BYLAWS
WINDSOR COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE
1. NAME AND PURPOSE: The name of this organization is the Windsor County Democratic Committee, herein known as the “WCDC” or the “County Committee.” The purpose of the WCDC is to support the Vermont State Democratic Committee (“State Committee”), promote the interests, ideals, and principles of Vermont Democrats, assist in the operation of the Vermont Democratic Party (“Party”) pursuant to 17 VSA §2310, support the election of Democratic candidates, support the process for the adoption of a party platform, and coordinate, encourage, and assist in the organization of Democratic Town Committees throughout Windsor County. Questions of parliamentary procedure, if not herein provided for, shall be decided in accordance with the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order. Discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, economic status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnic identity, disability, national origin, or color in the conduct of WCDC affairs is prohibited by Democratic Party principle and policy and by Vermont statute.
2. MEMBERSHIP: Pursuant to 17 VSA §§2305 and 2308, the WCDC is composed of delegates elected for two-years by each organized Town Democratic Committee after the biennial reorganization, according to State Committee allocation of delegates. Towns may elect as many alternate delegates as allocated delegates. Alternates only vote in the absence of a delegate. Delegates and alternates to the WCDC shall be voters of the town they represent. The delegates will serve as members.
3. REORGANIZATIONAL MEETING: Pursuant to 17 VSA §2309 and not more than 30 days after the date of the Town Democratic Caucuses, the County Chair shall set a date for the reorganizational meeting of the County Committee and notify delegates elect and alternates by email not less than 10 days prior to the meeting. Once formed, the WCDC shall decide the type of general communication and repository for minutes. All Town Delegates are required to have an email address and be a member of the communications platform used by WCDC (currently Groups.IO listserv) to receive WCDC communications. Town Chairs will be made aware of this requirement prior to Town reorganizational meetings.
4. ELECTIONS:
A. Officers: At the County Committee reorganizational meeting, the members shall elect the following officers for two years:
1. Chair
2. Vice Chair
3. Secretary or Co-Secretaries
4. Treasurer
5. Assistant Treasurer
Officers need not be members of the WCDC at the time of their election, but become voting members upon their election and consent to serve.
B. Vermont State Democratic Committee Representatives: At the County Committee reorganizational meeting, the members shall elect the following for two years:
1. State Committee Representative
2. State Committee Representative
3. Alternate State Committee Representative Number One
4. Alternate State Committee Representative Number Two
5. Alternate State Committee Representative Number Three
The State Committee bylaws designate all County Chairs as representatives to the State Committee, and that no more than two of the three Representatives shall be of the same gender. Alternates can be of any gender. State Committee Representatives need not be members of the WCDC.
5. COUNTY COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The Executive Committee shall set a schedule of dates for regular meetings for the WCDC held in person or by electronic means or hybrid (in-person and electronic means). Electronic participation may be by Zoom, Google meet, etc. or by conference call. All members shall be notified by email of the schedule within a month of the reorganizational meeting. Special meetings may be called by 20% of the membership signing a request to the County Chair who is then required to notify all members by email at least fourteen days prior to the date set for the special meeting by the petitioners.
A. Voting: A quorum is 20% of the voting members (or their alternates) and 30% of organized towns of Windsor County. All matters shall be a simple majority of the members present. All contested elections shall be conducted by secret ballot. The Chair will designate two individuals to receive, count and report out any votes counted by secret ballot. Secret ballot votes can be conducted with paper ballots for in person voting and/or done electronically by email, google form submission or other means for those not physically present for in person voting. When votes are conducted solely by email and not at an in-person or hybrid in-person/zoom or google meet style meeting, a simple majority of the total number of voting members for WCDC is required for an affirmative vote. No member may be bound by his or her Town Committee to vote for or against any measure or candidate. No votes by proxy shall be allowed.
B. Warnings: Notice by email must be sent no less than fourteen days prior to a meeting if any of the following actions will be taken: to spend unbudgeted expenses over $500, to pass resolutions, to allocate contributions to candidates, or to amend the bylaws.
6. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: The Executive Committee shall consist of the following members:
• Officers of the WCDC
• State Committee Representatives and Alternates
• The immediate past Chair of the WCDC
• Anyone elected by the Executive Committee to serve
A. Meetings: The Chair shall notify all members of the Executive Committee within seven days of a meeting or conference call and include the agenda. For voting purposes, a quorum for in person or conference call meetings of the Executive Committee shall consist of at least one quarter of Executive Committee members. Some issues may also be resolved by email with a quorum unless a member requests a meeting or conference call.
B. Responsibilities: The Executive Committee shall have the power to act for the WCDC when necessity demands and time does not permit calling a meeting of the WCDC, provided that the actions of the Executive Committee are submitted to the WCDC for ratification or rejection at its next meeting. Notes of Executive Committee meetings shall be kept and made available by request to the WCDC.
C. Duties: The Executive Committee:
1. Will formulate a two-year Action Plan and a budget(s) to bring to the members.
2. Will consider all resolutions presented to the WCDC and act in keeping with Section 11 of these Bylaws.
3. May remove any Executive Committee member for cause after all attempts to discuss the situation with the member have failed. A 2/3 vote of all Executive Committee members present at any regular or special meeting is required for removal.
7. DUTIES OF THE WCDC OFFICERS:
A. Chair: The Chair shall be the general executive officer of the Committee. The duties of the Chair are to:
1. Preside at all WCDC meetings and set the agenda for the same;
2. Assist the State Committee in ensuring that the biennial and quadrennial state conventions are held in accordance with the legal requirements of the state;
3. Ensure that any reports required by state and federal law are filed within the specified time;
4. Ensure the maintenance of a list of the names, email addresses and postal mailing addresses of the members of all Town Committees making up the Democratic Party in the County, including officers, and pass this list to the successor in office, who shall preserve this list and add to or subtract names as needed to keep the list current;
5. Appoint members of subcommittees of the WCDC;
6. Give timely notice to all Democratic Town Chairs of the dates of the reorganizational meetings and of their statutory and other requirements; and
7. Perform such other duties as are required by law (See Title 17 Vermont Statutes Annotated, Chapter 45).
B. Vice Chair: The Vice Chair shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the Chair in the absence or disability of the Chair. The Vice Chair shall perform such other duties as assigned by the Chair.
C. Secretary(s): The Secretary(s) shall be the official recording officer(s) of the WCDC and shall ensure that records of County Committee and Executive Committee meetings are kept. The WCDC minutes shall be available for examination or copying by any member of the WCDC upon request seven working days following the date of any meeting, and shall be available by the means of general communication as defined in Section 3. Executive Committee notes may be requested. The Secretary(s) shall perform such other duties as assigned by the Chair.
D. Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the WCDC. Duties of the Treasurer are to:
1. Be responsible for the custody and supervision of all its funds;
2. Cause all debts and obligations of the WCDC to be paid;
3. Propose a budget for concurrence and review to the Executive Committee based on the annual action plan;
4. Propose the Executive Committee recommended budget to WCDC for vote of approval.
5. Promptly file required financial reports with the Secretary of State;
6. Provide the WCDC an annual statement of the financial position of the committee at the beginning of the calendar year;
7. Provide the WCDC financial information at least quarterly, monthly preferred.
8. The Chair has authority to approve expenditures of not more than $200 if an item is not within an approved annual budget. Otherwise unplanned expenditures must be approved by the WCDC.
9. Maintain orderly records and bank account of WCDC with timely deposits of checks and cash.
The Treasurer shall have the authority to expend funds if an item or service is within an approved annual budget and sufficient funds are readily available.
An Assistant Treasurer shall be elected and trained to assist the Treasurer in the performance of his or her duties, and serve as interim Treasurer if the Treasurer is unable to perform the duties of the office.
8. FISCAL YEAR: The fiscal year shall run from January 1 to December 31.
9. RESIGNATIONS and VACANCIES: Any WCDC member, officer, or State Committee Representatives or Alternates may resign at any time. Resignations of members will be made to their Town Chair with a copy to the County Chair. Town Committees may fill delegate vacancies with written notice to the County Chair. Resignations or vacancies of officers, or State Committee Representatives or Alternates shall be on the agenda of the next regular County Committee meeting in order to elect a replacement(s).
10. SUB-COMMITTEES: Sub-committees shall be appointed by the County Chair as needed. The subcommittee should notify the Executive Committee of decisions to be taken to the WCDC. Sub-committee members may be either WCDC members or non-members.
A. In June or July of odd numbered years the Chair may form a Nominating Committee of three to seven members. The committee will meet at least three weeks prior to the reorganizational meeting to identify candidates for Officers and State Committee Representatives and Alternates to be presented to the members at the reorganizational meeting. In addition to the names presented, candidates may be nominated from the floor.
11. RESOLUTIONS: Resolutions must be submitted to the Executive Committee and it is the responsibility of the Executive Committee to determine whether or not to forward the resolution to the WCDC members. If forwarded, the resolution must be sent to all WCDC members by email ormail at least seven days in advance of a vote on the resolution. The WCDC will not entertain resolutions on pending legislation in the Vermont General Assembly.
12. AMENDMENTS: Bylaws may be amended by simple majority vote of those present at any duly warned meeting of the WCDC, provided the text of the changes are included in the meeting notice that is sent fourteen days prior to the meeting.
13. PRIMARY ELECTIONS: For contested elections, the WCDC shall not endorse individual candidates. Officers and State Committee Representatives and Alternates shall not officially endorse candidates. Whatever WCDC provides to one candidate shall also be available to all candidates.
14. PERPETUITY AND APPLICATION OF BYLAWS:
A. The term of existence of these bylaws as currently constituted, and as hereafter from time to time amended by the WCDC or changed by operation of law, shall be perpetual and shall remain in effect for succeeding County Committees.
B. The procedures, including voting prescriptions, set forth in these Bylaws shall apply to the conduct of any sub-committee created by this Committee or by state law.
Proposed to the WCDC on July 20, 2025 and amended and adopted on September 3, 2025.