Rules of the Greenville County Republican Party
Ratified by the April 2017 Convention
PREAMBLE
We, the members of the Greenville County Republican Party, being dedicated to the sound principles fostered by that Party, conscious of our civic responsibilities and rights, and firm in our determination to support and to help perpetuate the American way of life, do herewith establish this instrument, the Rules of the Republican Party of Greenville County, South Carolina.
Rule 1
Under the Rules of the South Carolina Republican Party:
- It shall be proper to refer to the respective Republican precinct clubs in Greenville County, their members, and the members and officers of The Greenville County Committee of the Republican Party of South Carolina in the aggregate as The Greenville County Republican Party and, also in this document, as The County Republican Party or The County Party.
- It shall also be proper for the Greenville County Committee of The Republican Party of South Carolina to be referred to as The Greenville County Republican Executive Committee and, also in this document, as The County Executive Committee or The Executive Committee.
Rule 2
- Purpose. The purpose of The Greenville County Republican Party shall be to:
- Promote the Republican philosophy, principles, and creed throughout the County.
- Work for the election of the Party’s candidates.
- Increase the effectiveness of individuals in the cause of good government through political participation.
- Interpretation. These Rules shall be interpreted and applied so as to substantially accomplish their objectives. The spirit and not the letter of each Rule shall be controlling. Substantial compliance with a Rule shall be sufficient. All records and lists required by the Rules shall be in writing.
- Application. The South Carolina Code as it applies to political parties and the Rules of the South Carolina State Republican Party are included herein by reference and shall take precedence over these Rules in the event of any conflict between them. Proceedings of all business, organizational, reorganization, and committee meetings not covered by these Rules shall conform to the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
- If a motion is made to suspend any Rule and the Rule proposed to be suspended requires a 2/3 (two-thirds) majority vote, then the motion to suspend said rule shall require a 2/3 (Two-thirds) majority vote to pass.
- Amendments. These Rules may be amended or modified only by the County Convention by a 2/3 (Two-thirds) vote of the full convention. Approval of any amendments or modifications by a 2/3 (Two-thirds) vote of the Executive Committee shall be binding upon the Committee until approval or disapproval by the next County Convention. The County Executive Committee or the County Party Chairman may cause explanatory footnotes to accompany these Rules, but they will be considered advisory only.
- Distribution. These Rules may be reproduced and distributed as the County Executive Committee may direct. A copy of these rules shall be published by the Secretary on the County Party website. Each County Party officer and each Executive Committee member shall receive a copy at the first meeting of the Executive Committee following reorganization. It shall be the duty of the County Party Secretary to maintain as part of the official records a complete and accurate copy of these rules together with any changes, additions, or amendments, and to have them available at all meetings of the County Republican Party.
- Definitions.
- Where used in these Rules, the male gender shall include female unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
- “County Chairman” shall mean the duly elected Republican chairman of the county executive committee in his county.
- “State Executive Committeeman” shall mean the duly elected Republican committeeman from his county to the Republican state executive committee.
- “County Executive Committeeman” shall mean the duly elected Republican Club committeeman from his precinct to the Republican county executive committee in his county.
- “Party” shall mean the South Carolina Republican Party at the state, congressional district, county, municipal, or precinct level.
- “County Officer” shall mean any officer of the party at the county level, duly elected or appointed, other than county committeemen.
- “Precinct Officer” shall mean any officer of the party elected by the precinct club.
Rule 3
- Regular Meetings.
- The County Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairman or at the call of at least ten percent of the Committee, at such time and place as designated. The committee shall adopt a schedule of regular meetings for the ensuing two-year term at the first meeting of the Committee following the re-organization process, that is, after precinct delegates and officers have been chosen and after the County Party Chairman, Vice Chairman, and State Committeeman have been duly elected for the ensuing term.
- Written reminder of the regular meetings of the Executive Committee may be mailed in advance of the meeting and should include an agenda for the meeting. Such agenda shall not preclude the discussion and transaction of any other business.
- The officers of the County Party shall meet at the call of the Chairman prior to any regular meeting of the Executive Committee.
- Special Meetings.
- The County Executive Committee shall meet at the call of the Chairman or at the call of at least ten percent of the Committee, at such time and place as designated.
- No special meeting shall be held without each Executive Committee member having been given at least twenty-four (24) hours notice. Mailing written notice at least three (3) secular days prior to the date of the scheduled meeting shall be sufficient compliance with this requirement.
- Notice of any special meeting shall state the express purpose of the meeting and no other business shall be considered.
- Proxies.
- A County Executive Committeeman may appoint a proxy only from his own precinct. To be valid, a proxy must be in writing, dated, signed by the committeeman, give the full name and address of the person designated as proxy, and specify the meeting for which the proxy is given. One executed copy of the proxy shall be given to the Chairman or Secretary of the County Party. A proxy shall also contain a signature endorsement thereon by the proxy that he consents to the appointment.
- Attendance by the committeeman who authored a proxy at the meeting for which a proxy was given shall terminate the proxy unless the author should leave prior to the termination of the meeting and announce prior to his leaving whom he has designated as his proxy. Such in-person declaration of proxy shall obviate the need for a written document.
- If a County Executive Committeeman does not attend a scheduled meeting and does not appoint a proxy in writing, his Precinct President shall be automatic proxy at such a meeting. If a qualified proxy and the Precinct President are both in attendance, the proxy shall have the vote for the precinct.
- No proxy shall be authorized to designate a substitute or successor proxy. The committeeman who authored a proxy, however, may designate successive proxies in the event the proxy first designated does not attend or leaves a meeting before adjournment.
- Censure.
- The Greenville County Republican Party shall not adopt a motion of censure on any elected Republican official until such time as there is a first reading before the Executive Committee and followed at the subsequent meeting by a simple majority of the executive committee.
Rule 4
- County Party Officers and Executive Committee.
- The Greenville County Republican Convention shall elect by majority vote of the legal votes cast a State Committeeman, a County Party Chairman, and a County Party Vice Chairman.
- The County Executive Committee shall appoint, by a majority vote of the legal votes cast, the other County Party officers including, but not limited to, a County Party Secretary and a County Party Treasurer. County Party officers need not be Executive Committeemen.
- The County Party Chairman shall be the only official spokesman of the County Party and only the Executive Committee shall set policy. The Staff Director and other paid staff shall implement policy of the County Party as directed by the County Party Chairman.
- The State Committeeman from Greenville County shall be entitled to vote on any question before the County Executive Committee. The Greenville County Party Chairman may vote only in the case of a tie vote. Other officers of the County Party who are not Executive Committeemen or who are not properly qualified by proxy to cast a committee vote shall not be entitled to vote on any question.
- All officers of the County Republican Party shall keep appropriate records in duplicate, one copy for the county Chairman and one copy to be retained by the officer.
- If a Greenville County Republican Party member is removed, voluntarily or involuntarily, from any Greenville County Republican Party executive committee or precinct office, the member is barred from holding, maintaining, being elected, or being appointed to any other Greenville County Republican Party office until the next precinct reorganization meeting. This rule shall not apply if the removal was due to the action of Rule 4.C.5 or if the member moves to a new precinct.
- A person must have voted in two (2) of the last three (3) even-year Republican primaries in his or her county of residence to be eligible for election or appointment to a Greenville County Party office or to be a member of the Greenville County Executive Committee. Younger Republicans who may not have been of legal age for two even-year primary elections must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee at the next regular meeting of the Executive Committee. The election of any County Party Officer or member of the Executive Committee which does not meet this requirement will be immediately void.
Candidates for a County Party office or for Executive Committeeman must sign a statement affirming compliance with these requirements when or prior to being nominated.
Nothing in this rule shall disqualify an officer or a member of the Executive Committee who is serving at the time this rule is adopted from completing his/her term or future successive terms.
- Ex-officio Members. The County Young Republican Chairman, the County Teenage Republican Chairman and the Chairmen or Presidents of all Federated Republican Women’s Clubs organized in the County shall be ex-officio, nonvoting members of the County Executive Committee.
- Resignations, vacancies.
- Resignations by any County Party officer shall be submitted in writing to the County Party Chairman and County Party Secretary. A resignation by a County Executive Committeeman shall also be submitted to the president and secretary of his or her precinct club. Resignation by the State Committeeman shall be to the County Party Chairman, County Party Secretary, State Party Chairman and State Party Secretary.
- The County Executive Committee may remove any appointed County Party officer at any time. It may fill any vacancy in County Party offices by majority vote of the legal votes cast.
- The Executive Committee may declare vacant the office of any member of the Executive Committee or any officer of the County Party who is absent from three (3) consecutive Executive Committee meetings or from more than three (3) Executive Committee meetings in any six (6) month period without good cause when such person has not authorized a proxy to attend in his place. However, before such office shall have been declared vacant, the person shall be notified by certified mail by the County Party Chairman or the County Party Secretary and be given opportunity to show cause before the County Executive Committee as to why he should not be removed from office.
- A vacancy shall occur immediately if a person who holds office at any level, from precinct club to County Party: (1) becomes an announced and/or official candidate for the nomination to an elected public office of another political party; (2) becomes an announced and/or official candidate for election to an elected public office on the slate of another political party; (3) seeks election to a public elected office against a party nominee; (4) becomes an officer or member of another political party; (5) votes in the primary of another political party; (6) serves as a delegate to the convention of another political party; or, (7) publicly supports or campaigns for a candidate running against a Republican candidate.
- If an elected or appointed County Party officer shall become a candidate in a primary in which that County Party officer has Republican opposition, his office shall be declared vacant as of the closing of filing for such primary race. If such officer is unopposed in a primary, he shall not be required to vacate his office.
- Should the office of County Party Chairman, County Party Vice-Chairman, or State Executive Committeeman become vacant, the County Executive Committee shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by majority vote of the legal votes cast at the next regularly scheduled meeting. However, if the vacancy arises less than twenty (20) days before the next regular meeting, the Executive Committee shall vote at that next regular meeting whether the election shall occur at the subsequent regular meeting or a special meeting to be held not sooner than ten (10) days after that regular meeting or later than the next regularly scheduled meeting. A vacancy in the office of County Party Chairman shall not cause the Vice-Chairman to succeed to the office of County Chairman unless elected thereto by the County Executive Committee. Vacancies in the offices of County Party Chairman, Vice-Chairman, or State Committeeman that are filled by the County Executive Committee will not thereby cause such officers to be “appointed” officers by the Committee but the same as if elected by the County Convention.
- A vacancy in the office of Executive Committeeman shall be filled by majority vote of the legal votes cast of the remaining precinct members.
- Chairman and executive board officers shall refrain from wearing campaign paraphernalia while conducting a business meeting and/or county convention.
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Favoritism. If more than one qualifying Republican files as a candidate for nomination to the same elected office, it shall be the policy of the County Party, throughout the primary election process, to allow equal access to such Party resources that may be made available to anyone.
Rule 5
- Quorum:
- Other than for the purpose of electing individuals to fill vacancies for certain County Party offices, the quorum for all meetings of the County Executive Committee shall be (25) members or one-third (1/3) of the members or their properly authorized proxies. All meetings must be properly noticed.
- For the purpose of electing an individual or individuals to fill vacancies occurring in the office of County Chairman, County Vice-Chairman, or State Committeeman, a quorum shall be two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the County Executive Committee electing the replacement.
- A quorum of all County Conventions shall be a majority of the delegates. A quorum of all standing committees and special committees shall be a majority of all members thereof.
- However, for an Executive committee meeting that has (2) two consecutive inquorate meetings for which notice has been properly provided, the quorum at all meetings of such committee shall be the members present until the succeeding reorganization.
- The quorum for taking any action required by law or national party rules including but not limited to election protest hearings, shall be the members present.
Rule 6
- Committees of the County Party. The County Party Chairman and the Executive Committee are empowered to create standing committees and special committees to facilitate the conduct of Party business. The duties of each committee will be set for them in writing by the County Party Chairman.
The County Party Chairman shall be an ex-officio member of all standing and special committees, with full voting privileges, but he may not be a committee chairman. The County Party Chairman shall preside at the first meeting of a standing committee until a chairman has been elected and he may conduct other meetings of any committee in the absence of its chairman if the chairman has not designated another committee member to preside in the chair’s absence.
Nothing contained herein shall prohibit a nominee for public office, an elected official, or any party officer from serving on a committee, except that no person other than the County Party Chairman, ex-officio, shall serve on more than two (2) standing committees, and no person shall serve as chairman of more than one (1) standing committee.
- Standing Committees. Standing Committees of the County Party, including but not limited to a Candidate Recruitment and Liaison Committee, a Finance Committee, Membership/Precinct Reorganization Committee, and a Rules Committee, shall be created after each biennial County Convention, preferably within thirty (30) days after reorganization of the Party. Membership of each standing committee shall be selected in the following manner and order: The County Executive Committee shall first select two (2) members. The County Party Chairman shall thereafter, and within fifteen (15) days, appoint one (1) additional member; the three (3) members so selected shall thereafter and within another fifteen (15) days by majority vote elect a fourth member. Should the three members of each standing committee fail to elect a fourth member within the designated time, the County Party Chairman shall select the fourth member. Together with the County Party Chairman, serving ex-officio, each standing committee of five (5) shall elect by majority vote its own chairman. The Third Vice Chairman shall be the automatic chairman of the Membership/Precinct Reorganization Committee and shall count as the County Chairman’s appointment.
All members of standing committee shall serve from the time of their selection until the first Executive Committee meeting following the next regular biennial County Convention; however, if any member of standing committees shall miss three (3) consecutive executive committee meetings, or three (3) consecutive committee meetings, the County Chairman shall immediately appoint a member to replace him.
- Special Committees. The County Party Chairman shall have the right to appoint special committees to serve for limited periods of time and for special purposes such as, but not limited to: planning for rallies, banquets, and conventions; welcoming and hosting special guests and dignitaries; and advising the officers and/or the Executive Committee on projects and plans requiring specialized expertise.
The selection of members and the appointment of chairmen of special committees shall be entirely at the discretion of the County Party Chairman.
Any Special committee shall serve only until its designated task has been completed and its final report submitted, or until recalled by the County Party Chairman and released from further responsibility.
Rule 7
- Candidate Declaration. Any candidate running as a Republican and filing in Greenville County, will be required to complete and sign a “Republican Platform Statement Declaration Form”, indicating their “Strong agreement”, General agreement”, “General disagreement”, or “Strong disagreement” on each of the numbered issues in the County and State Republican Party Platforms. The signing of the Republican Platform Statement Declaration and completion of the above mentioned form shall be completed by all candidates immediately prior to their filing for the particular office. The candidate’s platform position statement shall be kept on file at County Party headquarters and its contents may be publicly disclosed by the County Party officer(s). Should a candidate decline to complete the form, this shall also be noted on the form.
If for any reason the candidate fails to declare their preferences on the form, the county Executive Committee shall be notified at its first meeting following the candidate’s failure to comply and the Executive Committee shall take whatever action it deems necessary.
- In addition to all candidate pledges and/or affidavits required by the South Carolina Election Law, all Republican candidates for any office shall be requested to sign the following declaration properly witnessed by a County Party official:
“I (candidate’s name) as an announced candidate for nomination and/or election as a Republican in Greenville County do herby certify that: (1) there is no legal impediment or barrier to my candidacy; (2) I will accurately state my qualification and background in connection with my candidacy; and, (3) I understand my candidacy may result in public disclosure of such failure by the Greenville County Republican Party.”
The signing of this declaration shall be completed by all candidates immediately prior to their filing for the particular office. If for any reason the candidate shall fail to properly sign this declaration, the county Executive Committee shall be notified at its first meeting following the candidate’s failure to comply and the Executive Committee shall take whatever action it deems necessary.
Rule 8
Participation in Party Functions. No waiting period shall be required between the time of voter registration, re-registration, and/or change of address and the time of a member’s participation in the business of the precinct club and in any subsequent conventions or other activities of the Party.
Any member of a duly organized precinct club in Greenville County who is an elected delegate or alternate to the county convention is eligible to be chosen as a delegate to the South Carolina State Republican Convention. Any person who desires to be a nominee for State Delegate to the State Republican Convention must so state in writing on a filing form and must pay a nonrefundable filing fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00). The form and fee must be given to the precinct president, precinct secretary, or precinct committeeman at the precinct organizational caucus or must be delivered to party headquarters no later than 5:00 PM on the tenth day prior to the Greenville County Republican Convention. One copy of each completed filing form will be maintained in a public file at headquarters. One week before the County Convention, a ballot with names in alphabetical order shall be printed. Delegates to the State Convention shall be chosen by ballot by plurality vote of the County Convention in accordance with the State Party Rules for delegate selection.
Nominations for State Delegate will not be accepted from the floor of the County Convention. However, names inadvertently omitted from the official printed ballot may be added to the end of the ballot if the candidate can show adequate proof that he did properly meet the requirements stated above. Any question of the validity of proof shall be decided by majority vote of the delegates at the County Convention.
Rule 9
- Annual Budget. An annual budget shall be prepared by the officers and presented to Executive Committee for approval no later than February 10th of every year.
- Discretionary Spending. The County Chairman shall have authority to spend, at his discretion, on party business and party-building activities the amount of $1,000 or 10% of the approved Annual County Party budget, whichever is smaller. Discretionary expenditures by the County Chairman must be detailed in the Treasurer’s report and provided to the Executive Committee at each meeting. Specific expenditures in excess of this amount may be approved by a majority vote of the Officers and shall be reported to Executive Committee at the next meeting.
- Fund Raising. All funds raised under the auspices of the Greenville County Republican Party are the property of the County Party and must be included in the Treasurer report at the next meeting.
- Professional Staff. No Executive Committee member or officer or member of any standing committee or special committee shall receive financial remuneration from the Party for performance of duties; however, in order that the business of the Party may be conducted with efficiency and dispatch, the Executive Committee may authorize the County Party Chairman to hire professional staff personnel commensurate with the needs and the financial capability of the Party.
The salary or hourly wage for each Party employee shall be set by the officers of the County Party and reported to the Executive Committee and shall be subject to periodic review and adjustment in keeping with the industry, productivity, and length of service of the employee.
The professional staff may be headed by a person designated as Staff Director of the County Party, who shall be responsible for such activities as public relations, fund raising, publications, operation of Party headquarters, and coordination and supervision of other paid staff or volunteer workers.