Bylaws

CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE GREEN PARTY OF OHIO as required by the State of Ohio

– ORC 3517.02 Contents:

Preamble

[Article I – Name and Purpose]

[Article II – Membership and Party Organizations]

[Article III – Decision-Making Bodies, Executive Committee, Functionaries, and Recall]

[Article IV – Required Meetings]

[Article V – Transparency and Internal Democracy]

[Article VI – Meeting Process, Agreement-Seeking, and Decision-Making Guidelines]

Preamble

We the people, in order to form a political party committed to Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Nonviolence and Democracy, and according to the laws and customs of the State of Ohio, do hereby set forth the Constitution and Bylaws of the Green Party of Ohio. The organization created by the adoption of this document replaces any previous formation calling itself the Green Party of Ohio. The Green Party of Ohio is a political party that is democratically structured. We seek to comply with state laws and organize along the lines of existing political jurisdictions within the state of Ohio. The purpose of this document is threefold:

    1. To accurately describe the form of our political party in a way that facilitates its development, organization and sustenance.
    2. To satisfy the requirements of the Ohio Revised Code regarding political parties existing in the State of Ohio.
    3. To grant specific and limited authority to the various parts of the Green Party of Ohio.

 

Article I – NAME AND PURPOSE

  • A. The name of this political party is the Green Party of Ohio (herein after GPOHIO).
  • B. Mission Statement: The GPOHIO exists in order to focus the political power of the people to: – preserve and restore viable ecosystems, – establish social justice and equity, – foster participatory democracy, – promote and practice nonviolence as a means of conflict resolution, and – ensure the rights of a community-based economic system for all people.
  • C. Key Values The GPOHIO, like other Green Parties, is based on values. These values are: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Nonviolence, Grassroots Democracy, Community Based Economics, Respect for Diversity, Decentralism, Personal and Global Responsibility, Feminism and Future Focus.

 

Article II – MEMBERSHIP AND PARTY ORGANIZATIONS

 

A. Membership in the GPOHIO shall include:

    1. Qualified electors who vote in the primary elections of the GPOHIO.
    2. Qualified electors who have signed a Declaration of Candidacy petition for a Green Party candidate.
    3. Political candidates who run as candidates of the Green Party, whether or not these candidates are endorsed by the GPOHIO or its parts.

B. Green Party Organizations aligned with the GPOHIO shall include:

    1. State (defined according to Ohio State Board of Education District boundaries) and county committees elected by direct vote of party members in even-numbered year primary elections which have agreed to be organized according to these bylaws and the constitution of the GPOHIO.
    2. Central committees and their members, specific issue committees and task forces which are created by and accountable to the GPOHIO Convention and State and/or County Central Committees. Only affiliated members of the GPOHIO as defined in Article II, Section A shall be eligible to serve on State and County Central Committees.

C. All PACs, Candidate Committees, etc., are considered separate from and unaffiliated with the GPOHIO.

 

Article III – DECISION-MAKING BODIES, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, FUNCTIONARIES, AND RECALL

A. Decision-Making Bodies

    1. The highest decision-making body of the GPOHIO is the part of the Ohio electorate that votes in the Green Party primary.
    2. The Convention, consisting of affiliated members of the GPOHIO pursuant to current Ohio law, is empowered to set broad goals, objectives and policies, ratify the platform, elect representatives and delegates, endorse candidates in the name of the GPOHIO, adopt and modify this Constitution and Bylaws, and allow for review of the performance of the State and County Central Committees.
    3. Central Committees of Minor Political Parties in Ohio

 

      • a. State and County Central Committee members shall be elected at primaries in even-numbered years according to the Green Party of Ohio Statewide Organizational Plan ratified this date, January 23, 2010 and contained within Appendix I of this Constitution and Bylaws. Modified on Feb. 15, 2014.
      • b. The State Central Committee reserves the right to prepare the platform ratification process and candidate endorsement and presidential elector selection process and selection process for national Green Party delegates to be used at the State Convention, and to interpret, strategize and implement plans for achieving the goals, objectives and policies set by the State Convention. This includes the raising and expending of funds towards these ends in the name of the GPOHIO; the endorsement of activities by, and the participation in coalitions by the Green Party of Ohio; the continued formation, development, and sustenance of the Green Party of Ohio; the cultivation and nomination of future and present candidates for office, including the endorsement of these candidates in the name of the State Central Committee; the appointment of non-voting special advisors or observers; the upholding of and the implementation of the Constitution and Bylaws of the GPOHIO, including making recommendations to the Convention for their improvement; and the representation and advocacy of the GPOHIO in all of its affairs. Endorsements of State and Federal candidates shall be made by the GPOHIO State Central Committee or Convention. Additionally, the State Central Committee shall be responsible for the advancement of Green values, recruitment of new party members, empowerment of the membership, and the establishment of subcommittees and issue committees as agreed to by its members. The State Central Committee may choose to delegate tasks for which it is responsible to subcommittees as necessary, however, ultimate responsibility for carrying out these tasks is nontransferable and remains the State Central Committee’s. Members of the State Central Committee shall not be personally liable for monetary damages for any action taken, or any failure to take any action, to the fullest extent permitted by law. The GPOHIO shall indemnify any member of the State Central Committee to the fullest extent of the law.
      • c. Officials to be chosen by the State Central Committee: Co-Chairpersons, Secretary, and Treasurer.

 

B. Executive Committee

 

    1. The Co-Chairpersons are responsible for arranging the bringing together of participants, possible agenda items, miscellaneous details of a meeting, and the other functionaries, especially a facilitator.
    2. The GPOHIO Secretary is responsible for maintaining the current mailing lists of all Green Party County Central Committees and their members, State Central Committee members, etc. The lists of State Central Committee members, Party Officials, and Green Party County Central Committees must be maintained on the Internet Web page and must be made available to members upon request.
    3. The Treasurer is legally responsible for keeping detailed records of everything received or given, providing reports to the Convention and State Central Committee and filing campaign finance reports as required by state law. The State Central Committee shall indemnify the Treasurer to the fullest extent of the law. (There may be treasurers of Green Party County Central Committees who are responsible for the record keeping and reporting activities of that particular organization.)

 

C. Functionaries

1. The Facilitator/Co-Facilitator conducts the process of the meeting at the discretion of the meeting participants. Their primary task is the orchestration of the flow of input into the meeting. The facilitator is never the presenter of an agenda item. Their role is (literally) to make it easier for the group to express its ideas and identify agreement on issues.

Tasks include:

    • a. calling the group back to the agenda,
    • b. keeping member comments short and to the point,
    • c. restating comments for clarity as needed,
    • d. applying various processes and rules when appropriate, and
    • e. being attentive to the needs and input of the timekeepers, minute takers, process observers, starting and stopping the meeting on time, and generally keeping things moving along at a timely pace.

Facilitators must remain nonpartisan and objective. If they perceive a conflict of interest or become emotionally charged by a particularly intense exchange or agenda item, they should allow a co-facilitator or other acceptable meeting participant to facilitate the meeting. The facilitator may be removed from the position at any time by the agreement of the meeting participants.

2. The Recording Secretary is responsible for assuring the recording the proceedings of the meeting, noting all decisions as separate “minutes,” and for producing a written copy of the minutes and a summary of the content of major discussions for distribution to the group:

 

    • a. at the time of a decision by the group, the Recording Secretary should read out loud a written copy of the tentative agreement;
    • b. a copy of the list of attendees, minutes and summary of each Convention and State Central Committee Meeting shall be mailed to each member of the State Central Committee and to each Green Party County Central Committee and this record shall be posted on the Internet Web site;
    • c. costs incurred and environmental impact shall be minimized by using electronic communication where possible, a hard copy shall be maintained by the Secretary and provided at cost to any member upon request; and
    • d. a proposal that is submitted to the group should be written in its final form including amendments, clarifications and refinements, and given to the Secretary for inclusion in the minutes. This guarantees that all agreed upon items get included and frees the minute taker for other duties.

 

3. Other offices as determined, including but not limited to Corresponding Secretary, Press and Media Secretary, Membership Chairperson, Auditor, Parliamentarian, Issue Campaign Chairpersons, etc.)

D. Recall of the Members of State and County Central Committees including Executive Committee Members

    1. Individual members of the State Central Committee may be recalled by the other members of the State Central Committee or by the Convention. Individual members of County Central Committees may be recalled by the other members of the County Central Committee, by the State Central Committee, or by the Convention. Members of the committee must be available during the required meeting agenda time allotted for review of their activities and for questions from the participants, or face recall or probation.
    2. 75% of the participants voting for recall removes the committee member from the committee.
    3. 66-2/3% of participants voting for recall places the committee member on probation until the next required meeting. No State Central Committee member while on probation may be an official of the GPOHIO.

4. In keeping with our Values of Social  Justice and Diversity The Green Party of Ohio is accrediting the following caucuses: The Black Caucus, The Youth Caucus, The Woman’s Caucus, The Lavender Caucus, The Latinx Caucus, The Disability Caucus, and adding any additional caucuses that may be accredited by the Green Party National Committee or that the Ohio Green Party may deem necessary.

The Caucuses shall function to empower traditionally disenfranchised communities in the decision- making process of the Green Party of Ohio, empower them in the political process in general.

Each caucus will function as an entity of the Green Party of Ohio but will be semi-autonomous; electing officers, conducting independent meetings, setting priorities and goals,  creating a subaccount with the state treasurer, if they desire to do so, or a separate PAC. In addition, with the treasurer for the Green Party of Ohio, raising and spending money in keeping with all laws pertaining to political parties, campaign finance laws, and PACs

Rights and responsibilities of the Caucus that are recognized by the Green Party of Ohio:

1) Each Caucus will be afforded one vote on the Central Committee of the Green Party of Ohio, but will not count towards the quorum until it has elected a delegate and an alternate to the state central committee. If both the delegate and alternate positions should become vacant the caucus will not count towards the Central Committee quorum until one of those positions is filled.

2) Must have at least 5 members with a majority being registered Greens. Provide list of members to the Central Committee within 15 days of formation. Be comprised primarily of members of the group it represents. It will be up to the caucus to determine if it will admit members of groups outside the community they represent, not to exceed one fourth of their membership.

3) Each caucus will determine the frequency, locations, and method of their meetings, with a minimum of an annual meeting.

4) It is encouraged that meeting locations afford maximum access to participation by members throughout the state.

5)Each caucus will determine the frequency of elections and the number of officers however no terms will exceed four years. In addition, it is recommended that the caucus fill the following positions:    two co-chairs, a treasurer, and a secretary.

Article IV – REQUIRED MEETINGS

A. This Constitution and Bylaws will go into effect upon ratification at the January 23,2010 Green Party of Ohio Convention.

B. Biennial Convention – the GPOHIO shall meet once every two years in order to nominate or endorse candidates, ratify platform positions, initiate projects and issue campaigns, modify the Constitution and Bylaws, review the performance of the State Central Committee, etc.

    1. At the convention immediately prior to the gubernatorial election the meeting shall include the ratification of a state platform, the ratification of platform proposals to a national convention and the endorsement of candidates for Governor, Lt. Governor and other statewide offices as necessary.
    2. At the convention immediately prior to the presidential election the meeting shall include the ratification of platform proposals to a national convention, the endorsement of presidential and vice presidential candidates and others as necessary, and the selection of presidential electors and delegates to the national convention of the Green Party.

C. Central Committee Meetings – ORC 3517.03, 5317.14, 3517.05, 3517.06 (Also see Appendix I)

    1. At the first meeting of the State and County Central Committees as required by the Green Party of Ohio Statewide Organizational Plan contained in Appendix I, each committee shall proceed to organize by the selection of such officials as these rules provide.
    2. A majority of the members of a State or County Central Committee shall constitute a quorum and shall have the authority to conduct the business of the Committee, unless otherwise provided herein or by law.
    3. In case of vacancies due to death, resignation, failure to elect, or removal from the county or district from which a State or County Central Committee member was elected, the State or County Central Committee shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the committee. The Green Party County Central Committee(s) existing within the jurisdiction in which a vacancy occurs may choose to appoint State Central Committee members to be accepted by the State Central Committee by majority vote.
    4. All changes in the membership of State or County Central Committees shall be promptly reported to the Local County Board of Elections and the Secretary of State. These lists will be open for inspection at all times when the offices where they are filed are open. (See ORC 3517.06)

Article V – TRANSPARENCY AND INTERNAL DEMOCRACY

A. All required meetings and records of required meetings, decisions, and finances of the GPOHIO and Green Party County Central Committees shall be open to the members of the GPOHIO, the media and the general public.

B. Participation in task force and project meetings may be limited to the active members of those groups only to the extent required to protect the strategic interests of the GPOHIO.

C. Notices of all meetings of the GPOHIO and the State and County Central Committees must be posted publicly on the Internet Web site at least one week in advance.

    1. Written notice of all meetings must be given by the Chairperson to each of the affiliated Green Party County Central Committees and to each of the State or County Central Committee members and members-elect at least five days prior to the meeting by e-mail or, if necessary, US Mail.
    2. These notices must include the date, time and place of the meeting. 3. At such time as the GPOHIO is recognized as a major political party, notice must be posted in the office of the Secretary of State or County Board of Elections, as the case may be.

Article VI – MEETING PROCESS, AGREEMENT-SEEKING, AND DECISION-MAKING GUIDELINES

A. Process – “Agreement-seeking with a fallback vote” decision-making process shall be used by all parts of the GPOHIO – see the process manual for a more detailed description.

B. Order of Business

1. Seating and Introductions – Everyone should position themselves wherever they feel most comfortable in a circle (the preferred configuration for effective communication) and introduce themselves, stating their names, the group they belong to, and other relevant information such as their status at the meeting, i.e., delegate, representative, observer, etc.

2. Agenda Review – a tentative agenda should be assembled by the Chairperson including each item’s title, the presenter’s name, type of item (report, decision, brainstorm, etc.) and the item’s time limit. In addition, there might be more than one facilitator during the meeting which should be listed alongside the items, and an indication of the priority of items or their numerical order. At the beginning of each meeting, the agenda may be reviewed by the meeting participants and altered. However, acceptance of the agenda implies a commitment to follow it.

3. Agenda Items:

    • a. Reports – The Chairperson(s), Secretary and Treasurer must submit written reports at each State Central Committee meeting. Persons representing the GPOHIO at any meeting or convention must submit written reports to the Secretary including the votes cast on behalf of the GPOHIO.
    • b. Proposals – In order to be considered at the Convention a proposal must be sponsored by the State Central Committee, a member of the GPOHIO State Central Committee’s Executive Committee, or a County Central Committee.
    • c. Constitutional Amendments and Changes to the Bylaws – Constitutional amendments and changes to the bylaws may only be made by an agreement or 66-2/3% vote of the Convention or a mail referendum of the delegates responding from affiliated Green Party County Central Committees. Proposed amendments and changes must be circulated to all registered Green Party County Central Committees at least six weeks in advance of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Convention or referendum response deadline.
    • d. Review of State Central Committee activities – Agenda time may be allotted for accountability of the members of the State Central Committee.

4. Allowable interruptions during the course of a discussion:

    • a. If a participant has information unknown to the rest of the group that is immediately relevant and necessary to what a speaker is saying, that participant should interrupt by saying “POINT OF INFORMATION.” The facilitator should then allow that participant to briefly and concisely present their strictly informational, non-opinionated input. Following the interruption, the regular sequence of discussion is resumed.
    • b. If a participant is unclear about what has been said or what is going on and interrupts with “POINT OF CLARITY,” the facilitator may suspend discussion briefly to respond to that participant’s question. If the facilitator is unable to clear up the confusion, another participant may be recognized to briefly offer the necessary information. This allows the participant seeking clarity to be brought up to speed so their input can be included in the ongoing discussion. Once the issue is resolved, or reasonable effort has been expended trying to do so, the facilitator should direct the group back to the regular sequence of discussion.
    • c. The call for “POINT OF PROCESS” should come from any participant who sees a problem developing due to the process breakdown. Once recognized by the facilitator, the participant should briefly indicate what “point of process” is involved (such as an impending time limit, straying from the topic, dealing with a non-agenda item, etc.) and offer a proposed solution.
    • d. Recall – A proposal may be made from the floor to recall a Central Committee member. This motion takes precedence over any other agenda item and upon the motion being made, the group does not seek agreement on this decision but moves directly to a vote to defer the decision or to vote on the question.

5. “Calling The Question” may occur when the facilitator or any participant of the meeting feels that discussion is complete and no new input is forthcoming, s/he may say “call the question.” If it is a simple and clear proposal or decision, the facilitator may briefly restate it, check to see if there is general agreement on calling the question, and ask “Is there any call for clarification?” If there is no call for clarification, the facilitator will ask “Is there any call for concern?” If there are neither further questions or concerns, the facilitator may ask the group to indicate their agreement.

6. Proposals may come complete from a single author, group, committee, or may be formed through discussion and brainstorming during the meeting. In general, detailed or complicated proposals should be in writing and circulated prior to the meeting. During discussion of a particular item, a “sense of the meeting” often emerges that can be put into words. When a participant feels that it would be helpful, s/he should state their understanding of the “sense of the meeting” as a proposal. A presenter should have the proposal written out for clarity.

7. Seeking Agreement – Participants should clearly indicate their position either with body language or vocally so that the facilitator has no difficulty determining the sense of the meeting.

    • a. Call For Clarification – The facilitator or minute taker will state the proposal and ask if there is any call for clarification. Questions about the proposal are answered during this part of the process, concerns are saved for later discussion. Once the group is satisfied that the proposal is clearly understood, the facilitator will ask if there is any call for concern.
    • b. Call For Concerns – The facilitator or minute taker will restate the proposal and ask if there is any call for concern regarding the proposal. A concern is a statement of how the proposal as stated might conflict with the group’s stated purpose and shared values. The facilitator will recognize those who have concerns, distill their concerns into short phrases and a co-facilitator or scribe may list them on a blackboard or easel. Listing concerns in this manner helps the group focus on the concern, not the presenter or the person raising the concern. Concerns should be impersonal. After all the concerns have been listed, the facilitator will deal with each in turn to resolve the concerns through group discussion and friendly amendments.
    • c. Indicating Agreement – If there are no questions or concerns, a test for agreement is made where the facilitator may ask for an action by the group to indicate their AGREEMENT. The facilitator should then move the group on to the next item. If there are further questions and concerns, discussion should continue, or if time has run out, the group should move on to the next item or contract for more time. In more complicated decisions and for issues which may require exact understanding of the proposal, the Secretary or minute taker should be prepared to read the proposal to the group prior to testing for agreement.
    • d. Group Resolution – Concerns are resolved as the proposal is explained or changed to address them. To make agreement more easily attainable, it may be possible for a participant having difficulty accepting a proposal to offer a “friendly amendment” that expands somewhat on the original idea or changes it to a minor degree in a manner that satisfactorily addresses their concerns without altering the “sense of the meeting” on the issue. If accepted by the presenter and the group, the friendly amendment should be worded into the proposal being discussed. If, after further discussion, the proposal seems satisfactory, it should be carefully restated and the facilitator should call the question. The accepted proposal with amendments should be written down by the Secretary and confirmed by the presenter in its final form for inclusion in the minutes.
    • e. Standing Aside – If, after reasonable discussion and exploration, the group cannot resolve the concerns through friendly amendments, the facilitator should try to determine the depth of the concerns. The facilitator will ask if those with concerns will “stand aside” to allow the group to reach “agreement.” The individuals who “stand aside” from the decision may be noted in the minutes with their reasons recorded. Many decisions can be made in this way without resorting to voting and without harmful consequences to the group. However, if a large percentage of the group is “standing aside,” the rest of the group should weigh the consequences of making the decision without the support and inclusion of those who are “standing aside.”
    • f. Withdrawal of the Proposal – If those with concerns are not willing to stand aside from the decision, the facilitator will ask the presenter if s/he will withdraw the proposal or the part of the proposal which is causing concern so that agreement may be reached. If not, the proposal can be delegated to a committee of resolution.
    • g. A Committee of Resolution may be formed which includes skilled representatives of all sides of the issue who are acceptable to all members of the larger group. They may meet during a break or temporarily withdraw from the larger group, which should then occupy itself with some other relatively minor issue, and attempt to come to agreement. The resolution this committee develops may then be carried back to the larger group and introduced for discussion and approval. It may be necessary to reconvene the smaller group for further attempts at achieving a workable solution before agreement can be reached.

8. The fallback vote to defer decision/vote – If the committee of resolution of the group absolutely cannot reach agreement, and it is determined that a decision must be made at the particular meeting, the facilitator will call for the group (voting members only) to vote on whether or not to defer the issue. If the vote to defer passes by 50% + 1, then a decision on the item is postponed for consideration at a future meeting. If the vote to defer does not pass, the facilitator then calls for a vote on the proposal. If the search for agreement through this process is unsuccessful, a group decision may be made by taking a vote on the issue. If the voting members or delegates vote to accept or reject the particular proposal (66-2/3% on substantive issues and changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, 50% +1 on procedural issues) the decision becomes binding and is entered into the minutes with a record of votes for and against, including abstentions. This means of decision-making should be used only as a last resort and it can be perceived as an abandonment of the principles of the consensus model of decision-making. Sometimes, with pressure of time and a sense of urgency, the group may vote on much of its agenda.

9. Evaluation – If the process is to improve, there must be an opportunity to review what went on and why, and a time to suggest ways to make it work better next time. For a large group the scribe can make a list on a blackboard or a large sheet of newsprint that the whole group can see. Headings should be placed at the top: a “-” on the left side, and a “+” on the right side. In brainstorming fashion and without argumentation or discussion, the group should create a list of all the things that did not work well under the “-” and of all the things that did go well under “+”. After listing, the group should briefly discuss how to improve those items listed under “-” and, where necessary, ways of maintaining the items. Suggestions and listings should be included in the minutes. Agreed To January 23,2010.

(C) Ohio Green Party Endorsement Policy Adopted by OGP Convention on February 15, 2014

(1) This Endorsement Policy is intended to provide candidate and issue endorsement parameters to the Ohio Green Party State Central Committee, all Ohio County Central Committees, and all individual members of either body [collectively the “Central Committees”], all of whom are expected to comply with this Endorsement Policy.

(2) “Endorsement” means publicly supporting or recommending the election of a candidate for political office or recommending the passage or defeat of a ballot issue.

(3) Endorsements given by a Central Committee are considered the official position of the Ohio Green Party.

(4) A County Central Committee may only issue endorsements related to candidates and ballot issues in its county. The State Central Committee may issue endorsements related to any and all statewide and federal elections [Article III(A)(2)(b)] and ballot issues as well as endorsements on county specific candidates and ballot issues if there is no functioning county central committee in the county.

(5) For purposes of this Endorsement Policy “Green Party Candidate” means any of the following: a political candidate who is running as a candidate of the Green Party; in a non-partisan race a candidate who is a current member in good standing of the Green Party; or, a write-in candidate who is a current member in good standing of the Green Party.

    1. If there is a Green Party candidate in the race Central Committees may only endorse that candidate unless that candidate has been specifically disavowed by a Central Committee, in which case an endorsement may be issued as long as it complies with the remainder of this policy.
    2. In partisan races Green Party Central Committees may not endorse a member of any other recognized political party.
    3. In non-partisan races with no Green Party Candidate the Central Committees may endorse candidates as long as there is no mention of the endorsed candidate’s political party and the candidate does not publicly identify herself or himself as a member of another recognized political party.

(6) Subject to Sections 1-5 above Central Committees may endorse non-Green Party candidates as long as the endorsement complies with the remaining provisions of this Endorsement Policy.

(7) Central Committee endorsements related to ballot issues may be granted after the Central Committee holds at least one (1) properly convened public meeting with public notice that at the meeting the Central Committee intends to consider the ballot issue endorsement. During the meeting the ballot issue must be discussed and debated prior to an endorsement decision by the Central Committee.

(8) Other than Green Party Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, any candidate seeking an endorsement must appear for a public discussion/interview with the Central Committee considering the endorsement, with public notice provided consistent with the Ohio Green Party Bylaws. During the discussion/interview the candidate seeking the Green Party endorsement must affirm his or her commitment to the Green Party key values and be able to demonstrate that commitment via past, current or promised actions consistent with the key values. If granted the Central Committee’s endorsement reasoning shall be put into writing. If the candidate receiving the endorsement disagrees with, or has acted inconsistently with, any Green Party key values the Central Committee must set forth a written analysis explaining both the endorsement benefits and potential endorsement detriments with an explanation of why the Central Committee believes the benefits outweigh the detriments.

(9) A County Central Committee or State Central Committee member may request that the State Central authorize endorsing a candidate not otherwise permitted to be endorsed under this Endorsement Policy. The State Central Committee may grant an Endorsement Policy exception if there is a compelling justification that is discussed and approved by the State Central Committee.

Appendix I Green Party of Ohio Statewide Organizational Plan

The Green Party of Ohio, being recognized as a minor political party in the State of Ohio will at its first opportunity elect state central committee members and county central committee members through election in the Ohio Primary Election to be conducted on May 4, 2010, and in each subsequent statewide primary. Election of State Central Committee Members The candidates will be elected within and represent the districts currently drawn along the boundaries of Ohio’s 11 (eleven) State Board of Education Districts. At the primary election to be held May 4, 2010, and in each subsequent statewide primary, candidates will be found qualified if they:

1) Are qualified electors properly residing within the district they seek to represent

2) Submit a valid declaration of candidacy and petition for candidate to the Board of Elections in the most populous county or part-county within the district by 4pm February 18, 2010, or within the appointed deadline to appear on the ballot in any subsequent statewide primary. Recognizing that candidates of newly formed political parties may seek election as a member of a newly formed political party regardless of prior party affiliation, all candidacies for these elected positions in this election will be considered valid for this purpose. Election of state central committee members at future primary elections in even numbered years, will require candidates to be affiliated members of the Green Party of Ohio pursuant to current Ohio law and in full compliance with Ohio requirements for candidates for this party office. It is the intent of this plan to elect four state central committee members from each district, including at least one man and at least one woman. If sufficient numbers of potential candidates reflecting required gender equity do not file declarations of candidacy and petitions for candidates then that gender specific seat shall be held unfilled. The elected term of state central committee members shall commence six days after certification of election by the Board of Elections in the most populous county of the district and expire two years later or six days after certification of the next primary election held in even-numbered years, whichever is longer. Vacancies may be filled by a majority vote of state central committee members, as provided in Article IV, Section C.2 of the Green Party of Ohio’s bylaws and in accordance with current Ohio law. Upon election and certification by the Boards of Elections in the most populous county in each district, the newly elected state central committee will in not less than 10 days nor in not more than 15 days meet and elect two chairpersons, one man and one woman, a secretary and a treasurer. The party officers will serve at the pleasure of the state central committee. Within 30 days of the election, the party’s secretary will file the names and addresses of the state central committee and party officers with the Secretary of State. Election of County Central Committee Members Furthermore, this plan provides for the creation of county central committees, requiring committee persons to also be elected to those positions at the primary election in even-numbered years. The candidates will be elected within and represent the county in which they seek election at the primary election to be held May 4, 2010. Candidates will be found qualified if they:

1) Are qualified electors properly residing within the county they seek to represent

2) Submit a valid declaration of candidacy to the County Board of Elections by 4pm, February 18, 2010, or within the appointed deadline to appear on the ballot in any partisan primary.

Recognizing that candidates of newly formed political parties may seek election as a member of a newly formed political party regardless of prior party affiliation, all candidacies for these elected party positions in this election will be considered valid for this purpose. Election of county central committee members at future primary elections in even numbered years will require candidates to be affiliated members of the Green Party of Ohio pursuant to current Ohio law and in full compliance with Ohio requirements for candidates for this party office.

It is the intent of this plan to elect a maximum of 15 central committee members per county. Each county central committee must be gender balanced, with no more than 60% representing one gender.  If sufficient numbers of potential candidates reflecting required gender equity do not file declarations of candidacy then that gender specific seat shall be held unfilled. Election of county central committee members shall be conducted in each county in the state. The elected term of county committee members shall commence six days after certification of election by the Board of Elections and expire two years later or six days after certification of the next primary election held in even-numbered years, whichever is longer.

Vacancies may be filled by a majority vote of county central committee members, as provided in Article IV, Section C.2 of the Green Party of Ohio’s bylaws and in accordance with current Ohio law. Upon election and certification by the Board of Elections the newly elected county committee will in not less than 10 days nor in not more than 15 days meet and elect two chairpersons, one man and one woman, a secretary and a treasurer. Within 30 days of the election, the county committee secretary will file the names and addresses of the members of the county central committee and committee officers with their County Board of Elections.