The Democratic Party of Oregon is committed to maintaining and improving the environment and therefore shall make every effort to reuse, reduce and recycle waste at all Democratic functions. We shall also use recycled materials whenever possible.

Standing Rule 2: Rules for Legislative Nominating Conventions

Adopted February 6, 1994

Amended July 29, 2012

Rules for Nominating Conventions

Section 1: Nominating candidates to fill a vacancy in office:

Meetings of the DPO Central Committee called for the purpose of nominating candidates for filling vacancies pursuant to Article XI of the DPO Bylaws shall be governed by the following rules:

Any person who is qualified under law to fill a vacancy in the office for which the nominating meeting is called may seek the nomination of the party by filing a pledge that if nominated she or he will not withdraw from consideration and that she or he will, if appointed or elected, serve in the office sought. - The only candidates for nomination are those who have filed the form required by ORS 171.051(2) and whose pledge forms are physically received at the DPO office (1220 SW Morrison Street, Suite 910, Portland, OR 97220) no later than 24 hours in advance of the meeting. These candidates shall have their names printed on the prepared ballots in random order.
Delegates shall register with the credentials committee.

If the district contains more than one county, each delegate will be informed about the number of votes they will cast at the beginning of the meeting. Those votes will be equal to the total number of Democratic voters in their county’s portion of the district, divided by the number of delegates present.
If the district is entirely within one county, each delegate will cast one vote.

Visitors and candidates for nomination (including those who are voting delegates) shall be seated apart from voting delegates.
The convention shall decide whether to nominate three, four, or five candidates.
At the appropriate time, the Chair shall read the names of the candidates for nomination. As each candidate's name is called they shall orally indicate a willingness to serve.
The candidates shall then be allowed to address the convention for no more than ( ) minutes each.

The order of speeches shall be determined by lot.
If the chair determines at her or his sole discretion that there is enough time, he or she may allow questions from the delegates.

Such questions shall be limited to ( ) each and each candidate shall be allowed ( ) minute(s) in which to respond.
The blanks in this paragraph shall be determined by the Chair at his or her discretion

After the candidates have spoken, the convention, by majority vote, may require the candidates to leave during a discussion of their candidacies.
The Chair shall then call for the first round of balloting.

The Chair shall appoint at least three tellers. They cannot be candidates
Delegates who are allotted multiple votes may divide their votes among the candidates.
No ballot shall be counted on which the delegate cast more votes than that delegate is entitled.
Candidates or their representatives may observe the counting of the ballots provided that they do not disrupt or impede the tellers.
All the ballots shall be verified by the credentials committee for legibility and compliance with this rule before any ballot may be counted.
No appeal of the decision of the credentials committee shall be heard once the results have been announced.

The Chair shall announce the results of the balloting.

If one candidate received a majority of the votes authorized, balloting shall cease and that person is declared nominated.
If no candidate received a majority of the votes authorized, the Chair shall call for a second ballot.
Any candidate who receives fewer than 10 percent of the total vote cast and the candidate who receives the fewest votes shall be eliminated from the second and successive ballots.

The convention will repeat the process until the required numbers of candidates are nominated.
If there are three, four or five candidates, the convention may decide, by a majority vote, to nominate all of the candidates.

It may also decide, by majority vote, to rank those candidates, and send the results of that vote to the governing body/official that will make the selection to fill the vacancy.
In the case of a district containing more than one county, that vote to rank will be made with each delegate casting the number of votes allotted.
Once the convention is adjourned, the DPO shall inform the Secretary of State and file any forms required by state law.

Section II: Nominating a candidate to fill a vacancy on the ballot

The convention to name a Democratic candidate on the ballot is formed the same way as a convention to nominate candidates to fill a vacancy

The chair of the county with the largest number of registered Democrats in the district is the chair of the convention.

In a multi-county district, delegates cast votes equal to the numbers of their county’s registered Democrats.
In a district contained within a county, delegates cast one vote

Candidates are nominated from the floor of the convention. They must be legally qualified to serve in that office and be legally able to serve as a Democrat.
The election is held in the same fashion as listed in Section 1, except that only one candidate will be nominated
Once the convention nominates a candidate, the DPO sends a report to the Secretary of State’s Elections Division informing them of the nomination. The nominee then files the appropriate declaration of candidacy forms with that office
If the convention fails to nominate a candidate, the chair sends a report to the Democratic Party of Oregon.

Standing Rule 3: Regarding SCC Meeting Notice

Adopted Feb. 4, 1996

Amended November 19, 2017

Notices of Meetings pursuant to Article VI, Section 3, shall be delivered to the post office on the 20th day prior to the meeting. If the 20th day prior to the meeting is a Saturday, Sunday, or postal holiday, the notice shall be delivered to the post office on the previous day which is not a Saturday, Sunday, or postal holiday. Materials must be physically received in the office on or before the close of business 25 days prior to the meeting date to be included in the meeting notice. The deadline for receipt of materials for the meeting notice shall be announced at the prior meeting.
Upon receiving a resolution to be considered at the next SCC meeting, the Chair will make the full text of the resolution available to all SCC Delegates and Alternates at least 20 days before the SCC meeting in which it will be considered. If it is not, it will require a 2/3 vote to pass.
The full text of a potential Standing Rules Amendment must be made available to all SCC Delegates and Alternates at least 20 days before the SCC meeting in which it will be considered.
The full text of a potential Bylaws Amendment must be made available to all SCC Delegates and Alternates at least 45 days before the SCC meeting in which it will be considered.

Standing Rule 4: Standing Rule for the Election of DNC Members and Officers

Adopted Oct. 13, 1996

Amended, July 13, 2008

Amended, December 2, 2018

Verify, through the Credentials Committee, that a quorum exists.
Appoint a temporary parliamentarian.
At the beginning of each contest for office, read the list of candidates who have filed for office, and ask if there are any write-in candidates.
Open the floor for nomination speeches.

Nomination speeches may be no longer than two minutes per candidate.
There will be no seconding speeches.

Invite nominated candidates to speak.

Candidates speeches may be no longer than five minutes.
Candidates may allow others to speak or may answer questions within the five-minute period.

Explain election rules

Each ballot must be signed by the voting members of the State Central Committee casting their ballot, in order to comply with DNC rules.
A majority of the delegates (and those acting as delegates) present and voting is necessary to elect.
All ballots are to be counted.
Voters will go to the Credentials Committee desk to receive ballots. The Committee will check off the names of voters receiving ballots.
Voters will return their ballots to the Credentials Committee. Names will be checked and ballots placed in a box by the Committee. The Committee will require that each ballot be signed before being placed in the box.
If only one candidate is nominated, the election may be made by voice vote.
Credentialed Delegates participating the meeting remotely will receive a secure electronic ballot for each round of balloting. Each round of balloting will take no less than 15 minutes. Ballots must be cast during the balloting window.

Counting of ballots

The Credentials Committee shall be responsible for counting the ballots.
With the support of DPO Staff, a member of the Credentials Committee will process the results of any ballot cast remotely.
Each nominated candidate may designate two people to observe the counting and tallying of ballots
The Chair will appoint two people to act as observers on the Chair's behalf. These observers, along with the Chair, will have the authority to rule on any ballots that may be challenged. Ballots that are unresolved must be cast as blanks.
The Credentials Committee will bring a list of the results to the Chair.
The Chair will announce the results. If no candidate receives a majority (including blank ballots), the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes will be dropped in each subsequent ballot until a majority is reached. If there are only two candidates, the central committee will re-vote, with both candidates on the ballot, until a majority is reached.

If the Chair is Male or Non-Binary, on the first round of balloting for Vice Chair, only female candidates will be listed.
If the Chair and female Vice Chair are of different gender categories, the second Vice Chair position may be held by a candidate of any gender, so all genders will be included on the ballot for this position.
If the Chair and Vice Chair are both females, only people who do not identify as female will be included in the election to fill the other Vice Chair Position.

Anyone wishing to inspect the ballots for any race must submit a letter to the executive director of the DPO within seven days of the election. The decision whether to allow the inspection will be made by the Executive Committee before the next meeting of the State Central Committee. If no requests to inspect ballots are made within the deadline, ballots will be destroyed 30 days after the election.

DNC members

Oregon elects three DNC members. No more than two of them can be of the same gender.
The order of speeches by candidates for DNC member shall be determined by the chair.
All candidates for DNC member shall be listed on one ballot.
Each eligible voting member casts three votes, one vote for each of the three candidates of their choice.
The winner(s) of the first ballot will be the candidate(s) who receive a majority.
If three candidates win a majority of the votes on the first ballot, they are declared elected, as long as that election does not result in the DNC membership being all of one gender.
If there are still DNC members to be elected after a first ballot, a second ballot will be cast. After removing the name(s) of any candidate(s) elected on the first ballot, the second ballot will consist of the remaining top finishers from the first ballot, equal to twice the number of DNC member positions still remaining to be elected.

For example: If one DNC member is elected on the first ballot, and there are still two DNC members to be elected, the second ballot will contain the names of the second through fifth finishers, provided that all gender categories of filed candidates are represented.

If the first ballot results in three people of the same gender each receiving a majority, the two people with the highest number of votes will be elected. If the first ballot results in two people of the same gender being elected, the second ballot will contain the names of the top two finishers of a different gender category to those who were elected.

Democratic Party of Oregon officers

If the incumbent chair is running for re-election, a temporary chair shall be elected to serve until a new chair is elected.
Nominations, speeches and voting for officers shall occur in the following order: Chair, Vice Chairs, and Secretary.

Standing Rule 5: Regarding Open Primaries

Adopted February 22, 1998

After each election that is opened to non-affiliated or "not a member of a party" registered voters, the Democratic Party of Oregon will conduct an in-depth analysis of the election process and outcome to determine the effect of that opening.

Standing Rule 6: Regarding Drafting Resolutions

Adopted September 20, 2009

Resolutions shall be submitted in accordance with the current “Guidelines for Drafting a Resolution for Consideration by the Democratic Party of Oregon,” promulgated by the Platform and Resolutions Committee as published on the Democratic Party of Oregon website.

Standing Rule 7: Deadline for county parties to submit names of SCC members to the DPO

Adopted March 7, 2010

Amended November 19, 2017

County chairs are required to submit changes to the list of their county’s SCC members, excluding temporary replacements, to the DPO two weeks before a SCC meeting.

County Chairs are required to send an updated copy of their bylaws, if there have been changes, to the DPO two weeks before an SCC Meeting.

At least 5 business days prior to the State Central Committee Meeting, the County Chair, Caucus Chair, or Delegation Chair must notify the DPO of any Delegates, or alternates voting as delegates, wishing to participate remotely.

The Credentials Committee and/or members of the Administration Committee will make a good-faith effort to resolve any conflicts, but it is up to the county parties to make sure the lists they send to the DPO are accurate and timely. Failure to send a list on time may result in a county party member being denied credentials at a SCC meeting.

Standing Rule 8: Allocation of Check for Democracy Funds

Adopted March 7, 2010

The proceeds from the Check for Democracy to the DPO will be split this way:

50 percent to the Campaign Fund
20 percent to the Rainy-Day Fund/Grassroots Endowment
20 percent to the Check for Democracy Grassroots Marketing Fund (caps at $20,000 per year)
10 percent to county party support

a. If the Rainy-Day Fund has at least $150,000, the percentages will change to:

65 percent to the Campaign Fund
20 percent to the Check for Democracy Grassroots Marketing Fund (caps at $20,000 per year)
10 percent to county party support
5 percent to the Rainy-Day Fund/Grassroots Endowment

b. If the Rainy-Day Fund dips below $150,000, the original percentages are restored until the threshold is met.

2. The Administration Committee will make decisions about disbursing the funds.

Standing Rule 9: Regarding Regional Caucuses

Adopted August 7, 2011

Amended August 6, 2017

When a Regional Caucus elects members to the DPO Executive Committee, it follows

these procedures:

The state chair will appoint a facilitator for each caucus.
The facilitator will go over the task of each caucus, will announce how many representatives that caucus will elect, and will conduct the election.
Caucuses may set rules for election of their Executive Committee representatives, including whether to require gender balance or geographic balance, to the extent they are able. Those rules must be established before candidates are nominated.
The floor will be open for nominations. Nominations must be made by a SCC delegate who lives in a county that is within the region. There’s no need for a second.
The DPO Bylaws do not require that nominees be members of the SCC, because the most important thing is that the SCC delegates within that region make their choice. However, nominees must reside within the region in which they are nominated.
Only SCC delegates or alternates acting as delegates within that region may vote.
A nominee will need a majority of those voting to be elected.
If there is no election contest, the members may be elected by acclamation.
If there is a contest, ballots must be used.
The facilitator should pick a sufficient number of people to count ballots. They may be members of the regional caucus, but cannot be candidates or someone seen as advocating for any of the candidates.
If there are still representatives (or a representative) to be elected after the first round, voting will continue until all representative slots are filled.
If the first round is not conclusive, use the process as outlined in Standing Rule 4, which calls for a nominee finishing last or with less than 10 percent of the vote to be eliminated at the next round until a majority is reached.
Once the representatives are elected, the facilitator gets contact information from them, gathers up information about the election, including the results of the votes in each round, and delivers that to the DPO.
The only business of the regional caucus is to elect representatives. After the election is over, the caucus adjourns.

Standing Rule 10: Regarding Monthly Leader Calls

Adopted August 7, 2011

The DPO will conduct an informal telephone or virtual conference each month with county chairs and vice chairs.
The DPO will conduct an informal telephone or virtual conference with the DPO Executive Committee at least every other month.
The telephone conferences are only for sharing information, and no official business will be transacted. If a need for official business arises as a result of a telephone conference, a meeting of either the SCC or the Executive Committee will be scheduled in accordance with the DPO Bylaws.
If a telephone or virtual conference was not held within the time required, the Chair or one of the vice chairs will notify the appropriate group (either county chairs or Executive Committee members), stating the reason why the meeting was not held. The meeting will be rescheduled for the next available date.

Standing Rule 11: Regarding Gender Equity in County Party Delegations to Democratic Party of Oregon Committees

Adopted September 16, 2022

County Parties should elect their Delegates and Alternates to the State Central Committee or Congressional District Committee in a manner that provides a gender balance between men and women, while also welcoming non-binary candidates.
County Parties should list all candidates for open Delegate Positions on one ballot, regardless of gender.
Once ballots are tabulated using the voting methods outlined in the County Party bylaws or rules, delegate spots should be awarded in a manner that alternates between women and men based on the vote totals, and awarding a position to a non-binary candidate should that candidate have a vote threshold that would win them a delegate spot in the rotation. The final list should reflect that neither binary (male and female) nor non-binary gender categories shall have greater representation than 50 percent or, in the case of an odd number, 50 percent plus one.

For the purpose of electing Delegates or alternates, no county is permitted to define a minimum or maximum number of delegates of any gender to be elected beyond the parameters in section 3.

In the instance where there are not enough filed candidates to achieve gender balance, the county shall report this to the Democratic Party of Oregon when filing their election report/roster.
If a seat is uncontested, the County may elect their delegates by acclamation if their rules allow.

Standing Rule 12: Relating to Notice for New Business

Adopted December 4th, 2022

Relating to Notice for New Business

Delegates who wish to introduce new business to the floor by the State Central Committee shall provide notice, in writing, of the purpose and intent of the motion to be made at least 72 hours prior to the meeting at which it will be considered, and may be assigned to the appropriate committee.
The DPO Chair will electronically distribute a provisional agenda including all submitted items of new business at least 2 days prior to the meeting.
The SCC may, by supermajority (2/3) vote, decide to consider an item of new business not properly noticed during the agenda approval section of the SCC meeting.

Standing Rule 13: Regarding Remote Participation in Regular State Central Committee Meetings

Adopted 12/2/2023

Credentialing:

Each County or Caucus must notify the DPO at least 5 business days in advance of the State Central Committee Meeting of any Delegates who wish to participate remotely in the meeting.
DPO Staff will notify the Credentials Committee of these Delegates, and will issue virtual meeting credentials at the direction of the Credentials Committee Chair or their Designee. These credentials will be issued at least 36 hours prior to the meeting, and Delegates must notify the DPO no later than 2 hours prior to the start of the business meeting if they cannot locate their credentials to ensure adequate time to offer support.
Once virtual credentials have been issued, they cannot be reassigned to another Delegate or Alternate. Proxy Voting is not permitted.
Members participating virtually will be included in the Credentials Report.

Participation in Meetings:

Delegates participating virtually will be able to observe the meeting visually and aurally.

All alternates and non-voting members will also be able to view the meeting via livestream.

Delegates participating virtually will be unable to make motions or speak in debate or discussion.
Delegates participating virtually will be able to vote on all items before the body.
The DPO Chair will assign a teller to report out the results of each vote taken virtually.
Delegates participating virtually will be expected to do so on a device such as a laptop, computer, tablet, or smart phone with app capabilities, where they can be connected to the voting platform, not just by calling in, to ensure they can participate in votes.
If there are credentialed delegates participating remotely, all votes must be counted unless by unanimous consent.

Any item presented as a ballot on the floor of any meeting will trigger secure electronic ballots to be sent to Delegates participating virtually. A reasonable window will be provided for that vote to be cast that will not conflict with the conduct of the in-person meeting.

Standing Rule 14: Regarding Campaigning for DPO Officer

Adopted 9/22/2024

The filing period for these offices will begin at least 60 days prior to the day the election is to be held. The filing form will include optional questions regarding demographics (ie. Race, Gender, Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, etc) of the candidate.
The role of the DPO Staff is to facilitate fair and efficient elections without bias towards any candidate.
A list of current SCC Delegates and Alternate Delegates will be available to all candidates nominated for DPO offices and DNC members. This list will be made available within 5 days after the filing deadline.

This list will include phone numbers for all delegates and alternates.
This list will include anonymized mailing addresses for all delegates and alternates.
Staff will issue an updated list at least 10 days prior to the election if there are any updates to county party delegations.
The DPO will provide candidate phone numbers and email addresses to all members of the SCC.

Each candidate in a DPO election may choose an election observer to be present and observe the counting of ballots.
There will be a secure and transparent election process, including a secure chain of custody of the paper ballots and observation of the election-counting process.

Staff shall publish this process to the SCC website no fewer than 5 days after the filing deadline.

The Credentials Committee Chair or Vice Chair is responsible for reporting out the results of each round of balloting to the Presiding Officer, and for reporting if any error or irregularity has occurred that requires a new round of balloting.
An email distribution list (listserv) of all SCC Delegates and Alternate Delegates will be available to all nominated DPO Officer and DNC candidates for campaign messages within 1 week of the close of filing. This distribution list will have an “unsubscribe” option for SCC Delegates and Alternates.
The DPO will facilitate a virtual voters pamphlet at least 15 days prior to the election and will provide printed copies at the meeting where the election will occur. This voters pamphlet will include Demographic information disclosed on the filing form.

Special Rule of Order Relating to SCC Meeting Rules

Adopted August 11th, 2019

The Credentials Committee will issue official delegate identification. At the beginning of the meeting, the Credentials Committee Chair shall report the number of delegates registered.
All procedural questions and all undebatable subsidiary motions shall be presented by the voting members using the designated procedural microphone.
All main motions and amendments shall be recorded in writing upon submission, signed by the maker, and immediately upon presentation shall be sent to the chair.
In order to obtain the floor to present motions or to debate, with the exception of those motions that are in order when another has the floor, a person shall approach the microphone, wait to be recognized, address the chair by using his/her/their name, the name of the county represented, or the position which entitles them to vote.
Speakers may not address one another directly, but must address all remarks through the chair.
Speeches shall be limited to 2 minutes for each speaker and 20 minutes for each subject. Time may be extended by a motion and approval by the delegates, which will require a 2/3 vote to extend.
Debaters will be recognized alternately at pro and con microphones. When there is no longer anyone wishing to debate at either the “Pro” or the “Con” microphone, debate on the question will cease and the vote will be taken, allowing for one more speaker if that speaker’s side has spoken less than the other.
No delegate shall speak a second time until everyone who wishes to speak has spoken once. No delegate may speak more than twice on the same question during the meeting without the permission of the assembly.
A delegate wishing to speak in favor of the pending motion, shall use the “Pro” microphone. A delegate wishing to speak against the pending motion shall use the “Con” microphone. A delegate wishing to amend the motion or make a secondary motion shall use either the “Pro” or the “Con” microphone.
Timekeepers shall be appointed to serve the meeting. It shall be the timekeeper’s duty to indicate to each speaker a warning before the expiration of the time allowed.

Special Rule of Order Regarding Electronic Meetings of the State Central Committee

Adopted 12/2/2023

Section 1: Credentialing

As soon as is practicable prior to the meeting, but no later than 5 business days prior to the meeting, DPO Staff will send a list of Delegates to be Credentialed to the County Party, CD, or Caucus Chair.
No later than 5 business days prior to the meeting, the County Party, CD, or Caucus Chair or their designee must notify the DPO of any changes to the delegation. Failure to respond will result in the DPO issuing credentials to the elected delegates that were noticed to the County Party, CD, or Caucus Chair.

It is the responsibility of the Chair of each County Party, CD and Caucus to ensure the list of delegates to be credentialed for the meeting is correct.

The list of who is to be credentialed as a member of the State Central Committee will be sent out to the Credentials Committee electronically.

Any concerns about this list that may be raised by members of the Credentials Committee should be submitted to the Credentials Chair and will be routed to the appropriate County, Caucus, or CD.

By one (1) business day prior to the meeting, the DPO Staff will send out login credentials to all State Central Committee Members. Voting Credentials will only be given out to people on the list named above.

Alternates and Associate Members will not receive voting credentials, will not be able to participate in debate or discussion, and may not be upgraded to a voting delegate position once credentials have been issued.
Alternates and Associates will be able to observe the meeting visually and aurally.
Once Credentials have been issued, no changes may be made to delegation lists. Any motion to issue or revoke credentials made from the floor during the electronic meeting will not be in order. Proxy Voting is not permitted.

Section 2: Business Appropriate for Electronic Meetings

Per the DPO Bylaws, Electronic Meetings of the SCC are to be held in emergency situations only.
Any regular business that is not urgent may be deferred from the agenda of an Electronic meeting to a future meeting by the Chair.

Section 3: The Conduct of the Call

To maintain decorum on electronic meetings, members will be muted, except when speaking or making a motion which is in order when another has the floor.
The Chair will recognize members to speak by electronic “raised hands” or other appropriate method in the order raised, to the best of the Chair’s ability.
Votes will be conducted in a manner that is efficient and effective considering the technology used to facilitate the meeting (e.g. raised hands, push button, etc.).
Disruptions to the regular order of business by means such as making repeated dilatory motions, arguing with the chair, grandstanding, and interrupting when another has the floor are disrespectful to all SCC members, off-putting to new members, and embarrassing to guests. The chair may impose the following consequences in response to disruptive behavior during electronic SCC meetings:

At the time a member engages in verbal disruption of the meeting, the chair will immediately advise the member that their disruption is out of order, and ask them to terminate their disruption. Should the member continue the disruption, the chair may immediately direct staff to mute the member’s microphone
After the first instance of disruptive behavior, the member will receive a cue or warning from the chair.
After the second instance of disruptive behavior, the member will lose their privilege to speak in the meeting. The chair may direct staff to mute the member’s microphone.
After any instance of disruptive behavior during the counting of a vote, the disruptive member will lose their privilege to speak for the remainder of the meeting.
Members who have lost their privilege to speak during the meeting can still cast votes on motions.
Any motion to challenge the ruling of the chair or appeal consequences imposed to address disruptive behavior will not be in order.

The language of all motions will be displayed whenever possible, so members and alternates in the meeting can view the words.
At the beginning of each meeting the Chair will instruct members present at the meeting on methods of raising hands, casting votes, and how to be recognized for discussion.
The Special Rules of Order Regarding the conduct of State Central Committee Meetings shall be adhered to where they do not conflict with these rules.

Special Rule of Order Regarding Electronic Meeting Rules for Conference Call Meetings

Members will be credentialed by verification of identity after calling in. Verification may be done visually or aurally by a Credentials Committee member (if assigned by the DPO bylaws) or another designated person, including but not limited to DPO staff.
The list of credentialed members will be made available to all members as the first order of business of the meeting, and will be included in the minutes of the meeting.
The electronic meeting will allow for bidirectional aural communication, whenever possible, while the meeting is in session.
Members will self-mute, except when speaking or making a motion which is in order when another has the floor. The chair may temporarily mute any and all members, and must announce the mute when it is enacted. The chair must also announce when they remove the mute.
Other than motions referenced in #4, the Chair will recognize members by electronic “raised hands” or other appropriate method in the order raised, to the best of the Chair’s ability.
Unless an alternate solution is approved by that committee for documenting votes cast by delegates, voting conducted during electronic meetings will be roll call votes, unless the vote is by unanimous consent.
The language of all motions will be displayed whenever possible, so members and alternates in the meeting can view the words.
At the beginning of each meeting the Chair will instruct members and alternates present at the meeting on methods of raising hands, casting votes, and keeping themselves self-muted as a courtesy.
These rules apply to meetings of the Executive Committee, Standing Committees, and Special Committees of the DPO.

Special Rule of Order Regarding a DPO Code of Conduct

Protecting civil rights, personal dignity, and the freedom of speech and expression are core values which, as Democrats, we all hold dear. These rights are fundamental to our liberty and essential to our democracy.

We understand that with these rights comes the solemn responsibility to ensure that, when exercising our own individual rights, we do not infringe on the civil rights, personal dignity, and free speech and expression of others, even those who are of a different mind.

Article III of the DPO bylaws calls for the widest possible participation of members in party activities. In an effort to assure individual members feel welcome during their participation, and to allow the organization to work toward its common goals effectively, the following code is adopted.

Section 1: Code Provisions

Democrats participating in party-sponsored events, meetings, and online forums are expected to:

Exercise consideration and respect in their speech and actions;
Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech;
Be mindful of their surroundings and the reactions of other participants; and
Alert leadership if you notice someone is in distress, or in a dangerous situation.
Avoid making unfounded characterizations, accusations, or inferences about people that affect their participation or access.

The following behaviors are profoundly unacceptable within our community whether occurring in person or online: violence, threats of violence or use of violent language directed against another person.

Disagreements about facts, policy, and process are inevitable, but do not justify violating the norms stated above. When disagreements arise, all Democrats are expected to work together to resolve them respectfully using available meeting rules, current DPO bylaws and standing rules, and where necessary, proactively requesting engagement through dispute resolution processes as set forth in the most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

Section 2: Enforcement

In an instance where this Code of Conduct is alleged to have been violated, there are a number of pathways forward for those who have been impacted by the violation. Alleged violations of a serious nature should be reported to the Party Chair. Where the alleged violator is the Party Chair, it should be reported to a Vice Chair.

The Party Chair or Vice Chair to whom the alleged violation has been reported, after conducting an investigation (which may include interviews, evidence, and testimony, and may be conducted with the support of staff or other officers) may choose to recommend the Administration Committee take disciplinary action. If there is no recommendation for disciplinary action, the complainant shall have the right to bring their complaint directly to the Administration Committee, which may by a 2/3 vote initiate its own investigation. If the violator is a member of the Administration Committee, they will be recused from the meeting and vote.

The Administration Committee may, with a ⅔ vote, recommend the following forms of discipline.

Personal apologies (with commitment to cease behavior)
Public apologies (with commitment to cease behavior)
Exclusion from participation in DPO events, or exclusion from in-person SCC Meetings until the next SCC meeting where further action is decided (the member may still participate virtually).
Refer the issue to the delegate's constituency for resolution.

The Administration Committee may also recommend, with a ⅔ vote, any of the following actions to the State Central Committee.

Indefinite exclusion from DPO in-person SCC meetings (the member may still participate virtually).
Referral of Recall of DPO Officer as outlined in the DPO Bylaws.
Reprimand/Censure.
Removal of some or all leadership roles, responsibilities, or privileges for party leaders other than DPO Officers
Removal from a Standing, Special, or Congressional District Committee with a 2/3rds vote where the member was elected, or a majority vote where the member was appointed.
Removal from a Caucus
Removal of SCC Delegate Status if status is due to membership in a DPO Caucus or Congressional District Committee
Referral to County to recommend removal of delegate status to SCC.

If a complaint under this rule is brought to the floor by any procedure, process, or any other mechanism, the following protocol will be followed:

The Committee will automatically enter executive session without a vote of the body. The Chair shall announce that the body has entered executive session pursuant to this rule. Essential staff designated by the Chair shall be allowed to remain.
The member being considered for disciplinary action will have the right to issue a statement in their defense before they are asked to leave the room for the body to discuss and reach a determination.
The substance of the complaint will be conveyed only orally unless a member has an accommodation to receive the information in another form. In any case, no information about the complaint may be carried outside of the executive session. The secrecy rules of RONR otherwise apply except as provided herein.
The body hearing the complaint will leave executive session only once the body has made a final disposition of the complaint. No body of the DPO may subsequently lift the secrecy of an executive session entered into under this session.
This executive session section of this standing rule may not be suspended except by unanimous consent.
Should the decision reached include a referral to a further body (i.e the County Party), the Chair or their designee will be tasked with issuing a summation report which shares relevant details while still respecting the executive session.

Reports may not be anonymous, and anyone who retaliates against those making a report will be referred for a higher level of disciplinary action.
Any report of conduct which may constitute or involve an illegal action will be reported to law enforcement.
Any report that may impact the safety (emotional or physical) of members may result in a temporary suspension of any membership privileges while an investigation is underway.