based in Middlesex County as "Certified
County Republican Clubs", for the purpose of determining which such clubs are
entitled to participate and/or vote at various activities of the Committee.
(b) Requirements and Guidelines for Certification:
The following criteria shall be used to determine if a club should be
certified or recertified as a "Certified County Republican Club":
(i) The club's membership must be open countywide,
with members coming from at least 5 different Middlesex County municipalities
and with no more than 75% of the membership coming from any one Middlesex
County municipality.
(ii) The club must have at least 25 dues paid members at
the time of each annual certification. To be counted for certification purposes,
members may not be included for certification purposes as members of any other
club seeking certification or recertification. (For purposes of certification, a
membership roster is to be submitted to the Executive Board of the Committee,
which shall consist of the Officers of the Committee, but is not to be circulated
further.)
(iii) The club must consist of registered Republican
voters.
(iv) The club must have been in existence for at least the
two year period prior to the time the club applies for its annual certification.
(v) The club must hold public functions and/or meetings
at least 6 times a year, with notification or event calendar of same given to the
Committee in advance.
(vi) The club should have a representative/liaison
regularly attend the meetings of the Committee and the Committee's periodic,
usually monthly, Advisory Board meetings.
(vii) The club should not duplicate the function of a
presently certified club, provided such presently certified club requests, qualifies
for, and obtains, recertification.
(c) Method of Certification or Recertification:
(i) A club which feels it meets the requirements and
guidelines for certification shall forward its written request for certification,
containing appropriate proof of its qualifications, to the Secretary of the
Committee no later than October 1st prior to the calendar year for which it seeks
certification or recertification. A club must submit a request for recertification
annually.
(ii) The Officers of the Committee shall review and make
the initial determination as to whether or not a club has met the necessary criteria
for certification or recertification for the subsequent calendar year.
(iii) If the Officers of the Committee feel that a club has
not met the criteria, or if it appears to the Officers of the Committee that the club
duplicates in some way the function of another previously certified club, the
Officers of the Committee may deny the club certification for the subsequent
calendar year. In the event that two clubs with duplicate functions both apply for
certification, and neither one is presently certified, the Officers of the Committee
shall give preference to the club with a longer active tenure.
(iv) Notice of the determination of the Officers of the
Committee shall be given to the effected clubs by no later than Nov 1st.
(v) In the event a club is denied certification for the
subsequent calendar year, it may appeal the denial at the following meeting of
the Advisory Board of the Committee, on prior written notice to the Officers of the
Committee, to the Committee's Counsel, and to each of the 25 Municipal
Chairmen. If such an appeal is made from the certification decision of the
Officers of the Committee, an affirmative vote, by secret ballot, of at least 13
municipal chairmen shall be required for certification or recertification.
Section 11:
Emergencies
(a) In the event the State of New Jersey declares a state of
emergency or other laws, regulations or orders are in place which would preclude
the compliance with any of the terms or provisions of these by-laws, the
Chairman may modify them during such period as he or she may deem
necessary, subject to the agreement of the a majority of the Committee officers,
(County Chairman, County First Vice Chairman, County Second Vice Chairman,
Secretary and Treasurer).
(b) In the event any candidate or candidates to be selected at a
County Convention, as referenced above, are not selected at such Convention,
for any reason, the County Chairman shall have the right to select a candidate to
fill such position.
Section 12:
Adoption and Amendment:
(a) These by–laws shall take effect immediately upon adoption
by a majority of Committee members voting on same at a Committee meeting.
(b) These by–laws may be amended by a two–thirds vote of
Committee members voting on same, provided that said amendment shall have
been submitted to the County Chairman and Committee in writing.
(c) Should any provision of these by–laws be ruled invalid, all
other provisions shall stand.
Revised ____