CONSTITUTION of the

Libertarian Executive Committee

of Miami-Dade County

As Revised at Annual Business Meeting

April 21, 2020

Article I: Definitions

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and phrases have specific meanings:

1. Member refers to an individual belonging to the Miami-Dade County Libertarian Executive Committee and includes all Precinct Delegates.
2. Precinct Delegate refers to any individual elected by the qualified voters in a precinct to represent said precinct on the Executive Committee.
3. Officer refers to an individual elected to one of the positions of leadership within the Executive Committee, as defined in the Laws.
4. Standing Committee refers to the group of Precinct Delegates coming together to care, in different aspects, for the day-to-day management and growth of the Libertarian Party in Miami-Dade County, as approved by the Executive Committee.
5. Written notice refers to any official notification that may include letters and electronic mailings.
6. Executive Committee refers to the board made of the Precinct Delegates of Miami-Dade County, unless detailed otherwise.
7. Affiliate refers to the Libertarian Party of Miami-Dade County.

Article II: Name of Organization

The name of this organization shall be the MIAMI-DADE COUNTY LIBERTARIAN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, hereinafter referred to as “Executive Committee.” It shall be constituted as the Executive Committee of the Libertarian Party within Miami-Dade County, Florida, in accordance with the rules of the Libertarian Party of Florida as hereby ratified.^[1]

Article III: Purposes

General purposes of the Executive Committee as a “political party” are to achieve the following:

1. Seek qualified Libertarians to become candidates for local, county, state, and federal offices, as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee;
2. Elect into office qualified Libertarian individuals;
3. Increase Libertarian registration;
4. Support the political activities of the Libertarian Party of Florida in Miami-Dade County, as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee;
5. Promote and uphold the principles of the affiliate’s platform throughout Miami-Dade County.

Article IV: Membership

Section 1 

Membership to the Executive Committee shall be open to persons residing in Miami-Dade County who are registered LPF with the Florida Division of Elections.^[2]

Section 2

The Executive Committee shall be made of two members, one man and one woman, from each electoral precinct of Miami-Dade County, who shall be called Precinct Delegates. No clause in this section shall be implied as discrimination toward members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community.

Section 3

In the event no Precinct Delegate is elected or a vacancy occurs for any other cause in the Executive Committee, the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee members present at any regular or special meeting of the Executive Committee during which a quorum is present. Such vacancy shall be filled by an individual meeting the criteria of Section 1 of this Article and residing in the precinct to be filled.

If a Precinct Delegate moves from one precinct to another within Miami-Dade County, within the duration of his or her term, and the new precinct has a vacancy, then the Precinct Delegate may be administratively moved to the new precinct.

Section 4

Certain privileges, including committee appointments and membership, holding party office, exercise of voting rights in the conduct of Executive Committee business, and the right to bring business before a regular meeting, shall be available only to members of the Executive Committee.

Article V: Organizational Meeting and Election of Officers

Section 1 

The sitting Executive Committee shall preside over the annual Organizational Meeting and shall remain in office until the adjournment of the Organizational Meeting.

Section 2 

The Organizational Meeting shall be held every year, in the month of April, at a day chosen by the Chairperson and approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 3

The Organizational Meeting shall proceed in the following order:

1. Precinct Delegates shall be elected by a majority vote of the registered Libertarian voters from their respective precincts present at the Organizational Meeting;
2. Changes to the Constitution and to the Laws of the Miami-Dade County Libertarian Executive Committee proposed by the sitting Rules Committee or its successive entity, shall be voted upon by all credentialed Libertarian voters;
3. The Officers of the Executive Committee shall be elected among the newly-elected Precinct Delegates by a majority vote of the credentialed Libertarian voters.

Section 4

Precinct Delegates that do not hold elected office as County or State Executive Committee Officer can choose to join a Standing Committee, to serve in another position created by the Executive Committee, or not join any Committee and offer assistance as needs arise from any Standing Committee.

Article VI: Removal from Office

Section 1

Any Officer of the Executive Committee may be removed from office upon a two-third (2/3) vote of the Executive Committee present at any regular or special meeting. A notice of fourteen (14) days shall be sent to the Executive Committee that a motion to remove an officer will be considered at said meeting.

Section 2

The officer cited with removal charges shall be served by written notice at least ten (10) days prior to said regular or special meeting at which time the removal motion is to be heard with a complaint which shall set forth the reasons for the removal charge.

Section 3

The conviction of any member of the Executive Committee of any criminal charge resulting in a prison sentence lasting more than three (3) months shall result in the vacancy of the seat or seats held by the said member.

Section 4

1. An Executive Committee member is to be removed from office after failing to attend two (2) consecutive regular meetings without a valid excuse to justify said absences.
2. An Executive Committee member shall be treated as present only for the purpose of meeting the committee member’s individual attendance requirements if a valid excuse for an absence, to be presented before the beginning of the meeting at which an absence is expected, is approved by the Chairperson.

Article VII: Quorum

Section 1

Forty (40) percent of the members of the Executive Committee shall be present to constitute a quorum. If forty (40) percent of the members are not present, quorum shall be met if all the Officers of the Executive Committee are present, provided there is no vacancy among the Officers.^[3]

Section 2

Proxies shall be allowed at Executive Committee meetings and shall be counted for the purpose of meeting quorum. A member of the Executive Committee shall be entitled to appoint any willing and present Precinct Delegate, except the Chair, as a proxy, as long as the Secretary is given advance notice prior to the beginning of the meeting. An Executive Committee member shall serve as proxy to only one Executive Committee member at any single meeting. Proxies are not permitted at the Annual Business Meeting.^[4]

Section 3

If a meeting is held at a physical location, members may be allowed by the Chairperson to participate electronically.

Article VIII: Powers and Duties of the Executive Committee

The powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Executive Committee shall be:

1. To conduct regular meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or upon signed petition of twenty (20) percent of the Executive Committee;
2. To assist campaigns for Libertarian candidates chosen by the party, at its own discretion;
3. To raise and expend funds for the maintenance and administration of the county party organization;
4. To approve necessary Standing and Special Committees;
5. To meet all the requirements provided by federal, state, and local laws and by the governing documents of the Libertarian Party of Florida;
6. To promote the interests of the Libertarian Party in Miami-Dade County, including, but not limited to, holding a social media presence, hosting social and educational events, lobbying for or against legislation related to the interests of the affiliate, registering Libertarian voters, and being actively involved in grassroots activities;
7. To approve an official platform of the Libertarian Party of Miami-Dade County, with changes to be approved by the Lobbying Committee or its successive branch of the Executive Committee, and voted on during the annual Organizational Meeting.

Article IX: Voting

All votes shall be by voice, except that all votes cast in a contested election for any Executive Committee position shall be by written ballot.

Article X: Amendments

Any amendment to this Constitution shall be adopted by no less than two-thirds (2/3rds) of credentialed Libertarian voters present during the Organizational Meeting, as prescribed in Article V, Section 3 of this Constitution.^[5]

Article XI: Parliamentary Authority

The latest revision of “Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised” shall be constituted as the authority governing the rules of procedure, except as otherwise limited by the Constitution, Laws and other governing documents duly adopted by the organization.

Article XII: Preemption and Supremacy

The Libertarian Party of Miami-Dade County is a subsidiary of the Libertarian Party of Florida and the Libertarian Party. As such, these parent organizations hold supremacy and preemption. Any of the governing rules of the Libertarian Party of Miami-Dade County that run contrary to any of the governing documents of the Libertarian Party of Florida or the Libertarian Party (hereafter referred to as “contrary provisions”) are therefore automatically null and void.

This Constitution of the Miami-Dade County Libertarian Executive Committee was duly adopted by the membership of the said committee this Tenth day of March, A.D. 2015, at which date a quorum of the membership was present.