PRECINCT ORGANIZATION

(a) Initial Organization

(1) Initial organization of a precinct in a county that does not have a county organization that is recognized by the State Executive Committee shall be in accordance with such instructions and procedures as the State Chairman shall direct. Such initial organization may be accomplished at any time in the manner as hereinafter stated.

(2) Initial organization of a precinct in a county that has a county party organization, which is recognized by the State Executive Committee, shall be under the direction of the County Chairman, their designee, State Chairman or other Party official designated by the State Chairman upon noncompliance or refusal by County Chairman. Precincts undergoing initial organization that did not go through reorganization may be organized at any time and shall be immediately recognized by the County Executive Committee without a make-up meeting.

(b) Reorganization

(1) Organized precincts shall meet during the month of March at an appropriate place within the county at a time and day set by the County Executive Committee of each nongeneral election year, or at such other time and date as may be required by law for reorganization.

(2) Only those precincts previously certified or recognized as duly organized shall conduct reorganizational meetings.

(c) Proceedings In all organization and reorganization meetings of precinct, business may be conducted as follows:

(1) The meeting shall be called to order by the precinct president or vice-president, if the president is not present, in an organized precinct. In an unorganized precinct, the meeting shall be called to order by such person as may have been designated by the county chairman (or State Chairman, if applicable) to arrange the meeting, and if none, then by some person in attendance who is eligible for membership in the precinct. See Rule 4(c) (3) for eligibility requirements. 23

(2) A temporary president, a temporary secretary, and a committee on credentials for the purpose of organizing or reorganizing shall be elected.

(3) The credentials committee shall report the names of those in attendance who are eligible for membership and who have signed the membership roll, verifying that each member is in fact eligible for membership. Membership eligibility is determined by the member having a current, valid voter registration certificate in that precinct, and either (1) the person having voted in the election designated for the purposes of delegate allocation set forth in Rule 4(c)(5) or (2) the person being elected to membership at a precinct meeting.

(4) When organized, a permanent president, one or more vice-presidents, a secretary, a treasurer, and a county committeeman to the county executive committee (a minimum of five (5) officers) may be elected. One person may not hold more than one office unless there are fewer than five people present at the meeting. Such committees as may be desired may be created. Precinct officers do not assume the duties of their office until after the county convention set forth in Rule 5(b) has been held, unless they are elected from a precinct not organized during the month of March under regular precinct reorganization.

(5) Delegates and alternates to the county convention shall be elected from among the members of the precinct in attendance and/or those whose membership is set forth in the poll list of the preceding primary election and/or those who are absent from the reorganization meeting but who have submitted the properly signed forms. In situations where there are more members present wishing to run for county delegate than delegate positions available (or those who have submitted proper paperwork), a vote shall be taken with each present eligible member having as many votes to cast as delegate positions available. No member absent from the meeting may cast a vote, but they may be voted for and considered a candidate. In the case of fewer members present than delegate slots allotted, all members shall become delegates. A list of the candidates shall be arranged in the order of the number of votes received by them, with the candidate receiving the greatest number ranked first, and candidates with fewer votes ranked in descending order of the number of votes received by each in succession. The number of votes received by each candidate also shall be shown on said list. In the case of a tie, the position of the tying candidates on the list shall be determined by drawing lots. Those candidates with the most votes will be delegates, and the rest will be alternates in descending order of the total number of votes received. Delegates and alternates are not required to be in attendance at the precinct meeting. Each precinct shall have one delegate for every twenty-five (25) members and major fraction thereof, based upon the number of votes polled in the first primary of the preceding general election year or based upon the number of votes for presidential electors at the last preceding general election thereof 24 from the precinct as determined by the State Executive Committee; or if the last preceding nominations were by convention, the representation shall be based upon the number of votes for presidential electors at the last preceding general election therefore from the precinct (7-9-70). All precinct representation shall be based on the same election. An equal number of alternates may also be elected. The precinct secretary and precinct president shall certify the names of precinct members, precinct officers and delegates and alternates, along with their own certifications, to the county chairman no later than five (5) days following the initial precinct meeting. Vacancies in any precinct delegation at any County  Convention or reconvened convention shall be filled from among the alternate delegates present. No delegate or alternate shall be elected by the precinct less than five (5) days before the County Convention. A certified list of precinct members, precinct officers and delegates and alternates shall be forwarded to the State Chairman by the county chairman no later than seven (7) days following the initial meeting, and no later than three (3) days after a make-up meeting. The county chairman shall make the certified list of delegates and alternates to the county convention available to any delegate, alternate or precinct officer no later than three (3) days after a make-up meeting. Such certified lists shall contain all contact information known to the county party. Upon receipt of the lists from the precinct, the county chairman shall promptly notify the precinct president of any irregularities found therein, and conversely, the precinct president shall be informed if the lists are in order.

(6) Except for organization and reorganization meetings, the president or five (5) members may call special meetings of the precinct at any time by giving at least fortyeight (48) hours public notice.

(7) If federal or state actions result in the creation of new precincts, consolidation of precincts or redrawing of precinct lines that cause duly elected precinct officers and delegates to no longer reside within their original precinct, the offices of the affected officers and delegates shall be declared vacant. The County executive committee shall set a date within forty-five (45) days of such action for a special precinct reorganization meeting for those precincts affected. The meeting shall be held in one location within the county and under the direction of the county chairman, their designee, the State Chairman or other Party official designated by the State Chairman upon noncompliance or refusal by County Chairman.

(8) The County chairman shall also set a date no later than five days prior to the county convention for precincts to meet, referred to as a make-up meeting, that have failed to organize or re-organize or that need to conduct further business, including the ability of precincts to fulfill their delegate allotment to the mail by 25 the county chairman and given opportunity to show cause before the County Executive Committee why he should not be removed from office. (4) County convention. The make-up meeting for all precincts shall be held in one central location in the county and shall be properly advertised.

(d) Resignations, vacancies

(1) Resignations by any officer shall be submitted to the president and secretary. The County committeeman shall submit his resignation to the county chairman also. The precinct shall fill all vacancies in its elective offices, including county committeeman. If an elected officer or committeeman becomes disabled and cannot act or serve, or if he abandons his office by refusing to serve, he shall be notified in writing by the county executive committee, upon concurrence of a majority of the entire executive committee, that his office will be declared vacant, effective thirty (30) days from the date of notice, unless the person gives earlier notice of his resignation or unless, within that time, he resumes the full duties of his office or furnishes a reason acceptable to the county executive committee as to why his office should not be declared vacant.

(2) A vacancy shall occur immediately if any elected officer or executive committeeman moves his legal residence outside the geographical area his office encompasses, and such vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of the Rules. Should any officer or delegate publicly endorse or financially support a candidate for partisan office other than a duly nominated Republican candidate, unless there is no Republican nominee in the relevant race, they shall immediately vacate their Republican Party office. The State Executive Committee may waive this provision in statewide and multi-county elections, and the county executive committees may waive this provision for their county and less-than-county elections.

(3) Additionally, any County Executive Committee may declare vacant the office of any member of the County Executive Committee who is absent from three (3) consecutive County Executive Committee meetings without good cause when such committeeman has not been represented by a designated proxy or by the precinct president in attendance in his place. Provided, however, before such committeeman's office shall have been declared vacant, he shall be notified by certified Should a vacancy occur in the office of a County Executive Committeeman or Precinct Chairman, and if there be no other members or officers of the precinct, the precinct shall become unorganized. Upon notice by the 26 Executive Committee and at the discretion of the County Chairman that there is someone interested in re-organizing the precinct, it shall become organized pursuant to Rule 4(a).

(5) A vacancy shall occur as covered in Rule 15.

(6) A precinct meeting may be called by the precinct president or five other precinct members for the purpose of filling a vacancy among its officers, but such meetings require 48 hours written notice to all precinct members. For the purposes of these rules, unless otherwise specified, “Written notice” shall be defined as mail by the United States Postal Service, electronic mail, or private mail delivery service.

(7) The precinct secretary shall keep a current roll have members, removing names as a result of death, transfer, resignation, request, etc., New precinct members may be added as indicated by state party rules.