DNA BY-LAWS (May 16, 2019)

ARTICLE I

NAME AND OBJECT

SECTION 1 The name of this organization shall be Democrats for Neighborhood Action.

SECTION 2 This organization shall be and remain affiliated with the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee.

SECTION 3 It shall be the object of this organization to contribute to the influence, growth and progressive direction of the Democratic Party; to develop and support leaders at all levels; and to provide information about political issues that effect our community. Our strategy is to demonstrate, through effective community action and personal involvement, the merits of the Democratic agenda. We shall promote the fundamental tenets of the Democratic Party, including equality of opportunity, civil rights, reproductive choice, protection of the environment, economic justice, the dignity of labor, and the empowerment of the powerless.

SECTION 4 This organization shall operate in harmony with the California Democratic Party and the Democratic National Committee, and with the platforms of those organizations, while retaining the right to independent thought and action.

ARTICLE II

QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS

SECTION 1 Any person may become an eligible member, upon payment of dues, who is:

A. A registered Democrat, or

B. Ineligible to register, but who has declared an intention to register as a Democrat upon becoming eligible, or

C. Not a citizen of the United States, but who has declared general agreement with the principles and platform of the Democratic Party.

SECTION 2 The organization shall encourage and actively seek diversity in its membership. The organization shall not discriminate in any way on the basis of gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or physical health or condition.

SECTION 3 Dues of this organization shall be established yearly on the recommendation of the Executive Board and the approval of a majority of the eligible members voting at the meeting at which the election of officers is held.

SECTION 4 Term of membership is January 1 through December 31. Dues paid following the first Tuesday in November of any given year shall be considered paid through December 31 of the following year.

SECTION 5 A member shall be considered in good standing, if their dues are current, or have been waived due to economic hardship, their voting rights being subject to compliance with the other provisions of these bylaws.

ARTICLE III

THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

SECTION 1 The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the organization and the chairs of any Standing Committees.

SECTION 2 The officers of the organization shall be the following:

A. The President, who shall preside over meetings of the general membership and the Executive Board, represent the organization with other groups and organizations, have overall responsibility for the planning and implementation of the official activities and purpose of the organization, and appoint chairs of temporary and ad hoc committees.

B. One or more Vice Presidents who shall assist the President, preside in the President's absence, and be an ex‑officio member of all administrative committees.

C. The Recording Secretary, who shall keep the minutes and records of the organization, keep records of organization members, and record all committee and officer reports.

D. The Corresponding Secretary, who shall publish and distribute notices to the membership of all meetings and activities of the Club.

E. The Treasurer, who shall receive and disburse all organization funds, keep records of all receipts and expenditures, and provide periodic financial reports to the general membership.

F. The Immediate Past President, who shall act as an advisor to the President and to the Executive Board.

ARTICLE IV

MEETINGS

SECTION 1 The Executive Board shall meet at least once each calendar month on the call of the President, or at the request of a majority of its members.

SECTION 2 The general membership of the organization shall meet on the call of the Executive Board or at the request of a majority of the eligible members. Meetings of the general membership must be held at least once each quarter.

ARTICLE V

QUORUM

SECTION 1 A quorum of a general membership meeting shall consist of ten (10) of the eligible members of the organization.

SECTION 2 A quorum of the Executive Board shall be a majority of its members.

ARTICLE VI

ELECTIONS

SECTION I Candidates for President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and Corresponding Secretary shall be nominated at a general meeting in November each year (except that the nomination of interim officers shall take place as soon as practicable following the withdrawal, resignation or incapacity of any officer). The Executive Board may nominate candidates by a majority vote, and nominations may also be received from the floor. A notice of election and a list of all nominees shall be distributed to the general membership in the notice of the next consecutive meeting, at which time the election shall be held. Those elected shall assume their office immediately upon election.

SECTION 2 Officers shall serve for one year, or until a successor has been elected.

SECTION 3 No person shall be nominated to be President of this organization who has not been an eligible member for at least one year and no person shall be nominated for any other office or as a delegate who has not been an eligible member for at least six months.

SECTION, 4 No person shall be eligible to vote in any election of officers of this organization unless he or she has been an eligible member for at least two months prior to the nomination of the candidates to be voted upon.

SECTION 5 Neither absentee nor proxy voting shall be valid.

ARTICLE VII

FUND EXPENDITURES

SECTION I Expenditures of more than $100.00 must be authorized in advance by the Executive Board. Subject to this limitation, when a project has been authorized by the Executive Board, the Treasurer is authorized to make payments upon presentation of bills. Special expenditures, including contributions, must be approved by a majority of eligible membership voting at a regular meeting at which a quorum is present.

SECTION 2 All checks of the organization must be signed by the Treasurer and either the President, Vice President or Secretary.

SECTION 3 At each regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board, or at the request of the President, the Treasurer shall report, and show documentation for, all expenditures made and revenues received during the immediately preceding month. At least once each quarter, the Treasurer shall report to the Executive Board on the overall financial standing of the organization and the anticipated budget for the following six months.

ARTICLE VIII

DELEGATES AND REPRESENTATIVES

SECTION I Delegates and/or representatives to conferences, councils and/or conventions shall be elected at meetings of the general membership. Those with the greatest number of votes shall be delegates and others shall be alternate delegates, eligible to fill delegate vacancies in the order of their standing in number of votes received.

SECTION 2 When delegates, representatives and alternates cannot be elected to represent the organization by reason of lack of time, inability to convene a regularly called meeting, emergency vacancies among the elected delegates or alternates, or other sufficient cause, then the President, with the approval of a majority of the Executive Board, may appoint delegates, representatives and alternates from among eligible members.

SECTION 3 Representatives of this organization to a Pre-Endorsement Conference of the California Democratic Party (CDP) shall be allocated as follows:

A: One representative, resident in a given Assembly District and duly registered as a member of the Democratic Party of California, shall be designated for every 20 members in good standing of this organization registered to vote in the same Assembly District. All such members shall be listed on a roster submitted to Los Angeles County Democratic Party and to the appropriate Regional Director of the CDP no later than July 1 of the year immediately prior to the Pre-Endorsement Conference. The status of such members shall be certified by the Club’s President or Treasurer.

B: Said representatives shall be elected by majority vote of the registered Democrats who are members in good standing present and voting at a meeting of the general membership, a quorum being present. The Club’s representatives to any Pre-Endorsing Conference must be chosen from the roster described above, and the Club's list of representatives to all Pre-Endorsement Conferences in any given year shall be equally apportioned between men and women, to the greatest extent possible.

C: If the Club has made an endorsement in a race to be voted on by the Pre-Endorsement Conference, the Club's designated representatives to that conference shall vote for the Club's endorsed candidate. If the Club has affirmatively voted to take a position of "No Endorsement," the representatives shall vote "No Endorsement." If the Club has not voted on a given race being considered by the Pre-Endorsement Conference, or if the Club has held an endorsement vote and failed to reach a consensus in a given race, the club's designated representatives shall exercise their own best judgment in casting their votes.

ARTICLE IX

ENDORSEMENTS

SECTION 1 This organization shall support the official nominees of the Democratic Party, unless two-thirds of the eligible members present and voting at a meeting of the general membership vote to withhold such support. No person shall be eligible to withhold such support unless he or she has been an eligible member for at least 30 days. For the purposes of these by-laws, the official nominee of the Democratic Party shall be understood to be a candidate who has prevailed in a primary election and faces an opponent who is not a Democrat in a general election. In the event that two Democrats are running for the same office in a general election, neither shall be understood to be the official candidate of the Democratic Party, and this organization shall be free to endorse either. In no event shall this organization take any action in opposition to any official nominee of the Democratic Party.

SECTION 2 In primary or non‑partisan elections, this organization may endorse any candidate who is a registered Democrat. Endorsement of candidates in such elections requires the affirmative vote of 60% of eligible members present and voting at a meeting of the general membership. If three or more Democrats are candidates for a given office, and the first ballot fails to produce a 60% vote for one candidate, a second vote may be conducted, with the consent of a simple majority of members present and voting. The two candidates who received the most votes on the first ballot shall be listed on the second ballot, and the candidate receiving 60% of the votes cast on the second ballot shall receive the Club's endorsement.

No person shall be eligible to vote upon such an endorsement unless he or she has been an eligible member for at least 60 days, but if an endorsement vote takes place in January of any given year, all members who have paid their dues for that year shall be considered eligible to vote if they have paid these dues prior to January 1. Additionally, all members who have been members in good standing in the previous year, and who have failed to renew their memberships prior to January 1, shall be eligible to vote upon endorsements in the months of January, February and March, if they renew their membership by paying their outstanding dues, at or prior to the meeting at which such an endorsement is voted upon. Past members who fail to renew their memberships prior to April 1 of any given year may not vote on endorsements until 30 days after they pay their outstanding dues.

SECTION 3 This organization may endorse a position on any ballot proposition, at the State, County or City level. Endorsement of a position on a ballot proposition requires the affirmative vote of 60% of eligible members present and voting at a meeting of the general membership. Eligibility to vote on such endorsements shall be determined by the eligibility rules outlined in Article IX, Section 2 of these By-Laws.

SECTION 4 At the first general membership meeting of any even-numbered year, an Endorsement Committee will be appointed by the President of the club, with the approval of a majority of eligible members present and voting. Any member of the club in good standing may serve as a member of this Committee. The members of the Committee, once appointed, shall elect from their members a Chair and Vice Chair: the Chair to preside over meetings of the Committee, and the Vice Chair to preside in the absence of the Chair.

Decisions of the Committee shall require a quorum, comprising a majority of members of the Committee, including either the Chair or Vice Chair. Any decisions or recommendations of the Committee shall be made by a majority of members of the Committee present and voting at a meeting of the Committee at which this quorum is present.

In each even-numbered year, the Committee shall review the ballot for the primary and general elections. The Committee may determine whether it would be advisable for the club to make an endorsement of any candidate or proposition appearing on the ballot. In the event of special elections, or any other elections being called outside of the regular cycle, the Committee shall meet to consider appropriate action. In each case, the Committee shall determine whether it shall be most practical to recommend the endorsement of an incumbent Democratic officeholder, to interview Democratic candidates for a given office, or to conduct a public forum in which candidates for office, or their representatives — or supporters and opponents of ballot propositions — may address the general membership.

At the next meeting of the general membership, the Committee shall report its list of recommendations concerning the endorsement process. Recommendations may be confirmed by a majority vote of the members present and voting.

SECTION 5 No vote relating to endorsement pursuant to this Article shall be valid unless advance written notice of the vote has been given to the eligible members. Foe purposes of this Article and Section, notification by electronic mail (e-mail) shall constitute written notice. Such notice shall state the nature of the vote, the office to which the vote pertains, and the names of the Democratic candidates for the office.

SECTION 6 Resolutions may be passed by a simple majority of members voting at any meeting of the general membership at which a quorum is present.

ARTICLE X

RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT

SECTION 1 This Constitution shall become effective immediately upon the ratification by a two‑thirds vote of eligible members voting at a meeting of the general membership at which a quorum is present.

SECTION 2 This Constitution may be amended by the following process:

A. The proposed amendment must be presented in writing at a general membership meeting prior to the meeting at which it will be debated and voted on, and

B. A written announcement of the proposed amendment must appear in the notice of the meeting at which it will be debated and voted on, and

C. The proposed amendment must be approved by a two‑thirds vote of the eligible members voting at a meeting of the general membership at which a quorum is present.

SECTION 3 Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall be the prevailing authority for all procedural matters where there is no applicable provision stated herein.