Brooklyn Republican Party Bylaws

RULES OF THE KINGS COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY

Copy obtained through the Board of Elections; bolded sections were added at the October 4, 2007 County Committee Convention

ARTICLE I: COMPOSITION AND MEETINGS OF COUNTY COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. The County Committee shall consist of members representing each Election District in each Assembly District as provided by law. Each Election District which polled less than 200 hundred votes on the Republican line for governor at the last gubernatorial election shall elect two members. Each Election District which polled at least 200 votes but less than 400 votes on the Republican line for governor at the last gubernatorial election shall elect three members. Each Election District which polled at least 400 votes on the Republican line for governor at the last gubernatorial election shall elect four members. The vote on the Republican line for State Assembly at the preceding State Assembly election or the number of enrolled Republicans in the list of enrolled voters last published by the Board of Elections shall be used in lieu of the vote for Governor under the circumstances described in Election Law section 2104.

SECTION 2. The members of the County Committee shall be elected biennially in odd numbered years, when members of the Republican State Committee are elected. In the event that the election of Republican State Committee members is changed so that they are to be elected in even numbered years, then the next election of County Committee members shall be held in the next even numbered year which is not the year following the year in which the last election of County Committee members was held.

SECTION 3. The County Committee shall meet within twenty days after its election for the purpose of organizing the County Committee, at a time and place designated by the Chair of the outgoing County Committee, who shall preside at the meeting until a Chair is elected, provided however that the Chair of the outgoing County Committee may designate any enrolled Republican to preside until a new Chair is elected. The following shall be the order of business at the organizational meeting: (l) Call of official roll, (2) Adoption of rules; (3) Filling vacancies in the County Committee; (4) Election of officers; (5) Report of Treasurer; (6) Unfinished business; (7) New business; (8) Adjournment.

SECTION 4. Regular meetings of the County Committee shall be held at such time and place as may be designated by the Chair of the County Committee. At such meetings, the following shall be the order of business: (1) Call of official roll; (2) Filling vacancies in the County Committee; (3) Report of Treasurer; (4) Unfinished business; (5) New Business; (6) Adjournment.

SECTION 5. Special meetings of the County Committee shall be held at such time and place as may be designated by the Chair of the County Committee. The matters to be considered at such meeting shall be designated by the Chair in the call of the meeting, which shall also set forth the order of business.

SECTION 6. Prior to the commencement of each meeting of the County Committee, the Chair shall appoint a Credentials Committee, which shall consist of five members who shall have the sole authority to check the credentials of the members of the County Committee for said meeting. The said Credentials Committee shall also assist the Secretary of the County Committee in recording proxies and in admitting people to the meeting. The said Credentials Committee may appoint as many assistants as are necessary to give aid and assistance to said Credentials Committee as are deemed necessary.

SECTION 7. Prior to the commencement of the organizational meeting, the seated members of each Assembly District shall caucus and elect a Chair of that Assembly District’s County Committee members, whose title shall be “Assembly District Delegation Chair,” for the meeting. The election of each such Assembly District Delegation Chair shall be noted in the minutes of the meeting. Each such Assembly District Delegation Chair shall be the person to report the total votes of his respective Assembly District with respect to any matters which may be voted upon at the meeting.

SECTION 8. At any meetings of the County Committee held subsequent to the organizational meeting, the Chair of the Assembly District Committee shall be the person to report the total votes of his respective Assembly District with respect to any matters which may be voted upon at the meeting.

SECTION 9. Voting on any matter at a meeting of the County Committee shall take place as follows. Voting shall be done “viva voce.” Any member of the County Committee, however, may make a motion to the presiding officer for an Assembly District roll call vote whereby each Assembly District Delegation Chair shall announce the vote of his respective Assembly District County Committee members on the particular matter, which must be seconded by fifty other County Committee members. If such fifty other County Committee members second such motion, then an Assembly District roll call vote shall be taken by the presiding officer on the particular matter; without the need to vote on the motion to conduct a roll call vote. Where an Assembly District roll call vote is conducted, any member of the Assembly District delegation may move the presiding officer that all County Committee members from his respective Assembly District be polled individually. If either five other members of such delegation or fifty other members of the entire County Committee second such motion, then, without the need to vote on the motion therefor, an individual appointed by the Chair shall poll the County Committee members individually of that respective Assembly District delegation and then report back to the Chair the result thereof, and the votes of the individual County Committee members shall be recorded in the minutes. For purposes of this section, the terms “member of the County Committee,” “County Committee members,” and “member of the Assembly District delegation,”  “members of such delegation,” and members of the entire County Committee” shall refer to members of the County Committee present in person or through designated proxies.

SECTION 10. A quorum at all meetings of the County Committee shall be 300 members present in person or by proxy.

SECTION 11. At meetings of the County Committee, members shall be seated in areas set aside for their respective Assembly District delegations.

SECTION 12. At meetings of the County Committee, the Chair, or in his absence, the highest ranking Officer present, shall preside, unless the Chair or such highest ranking Officer present may designate such other person, who shall be an enrolled Republican, to preside.

SECTION 13. Vacancies in the membership of the County Committee occurring from any cause shall be filled by the remaining members of the entire County Committee by the election of an enrolled Republican residing in the Assembly District containing the Election District from which the vacancy exists, provided, however, that the County Committee hereby delegates to the Executive Committee the authority to fill such vacancies during the times when the County Committee is not in session.

SECTION 14. Any member of the County Committee may designate another member of the County Committee as his proxy for the purpose of casting his vote and recording him present as part of a quorum. At the beginning of each meeting of the County Committee, all such proxies which are to be used shall be registered with the County Committee Secretary or Chair of the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee for each meeting, with the consent of the Chair and Secretary of the County Committee, may determine that it will meet on a date or time prior to said meeting for the purpose of receiving proxies therefor; this, however, shall not preclude the submission of proxies at the meeting itself. After the meeting, the proxies shall be retained as part of the official records thereof. The form of such proxy shall be substantially as follows: “I, _______, a member of the Kings County Republican Party County Committee, residing at _______, hereby designate to act as my proxy for the purpose of casting my vote and recording me present at the meeting of the Kings County Republican Party County Committee to be held on _______.” Said proxy may contain the following additional provision: “In the event the foregoing person is not present at such meeting, then shall act as my proxy for said purposes.” Such proxies shall be dated and signed. In the event that a person shall have executed more than one proxy form, the latter dated one shall be in effect, and if more than one designating different proxy holders bear the same date, then none shall be in effect.

ARTICLE II: OFFICERS OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. The officers of the County Committee shall be as follows:

Chairman, Vice Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, Parliamentarian,

Law Committee Chairman, Law Committee Vice Chairman for Club Activities, Law Committee Vice Chairman for Campaign Activities,

Youth Activities Chairman, Enterprise Outreach Committee Chairman, Enterprise Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Financial Services, Enterprise Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Small Business, Enterprise Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Media,

Communications Committee Chairman, Communications Committee Vice Chairman for Media, Communications Committee Vice Chairman for Party Activities,

Finance Committee Chairman, Finance Committee Vice Chairman for Events, Finance Committee Vice Chairman for Direct Solicitation,

Community Outreach Committee Chairman, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Neighborhoods, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Ethnic Groups, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Veterans, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Law Enforcement, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Labor, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Military Affairs, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Education, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Retirees, Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Voter Registration, and Community Outreach Committee Vice Chairman for Voter Registration, who shall be elected at the organizational meeting of the County Committee, to hold office until the next primary election at which County Committee members are elected, provided however that the persons holding such office shall have the authority to participate and vote at any meeting of the Executive Committee of the County Committee held subsequent to said next primary election if the County Committee has not yet organized and provided further that nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the powers of the Chair of an outgoing County Committee to preside at the organizational meeting of the newly elected County Committee or to appoint someone to preside thereat in accordance with these rules. Each officer shall be enrolled in the Republican Party.

SECTION 2. The Chairman of the County Committee shall preside at meetings of the County Committee and shall possess the general duo ties of a presiding officer. In his absence, the highest ranking Officer as listed in Article II, Section 1 of the County Committee shall per· form his duties. The Chairman may designate any person, who shall be an enrolled Republican, to preside at a meeting of the County Committee. Upon the death, resignation, removal from New York State, or change in enrollment of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman shall assume the office of Chair for the remainder of the original Chairman’s term of office.

SECTION 3. Upon the death, resignation, removal from New York State, or change In enrollment of any other County Committee officer, the Executive Committee shall, by majority vote, select a replacement to fill said position for the remainder of the original officer’s term of office.

SECTION 4. After consultation with medical professionals, the Executive Committee may, by a twothirds vote of its membership, declare that the Chair is incapable medically of performing the duties and functions assigned to said office. Thereupon, the lst Vice Chair shall assume the office of Chair on an acting basis. The Executive Committee may thereafter, by a twothirds vote of its membership, declare that the Chair is capable medically of performing said duties and functions, after consultation with medical professionals.

SECTION 5. The Secretary of the County Committee shall keep a full account of all proceedings of the County Committee which shall be open to the inspection of any member and shall keep the records of said Committee.

SECTION 6. Repealed

SECTION 7. The Treasurer shall receive all monies of the Committee, keep an accurate account thereof, deposit them to the credit of and in the name of the County Committee in a bank or trust company approved by the Chair, and shall make all payments by check upon a warrant signed by the Chair and the Chair of the Executive Committee. Expenditures may be made for such purposes as the Chair may determine to be advantageous to or in the interests of the Republican Party, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, donations to charitable, civic, educational, or religious causes, purchase of funeral flowers or tributes, such determination to be evidenced by the signatures of the Chair and the Chair of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall present a report at organizational and regular meetings of the County Committee.

SECTION 8. Repealed

SECTION 9. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be responsible for maintaining order at meetings of the County Committee.

SECTION 10. Repealed

SECTION 11. In addition to the foregoing, the officers of the County Committee shall perform such other duties as are delegated to them by the Chair or the County Committee.

SECTION 12. When the Officers of the County Committee are filled by election at the organization meeting, each member of the County Committee shall be entitled to one vote per office to be filled.

SECTION 13. Repealed

SECTION 14. Repealed

SECTION 15. Repealed

SECTION 16. The County Committee hereby delegates to the Executive Committee the authority to conduct the reassignment of County Committee members to Election Districts they will represent as described in section 2118 of the Election Law.

SECTION 17. No person convicted of a crime in any federal, state, or local court within ten years prior to the primary election most immediately preceding the organizational meeting of the County Committee shall be eligible to serve as an officer of the County Committee.

ARTICLE III: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEE; STATE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

SECTION 1. There shall exist an Executive Committee of the County Committee, which shall consist of the following persons: (a) Executive Members, as provided for hereinafter; (b) the officers of the County Committee; (c) any Chairs Emeritus; (d) the President of the Brooklyn Young Republicans, (e) President of the Kings County Republican Women. Any Executive Members who are subsequently elected Officers of the County Committee shall not take office until they have resigned their State Committee Membership, with the exception of those representing Assembly Districts that cross county lines. The provisions of this Section are subject to the provisions of Section 8 of this Article and other provisions of these Rules with respect to officers of the County Committee, Committee Chairs, and Chairs Emeritus.

SECTION 2. Each Assembly District located wholly or partially within Kings County shall have one male and one female Executive Member, who shall serve on the Executive Committee. The male State Committee member and the female State Committee member representing 8 respective Assembly District shall constitute the Executive Members for that Assembly District. The provisions of this section are subject to the provisions of Section 9 of this article

SECTION 3. Members of the State Committee elected from Assembly Districts or parts thereof located in Kings County shall possess the duties, powers, and functions of an assembly district leader and associate assembly district leader. Said members of the State Committee shall be of opposite sexes and enrolled voters of the Republican Party residing within the respective Assembly Districts from where they are elected, except as otherwise provided by law. The designating petitions and primary election ballots shall list such party position separately by sexes.

SECTION 4. Members of the State Committee from Assembly Districts located wholly or partially in Kings County shall automatically serve as voting members of and have the right to participate and vote in meetings of the County Committee. The members of the State Committee from an Assembly District shall automatically serve as voting members or and have the right to participate and vote in meetings of County Committee members representing the Election Districts comprising a particular political unit whenever at least one Election District of said Assembly District is located within the political unit.

SECTION 5. Vacancies in the position of State Committee member shall be filled by the State Committee.

SECTION 6. The Executive Committee shall organize, at the call of the Chair of the County Committee, within 50 days after the primary election at which members of the State Committee are elected but not earlier than the organizational meeting of the County Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of all Officers of the County Committee, including Committee Chairmen and Vice Chairmen. Upon written request of ten members of the Executive Committee, transmitted to the Secretary of the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee Chair must call a meeting. At least two days notice of each meeting of the Executive Committee shall be given by mail to each member, provided however that any member of the Executive Committee, subsequent to the organizational meeting of the Executive Committee, may file with the Secretary of the Executive Committee an authorization for meeting notices to be sent to him in lieu of by mall, by facsimile transmission to a telephone number or by email at an address designated by him. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of onethird of its members. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be chaired by the Chair of the executive Committee, or in his absence, by an Officer of the County Committee, in the order designated in Article II, Section 1.

SECTION 7. The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the finances of the County Committee, have the custody of the headquarters of the County Committee, have charge of Republican campaigns in Kings County, and perform such other duties as the County Committee shall direct.

SECTION 8. Any member of the Executive Committee may designate another member of the Executive Committee in writing to act as his proxy for the purpose of casting his vote and recording him present as part of a quorum. At the beginning of each meeting of the Executive Committee, all such proxies which are to be used shall be registered with the Executive Committee Secretary or Chair. After the meeting, the proxies shall be retained as part of the official records thereof. The form of such proxy shall be substantially as follows: “I, ________, a member of the Kings County Republican Party Executive Committee, residing at __________, hereby designate to act as my proxy for the purpose of casting my vote and recording me present at the meeting of the Kings County Republican Party Executive Committee to be held on ______.” Said proxy may contain the following additional provision: “In the event the foregoing person is not present at such meeting, then ________ shall act as my proxy for said purposes.” Such proxies shall be dated and signed. In the event that a person shall have executed more than one proxy form designating different proxy holders, the later dated one shall be in effect, and if more than one bear the same date, then none shall be In effect. Proxies sent in by facsimile transmission or email shall be valid provided that the respective member of the Executive Committee shall have previously consented in writing to acceptance of his or her proxy by facsimile transmission.

SECTION 9. If the boundaries of any Assembly District located wholly or partially in Kings County be changed after the election of members of the State Committee, the Executive Committee shall appoint one male and one female to serve as Executive Committee members from each such Assembly District; such persons appointed need not have been previously elected as State Committee members. The words “Assembly District” in the preceding sentence shall include any Assembly District created by law which did not exist theretofore. Such members of the Executive Committee so appointed shall thereupon possess the duties, powers, and functions of an assembly district leader and associate assembly district leader. Such members of the Executive Committee so appointed shall be residents and enrolled Republicans in Kings County. Any persons who served on the Executive Committee by virtue of having been elected State Committee members at the preceding primary election, and who are not so appointed as Executive Committee members, shall continue to serve on the Executive Committee, until their term of office has expired. Such appointments shall be made by the Executive Committee no later than 30 days following the effective date of the law which changed the boundaries of an Assembly District. The persons so appointed shall hold such Executive Committee positions until the next primary election at which members of the County Committee are elected.

SECTION 10. At all times when the County Committee is not in actual session, the Executive Committee shall have, possess, and exercise all the rights, privileges, powers, and duties which the County Committee may have and possess, except where such rights, privileges, powers, and duties are by statute vested in or imposed upon said County Committee exclusively. The County Committee hereby delegates to the Executive Committee the authority to make the recommendation for Republican commissioner of elections from Kings County pursuant to Election Law section 3204, provided however that if the County Committee makes such a recommendation then any recommendation made by the Executive Committee shall be null and void.

SECTION 11. The Chair of the County Committee shall have the authority to appoint no more than two persons to the office of Chair Emeritus. To be eligible for such appointment, the person appointed shall have been a pervious Chair of the County Committee. Persons so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of the Chair of the County Committee.

SECTION 12. Members of the Executive Committee, who are not State Committee Members, who fail to attend three consecutive Executive Committee meetings, or fall to attend 50% of all Executive Committee meetings In a single calendar year, will automatically forfeit their office.

ARTICLE IV: OTHER COMMIITEES OF THE COUNTY COMMITTEE

SECTION 1. The Finance Committee shall consist of a Chair and two Vice Chairs, one for Events and one for Direct Solicitation. Its duties shall be to raise sufficient monies to enable the County Committee to conduct operations, and to audit the Treasurer’s accounts

SECTION 2. The Law Committee shall consist of a Chair and two Vice Chairs, one for Club Activities and one for Campaign Activities. Its duties shall be to advise the County Committee or any committee or officer thereof, on any question of law pertaining to its or his duties, and to assist local Republican Clubs and Republican candidates with questions pertaining to their political activities and the general wellbeing of the Republican Party.

SECTION 3. The Communications Committee shall consist of a Chairman and two Vice Chairs, one for Media and one for Party Relations. Its duties shall be to oversee internal and external communications for the County Committee.

SECTION 4. The Enterprise Outreach Committee shall consist of a Chair and three Vice Chairs, one for Financial Services, one for Small Business, and one for Media. Its duties shall be to advise the County Committee or any committee or officer thereof, on issues of importance to the business community and entrepreneurs, and to work with those groups on behalf of the Republican Party.

SECTION 5. The Community Outreach Committee shall consist of a Chair and eight Vice Chairs. These Vice Chairs shall be for Neighborhoods, Ethnic Groups, New Americans, Veterans, law Enforcement, labor, Education, Military Affairs, Voter Registration, Candidate Recruitment, and Retirees. Its duties shall be to advise the County Committee or any committee or officer thereof, on Issues of Importance to their respective constituency.

SECTION 6. The County Committee Chair may create Special Committees of the County Committee as he deems necessary to assist the County Committee in the performance of its functions. The term of existence of said Special Committees shall be as designated by the County Committee Chair. The County Committee Chair shall appoint the Chair and members of such special committees, and they shall serve at his pleasure, with all the rights and privileges of voting members of the Executive Committee.

SECTION 7. The members of special committees created pursuant to this article need not be members of the County Committee.

ARTICLE V: ASSEMBLY DISTRICT COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. Each Assembly District shall have an Assembly District Committee comprised of the members of the State Committee and of the County Committee elected from such Assembly District.

SECTION 2. Each Assembly District Committee shall have the responsibility for the conduct of the affairs of the Republican Party within its Assembly District subject to the direction of and in cooperation with the County Committee.

SECTION 3. Each Assembly District Committee shall meet and organize within thirty days after the organizational meeting of the County Committee. The time and place of such meeting shall be designated by the County Committee Chair, who shall designate the person to convene the meeting. A quorum at such organizational meeting shall consist of ten percent of the then current members of the Assembly District Committee.

SECTION 4. The officers of each Assembly District Committee shall be as follows: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and such other officers as may be created pursuant to rule of the Assembly District Committee. The duties of such officers shall be as prescribed by rule of the Assembly District Committee subject to statute and the rules of the County Committee.

SECTION 5. Each Assembly District Committee shall have the power to establish rules for its conduct and activities subject to statute and the rules of the County Committee.

SECTION 6. The County Committee Chair may at any time direct that a meeting of an Assembly District Committee be held in order to obtain the advice and opinion of said Assembly District Committee.

SECTION 7. With the exception of the organizational meeting of an Assembly District Committee, any member of an Assembly District Committee may designate another member of such Committee in writing to act as his proxy for the purpose of casting his vote and recording him present as part of a quorum. At the beginning of each meeting of an Assembly District Committee, other than the organizational meeting, all such proxies which arc to be used shall be registered with the Assembly District Committee Secretary or Chair. After the meeting, the proxies shall be retained as part of the official records thereof. The form of such proxy shall be substantially as follows: “I, _______, a member of the _______ Assembly District Republican Committee, residing at ________, hereby designate ________ to act as my proxy for the purpose of casting my vote and recording me present at the meeting of the ________ Assembly District Republican Committee to be held on _______.” Said proxy may contain the following additional provision: “In the event the foregoing person is not present at such meeting, the ________shall act as my proxy for said purposes.” Such proxies shall be dated and signed. In the event that a person shall have executed more than one proxy form, the latter dated one shall be in effect, and if more than one designating different proxy holders bear the same date, then none shall be in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of this section, any Assembly District Committee may by rule prohibit or limit the use of proxies.

ARTICLE VI: NOMINATIONS IN SPECIAL SITUATIONS AND AUTHORIZATIONS

SECTION 1. Wherever state law provides for the making of a party nomination for public office in the manner prescribed by the rules of the party (including but not limited to nominations for special elections and nominations referred to in sections 6114. 6116, 6148(3), and 6152 of the Election Law), the Republican Party nomination for a public office to be voted for in a political unit wholly contained within Kings County shall be made in the following manner. A nomination for Representative in Congress shall be made by a majority vote of the members voting at a meeting of County Committee members representing Election Districts contained within the Congressional District in which the election will be held. A nomination for any public office other than Representative in Congress shall be made by a majority vote of the members voting at a meeting of County Committee members representing Election Districts contained within the political unit in which the election will be held provided however that such nomination may be made by a majority vote of the members of the Executive Committee voting at a meeting of the Executive Committee called for such purpose by the County Committee Chair upon a determination by the County Committee Chair that the Executive Committee shall make such nomination.

SECTION 2. An authorization of the designation or nomination of a person not enrolled in the Republican Party as a candidate of the Republican Party to be voted for in a political unit wholly contained within Kings County may be made in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 of this article in the same manner as described therein.

SECTION 3. The Chair of the County Committee shall designate the time and place of any meeting at which there is to be voted upon a nomination referred to in Section 1 of this article or an authorization referred to in Section 2 of this article.

SECTION 4. Notice of a meeting at which there is to be voted upon a nomination referred to in Section 1 of this article or an authorization referred to in Section 2 of this article shall be given in writing, with at least two days notice, provided however that If such nomination or authorization is to be made at a meeting of the Executive Committee the provisions of notice by facsimile transmission or email set forth In these rules shall apply. The County Committee Chair or a person (or an alternate person in the order of designation) designated by him in writing shall convene the meeting. A quorum at such a meeting shall be ten percent of the membership entitled to vote at the meeting.

SECTION 5. At any meeting at which there is to be voted upon a nomination referred to in Section 1 of this article or an authorization referred to in Section 2 of this article, any member of the County Committee or the Executive Committee, whichever the case may be, may designate in writing another person who is also entitled to vote at such meeting in to act as his proxy for the purpose of casting his vote and recording him present as part of a quorum. At the beginning of each such meeting, all such proxies which are to be used shall be registered with the person designated to convene the meeting, or if none, with the presiding officer. After the meeting, the proxies shall be retained as part of the official records thereof. In the event such a nomination or authorization is to be voted upon by the Executive Committee, the form of such a proxy shall be as specified in the provisions of these rules relating to proxies at Executive Committee meetings. In the event such a nomination or authorization is to be voted upon by the County Committee members representing the Election Districts contained within a particular political unit, the form of such proxy, shall be substantially as follows: “I, ________, a member of the ________ Kings County Republican Party County Committee, residing at ________, hereby designate ________ to act as my proxy for the purpose of casting my vote and recording me present at the meeting of the members of the Kings County Republican Party County Committee representing Election Districts contained within the ________District to be held on ________.” Said proxy may contain the following additional provision: “In the event the foregoing person is not present at such meeting, then shall act as my proxy for said purposes.” Such proxies shall be dated and signed. In the event that a person shall have executed more than one proxy form, the latter dated one shall be in effect, and if more than one bear the same date, then none shall be in effect.

SECTION 6. At any meeting of the Executive Committee at which there is to be voted upon a nomination referred to in Section 1 of this article or an authorization referred to in Section 2 of this article, each person voting shall cast a weighted vote determined as follows. The vote cast within each Assembly District for the Republican candidate for governor at the last gubernatorial election shall be ascertained. Each Executive Member shall cast a weighted vote equal to onehaIf of the said gubernatorial vote in his Assembly District provided however that if there is only one then currently serving Executive Member from an Assembly District then said member shall cast a weighted vote equal to all the votes of the said gubernatorial vote. The total number of votes cast for the Republican candidate for governor at the last gubernatorial election within all Assembly Districts in Kings County shall be ascertained and the mean average per Assembly District determined, which mean average shall be divided in half, and the resulting number shall be the weighted vote each other member of the Executive Committee shall cast at the meeting.

SECTION 7. At any meeting of County Committee members representing Election Districts contained within a political unit, at which there is to be voted upon a nomination referred to in Section 1 of this article or an authorization referred to in Section 2 of this article, each person voting shall cast a weighted vote determined as follows. The vote for the Republican candidate for governor at the last gubernatorial election cast within each Election District contained within the particular political unit is to be ascertained and the said number shall be divided by the number of County Committee members then currently representing the said Election District, The resulting number shall be the weighted vote that each County Committee member representing the said Election District shall cast at the meeting. The weighted vote which each County Committee member then currently representing each Election District within an Assembly District is entitled to cast shall then be taken and the mean average thereof in said Assembly District determined and the resulting number shall be the weighted vote which each State Committee member from said Assembly District shall cast at the meeting provided said State Committee member is not already entitled to vote at the meeting by virtue of being a County Committee member.

SECTION 8. Wherever the gubernatorial vote in a district needs to be ascertained for the purposes described in the this article, and a redistricting has resulted in making impossible the uniform application of the provisions of said ections then the vote on the Republican line at the last general election for Member of Assembly shall be utilized. Further, if redistricting or the lack of a Republican candidate for Member of Assembly has resulted in making impossible the uniform utilization of the said Republican vote for Member of Assembly in applying the provisions of this article, then the Republican voter enrollment shall be utilized.

SECTION 9. Wherever state law provides for the making of a party nomination for public office in the manner prescribed by the rules of the party (including but not limited to nominations for special elections and nominations referred to in sections 6114. 6116, 6148 (3), and 6152 of the Election Law), the Republican Party nomination for a public office to be voted for in a political unit comprised of the whole or part of Kings County and the whole or part of another county or counties shall be made in accordance with the rules of the State Committee, provided however, that with respect to a nomination for the public office of Representative in Congress from a Congressional District in which the Chair of the Kings County Republican Party County Committee does not reside, the weighted vote cast by the County Committee Chair at any meeting held to make such a nomination pursuant to the rules of the State Committee shall be cast in favor of a candidate or candidates as determined as follows. Prior to the meeting to be attended by the County Committee Chair with the other County Chair or Chairs, a meeting of the Executive Members representing the Assembly Districts contained in whole or in part in that part of the particular Congressional District contained in Kings County shall be held, upon the call of the County Committee Chair. A weighted vote of the said State Committee members shall be conducted. The vote cast at a general or special election, or the Republican enrollment, whichever may be the case, to be utilized at the meeting of the County Chairs pursuant to the rules of the State Committee shall be the vote utilized to determine the weighted vote each State Committee member shall cast. The said vote cast within each Assembly District, or part contained in Kings County, which is contained in the particular Congressional District, shall be ascertained and divided by the number of State Committee members then currently representing the Assembly District, or part thereof, and that number shall be the weighted vote each State Committee member shall cast. The result of the vote conducted at the said meeting of State Committee members shall be the weighted vote to be cast by the County Committee Chair of the Kings County Republican Party County Committee at his meeting with the other County Chair or Chairs. At said meeting of State Committee members, a person or alternate person designated in writing by the County Committee Chair shall convene the meeting. Proxies issued to other members of the State Committee entitled to vote thereat may be utilized at such a meeting.

SECTION 10. The provisions of Section 9 of this article shall also apply to authorizations of the designation or nomination of a candidate for Representative in Congress from a Congressional District described in said section.

SECTION 11. Wherever it shall be necessary for further rules or provisions to be made to facilitate the Republican Party’s compliance with the decisions of Seergy v. Kings County Republican Committee, 459 R2d 308 (United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1972) or Montano v. Lefkowitz, 575 R2d 378 (United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1978) when making a nomination or authorization for a general or special election referred to in this article, the committee making the nomination or authorization, or conducting the vote pursuant to Section 9 or 10 of this article, may make such further rules or provisions as it deems necessary.

ARTICLE VII: MISCELLANEOUS

SECTION 1. The County Committee Chair shall have the power to appoint an enrolled Republican in any Assembly District to the position of Inspector Liaison, whose duties shall be to locate and identify suitable persons capable of serving as election inspectors and as other election workers representing the Republican Party and to forward the names and addresses of such persons to the County Committee Chair.

SECTION 2. The Chair of the County Committee may determine that the interests of the Republican Party in Kings County are advanced by the endorsement by the County Committee of a candidate for public office prior to a primary election at which a nomination for such office is to be made. If he or she makes such determination, the endorsement shall be made as hereinafter provided. In the event such public office is to be voted upon by the electors of the entire County, the endorsement vote shall be taken at a meeting of the Executive Committee. In the event such public office is to be voted upon by the electors of a district, the endorsement vote shall be taken at a meeting of the members of the County Committee representing the election districts comprising such district, or by the members of the Executive Committee representing Assembly Districts located in whole or in part in such district, as determined by the Chair of the County Committee Chair. In making any determination referred to in this section, the County Committee Chair shall take into account whether there are sufficient County Committee members representing the election districts comprising a district so as to sufficiently represent the Republican electorate of the district and the degree of Republican political activity in the district. The voting power of persons voting upon endorsements shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Article VI of these Rules. Nothing provided in this Section shall be construed as abrogating any provisions of Article VI of these Rules.

SECTION 3. No person shall be eligible to serve as a Republican State Committee member from an Assembly District located wholly within Kings County who has been convicted of a crime in any federal, state, or local court within ten years prior to the date of the primary election at which the State Committee candidate would be voted upon. This section shall take effect June 1, 2003.

SECTION 4. Wherever these Rules provide for proxies, specific voting directions to the proxy holder may be set forth therein.

ARTICLE VIII: AMENDMENTS TO RULES

SECTION 1. Amendments to these rules may be adopted by a majority of the County Committee members present at any meeting thereof provided at least five days notice of the meeting with a copy of the proposed amendment shall have been sent by mail to each member of the County Committee.

SECTION 2. When 200 County Committee members shall have signed a petition submitted to either the Chair or Secretary of the County Committee, specifying proposed amendments to these rules, the said Chair shall thereafter call a special meeting of the County Committee to vote upon said proposed amendments, and follow the procedures prescribed in these rules for the calling and conduct of a special meeting of the County Committee.

SECTION 3. When one half of the then members of the Executive Committee shall have signed a petition submitted to either the Chair or Secretary of the County Committee, specifying proposed amendments to these rules, the said Chair shall thereafter call a special meeting of the County Committee to vote upon said proposed amendments, and follow the procedures prescribed in these rules for the calling and conduct of a special meeting of the County Committee.

SECTION 4. The County Committee Chair may determine that a meeting of the County Committee on whether proposed amendments should be adopted shall be held by mail ballot. In such event, he shall prescribe sufficient procedural safeguards to insure the integrity of such a vote. To the extent that this section conflicts with Election Law section 2114, the County Committee declares that the First Amendment associational rights of its members in adopting these rules providing for the conduct of the affairs of the Republican Party in Kings County outweigh any interests of the state proffered by the latter for insisting that the County Committee members meet in person. Such declaration is made taking into account the decision of Tashjian v. Connecticut, 479 U.S. 208 (1986), and other decisions of the courts sustaining the rights of political parties to provide for their self-government.

SECTION 5. Nothing in this article shall be construed as applying to a County Committee organizational meeting at which rules are adopted.