The principles of the Green Party of Pennsylvania are articulated
in the ten key values of the Green movement in the United States
of America: grassroots democracy, social justice and equal
opportunity, ecological wisdom, non-violence, decentralization,
community-based economics and economic justice, feminism and
gender equity, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility,
and future focus and sustainability. The Green Party shall
govern itself in a manner consistent with and in actualization
of these values.
RULE I: ORGANIZATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
Section 1. The representative and authoritative bodies of
the Green Party in Pennsylvania shall consist of:
1. The State Committee
2. The Steering Committee, and
3. The County Committees
Section 2. Only duly registered and enrolled Green electors
shall be eligible to serve as members or officers of any of
the committees provided in Section 1 of this rule.
Section 3. The State Committee, the Steering Committee and
County Committees are authorized and empowered to create and
establish advisory and auxiliary committees.
RULE II: STATE COMMITTEE
Section 1. The general supervision, regulation and direction
of the statewide affairs of the Green Party in Pennsylvania
shall be vested in the State Committee.
Section 2. Election to the Pennsylvania Green State Committee
shall be governed by the rules of the County Committees from
which such Members shall be elected. The number of State Committee
members that each county is entitled to elect shall be based
on the Green Party registration or enrollment in such county
as of the last Primary or General Election immediately preceding
each meeting as follows:
a) Each County Committee shall be allotted one member for each
one (1) percent or a major fraction thereof of the registered
Greens in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; provided that there
shall be allotted at least two (2) members to each County Committee.
b) All State Committee members shall be elected as determined
by the rules of the County Committee of the county of their
residence.
c) Each member of the State Committee shall be entitled to
one (1) full vote on all matters before the State Committee.
Section 3. The State Committee shall meet at least quarterly
at such hour and place as shall be designated by the present
Steering Committee as mandated by the previous meeting of the
State Committee.
a) At the first meeting of each calendar year, the members
of the State Committee shall elect a Chair and Secretary, one
of whom shall be a female and the other a male. The Chair shall
be elected prior to the Secretary. Their terms of office shall
begin from the date of their election and continue until their
successors have been duly elected. Any person enrolled in the
Green Party of Pennsylvania shall be eligible for any of said
offices.
b) At the first meeting of each calendar year, the members
of the State Committee shall elect delegates from Pennsylvania
to the National Committee of the Green Party of the United
States. The number of delegates to be elected will be determined
by the Rules of the National Committee. For any meeting of
the National Committee, so long as it is permitted by the Rules
of that body, a delegate may voluntarily give her or his proxy
to any other delegate, provided that no delegate shall carry
more than one proxy. The terms of office of the delegates shall
begin from the date of their election and continue until their
successors have been duly elected. Any person enrolled in the
Green Party of Pennsylvania shall be eligible for said offices.
c) Vacancies happening at any time in the office of Chair or
Secretary or in the office of a member of any national body
of the Green Party shall be filled by the State Committee for
the unexpired term.
Section 4. The Chair of the State Committee shall preside
at all meetings of the State Committee and of the Steering
Committee and shall be entitled to vote therein on all questions.
He or she shall execute the business of the Party by and with
the advice of the Steering Committee and subject to the approval
of the State Committee.
Section 5. The Secretary, in the absence of the Chair at any
meeting of the State Committee or Steering Committee, shall
preside over the election by such Committee of an interim Chair
who shall serve for the duration of the meeting, and, in the
event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, shall serve as Chair
until a Chair is elected. The Secretary shall also maintain
records of all meetings of the State Committee and Steering
Committee and shall be entitled to vote at meetings of the
State Committee and Steering Committee on all questions.
Section 6. The State Committee holds the exclusive authority
to nominate Green Party candidates for federal and state office
within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
a) The State Committee may nominate candidates for such offices
as are to be voted for by the electors of the Commonwealth
at-large. The calendar month during which a meeting of the
State Committee shall be convened for the purpose of making
such nomination shall be determined by the State Committee
at least four (4) months in advance.
b) The State Committee may nominate candidates for the offices
of Representative in Congress, Senator in the General Assembly,
or Representative in the General Assembly as well as candidates
for county and municipal offices in districts wholly within
counties in which there is no authorized County Committee.
The State Committee may also nominate candidates for the offices
of Judge of a Court of Common Pleas or School Director if such
districts include all or part of multiple counties. If the
district in which such candidate seeks nomination includes
all or part of a county in which there exists an authorized
County Committee of the Green Party, the State Committee shall
not nominate any candidate who has not been endorsed by at
least one County Committee that includes all or part of such
district.
c) As soon as possible after the nomination of candidates for
public office by the State Committee, the Chair and Secretary
shall deliver to the Secretary of the Commonwealth and any
affected county Boards of Elections Authorizations of Candidacy
listing the offices for which candidates have been nominated
and the names and addresses of such candidates. The Secretary
of the Commonwealth and the county Boards of Elections shall
not certify the nomination of any Green Party candidate for
whom such Authorization has not been received. Such Authorization
may be supplemented at any time prior to the last date on which
nomination papers may be filed.
Section 7. The State Committee may, if it deems proper, promulgate
and adopt a platform or statement of principles and policies
of the Green Party of Pennsylvania.
Section 8. The Chair shall call special meetings of the State
Committee upon the request of at least one-eighth of the members
of such committee. Such a meeting shall be called within ten
(10) days, and such meeting shall be held within thirty (30)
days of the date of the meeting notice. If the Chair shall
fail to call such a properly requested meeting, the members
making the request may themselves call the meeting.
Section 9. The presence of members of the State Committee
representing County Committees that in total hold a majority
of State Committee seats shall be required to constitute a
quorum.
Section 10. All meetings of the State Committee shall be conducted
in person.
RULE III: STEERING COMMITTEE
Section 1. The Steering Committee shall consist of the Chair
and Secretary of the State Committee as well as three additional
members, including at least one male and at least one female,
to be elected by the State Committee at the first meeting of
each calendar year for a term beginning on the date of their
election and continuing until their successors have been duly
elected.
Section 2. The Steering Committee shall act in an advisory
capacity to all committees and shall perform such other duties
as may be conferred by these rules or otherwise delegated to
it by the State Committee or the Chair.
Section 3. The Chair and Secretary of the State Committee
shall hold these same offices on the Steering Committee.
Section 4. Any vacancy in the membership of the Steering Committee
shall be filled by a vote of the State Committee.
Section 5. A majority of the members of the Steering Committee
shall be required to constitute a quorum.
Section 6. The Chair may call an in-person meeting of the
Steering Committee at any time at her or his discretion with
at least ten (10) days' notice. The Chair may also conduct
a poll of the Steering Committee by telephone or electronic
communication; provided that each member of the Steering Committee
shall have at least seven (7) days to respond to such poll.
RULE IV: COUNTY COMMITTEES
Section 1. The State Committee may recognize County Committees
organized for the purpose of carrying out the business of the
Green Party on the county and municipal levels.
a) No county rules of the Green Party may be accepted by any
county Board of Elections except such rules filed by a County
Committee that has been recognized by the State Committee on
the basis of its viability and commitment to the values of
the Green Party.
b) The State Committee may cancel its recognition of any County
Committee if such Committee become unviable or engages in activities
that are in blatant violation of Green values, including but
not limited to failure to adopt democratic internal procedures.
Section 2. The County Committees hold the exclusive authority
to nominate Green Party candidates for county and municipal
offices in districts wholly within the counties of their jurisdiction.
As soon as possible after the nomination of candidates for
public office by a County Committee, the officers of the Committee
shall deliver to the county Board of Elections an Authorization
of Candidacy listing the offices for which candidates have
been nominated and the names and addresses of such candidates.
The county Board of Elections shall not certify the nomination
of any Green Party candidate for whom such Authorization has
not been received. Such Authorization may be supplemented at
any time prior to the last date on which nomination papers
may be filed.
Section 3. Each County Committee shall elect its representatives
to the State Committee pursuant to Rule II, Section 2 and in
accordance with its own rules. County Committees may also elect
observers, who may attend meetings of the State Committee,
and reserve the right to mandate that their representatives
confer with such observers before casting any vote. Upon the
election of new State Committee members and/or observers, the
officers of the County Committee shall deliver to the Secretary
of the State Committee notification of such election.
Section 4. A dispute as to who has been legally elected as
an officer or member of any County Committee shall be determined
by the County Committee in which it shall arise, or in such
other manner or by such other body as the County Committee
rules may provide. A participant in such dispute has the right
to appeal the final decision of such Committee, or other body,
to the State Committee. The appeal shall be taken within ten
days after such decision is rendered.
RULE V: VACANCIES
Section 1. Any vacancy happening or existing in the Green
nomination for any federal or state office by reason of the
death or withdrawal of a candidate, the calling of a special
election, or other cause shall be filled by the State Committee,
which shall have the authority to make and certify a nomination,
or by the Steering Committee, which shall have such authority
if and only if the deadline for the certification of such nomination
lies prior to the next scheduled meeting of the State Committee.
Section 2. Any vacancy happening or existing in the Green
nomination for any county or municipal office, by reason of
the death or withdrawal of a candidate, the calling of a special
election, or other cause shall be filled in accordance with
the rules of the County Committee. If there is no authorized
County Committee, the vacancy shall be filled by the State
Committee, which shall have the authority to make and certify
a nomination, or by the Steering Committee, which shall have
such authority if and only if the deadline for the certification
of such nomination lies prior to the next scheduled meeting
of the State Committee.
RULE VI: RULES OF ORDER
Section 1. The State Committee and Steering Committee shall
strive to obtain consensus on all decisions. If consensus fails,
a decision on a substantive motion shall require a two-thirds
majority of votes cast for or against the motion.
Section 2. With regard to the election of party officers,
the nomination of candidates for public office or any other
vote taken to designate a person or persons who will represent
the party in any capacity, such election shall be by an instant
runoff vote if one person is to be elected or by an appropriate
method of proportional representation selected in advance if
more than one person is to be elected.
Section 3. The State Committee and Steering Committee may
adopt additional rules of order, temporarily or permanently,
to govern their respective meetings. Any such rules adopted
permanently must be filed with the state board of elections.
Section 4. Insofar as they are not inconsistent with these
rules or any others adopted is provided in Section 2 of this
rule, Robert's Rules of Order, as most recently revised, shall
govern procedure at all meetings of the State Committee and
Steering Committee.
RULE VI: PROCEDURES FOR AMENDING RULES
Section 1. Amendments to these rules may be made by the State
Committee at any regularly scheduled meeting of such Committee,
provided that the proposed amendment is submitted to the Chair
of the State Committee not less than thirty-five (35) days
prior to the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered.
The Chair shall then send a copy of the proposed amendment
to every member of the State Committee.
