2012 8th District Convention

***2/14/2012: Note the revised delegate numbers for Fairfax County, reflecting redistricting***

Under the rules of the party, the 8th District Republican Committee holds a District Convention every two years. At the 2012 Convention, we will be electing delegates to the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, FL; electing a district chairman; nominating an elector to the Electoral College; and electing members of the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee.

The 2012 Convention will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 10:00 am at Bishop O’Connell High School, 6600 Little Falls Road in Arlington (map).

You can download the convention call in PDF or .doc (Microsoft Word) format. The call is below.

*****

OFFICIAL CALL
District Convention
of the Eighth Congressional District
of the Republican Party of Virginia
Saturday, May 12, 2012
10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Bishop O’Connell High School
6600 Little Falls Road
Arlington, VA 22213

As Chairman of the Eighth Congressional District of the Republican Party of Virginia and pursuant to the Plan of Organization and as recommended and directed by the District Committee, I, Michael E. Ginsberg, do hereby issue this Call for a District Convention to be held at Bishop O’Connell High School, or its alternate site, starting at 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Saturday, May 12, 2012, for the following purposes:

a)      Electing three (3) Delegates and three (3) Alternate Delegates to the Republican National Convention to be held at the St. Petersburg Times Forum in Tampa, Florida or its alternate site from August 27 to August 30, 2012;

b)      Nominating one (1) Elector to be a voter in the presidential election on November 6, 2012;

c)      Electing a District Chairman of the Republican Party;

d)     Electing three (3) members of the State Central Committee; and

e)      for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before the convention.

Qualifications for Participation

All legal and qualified voters under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, regardless of race, religion, national origin or sex, who are in accord with the principles of the Republican Party, and who, if requested, express in open meeting either orally or in writing as may be required their intent to support all of its nominees for public office in the ensuing election may participate as members of the Republican Party of Virginia in its mass meetings, party canvasses, conventions, or primaries encompassing their respective election districts.

In addition to the foregoing, to be in accord with the principles of the Republican Party, unless otherwise stipulated by the appropriate Official Committee, a person otherwise qualified hereunder shall not have participated in Virginia in the nomination process of a party other than the Republican Party in the last five years, whichever is more recent. A single exception to this rule shall be approved for a voter that renounces affiliation with any other party in writing, and who expresses in writing that he/she is in accord with the principles of the Republican Party and intends, at the time of the writing, to support the nominees of the Republican Party in the future. Any voter that utilizes the foregoing exception, and thereafter participates in the nomination process of a party other than the Republican Party, shall not have the benefit of this exception thereafter.

A person who has made application for registration and meets all other requirements, but whose name does not appear on the local registration books solely because of the books having been closed in connection with a local election, will nevertheless be deemed a legal and qualified voter.

Registration

Convention registration shall begin at 8:00 AM EDT and shall conclude at 10:00 AM EDT. The Convention shall be called to order at 10:00 AM EDT.  Upon commencement of the first ballot for any office and thereafter, no quorum call or point of order regarding the quorum of the Convention or of any committee thereof shall be in order.

Balloting

The election of the District Chairman shall be by plurality vote. The election of the Elector from the Eight Congressional District of Virginia to serve in the 2012 Electoral College shall be by plurality vote.  The election of the three Members of the State Central Committee shall be held collectively and by plurality vote as weighted by jurisdiction unit voting as stated in the Call.  The election of the three Delegates to the National Convention shall be held collectively and by plurality vote as weighted by jurisdiction unit voting as stated in the Call.  The election of the three Alternates to the Republican National Convention shall be held collectively and by plurality vote as weighted by jurisdiction unit voting as stated in the Call.  When balloting begins, there will be no opportunity for any candidate or Delegate to address the Convention for any reason until voting on that ballot is completed.

No proxy voting will be permitted.  Delegates must cast their own ballots.  Names of the candidates shall appear on the ballot in alphabetical order for each office.  The Elections Committee shall design procedures to permit candidates (or their designates) to observe balloting and counting of ballots.  The Elections Committee may enact such rules as it deems appropriate in its discretion to ensure the integrity and security of the voting process.  Balloting shall not begin before 10:30 AM EDT.

Composition of Convention

The District Convention shall be composed of delegates and alternate delegates of the respective units they represent. Representation shall be based on a percentage of the total number of Republican votes cast in each county and city in the last gubernatorial and presidential elections combined. Each unit is allowed one (1) Delegate Vote for every five hundred (500) Republican votes cast, or major portion thereof in each county or city or portion thereof in the district. Each unit shall be entitled to at least one (1) Delegate Vote. The delegates and alternates shall be elected in county and city mass meetings, party canvasses or conventions that shall be called for this purpose in conformity with the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia by each unit committee.

The delegate votes by each Unit shall be as follows:

UNIT                                      DELEGATE VOTES            MAX. # DELEGATES

City of Alexandria                                64                                                   320

Arlington County                                  98                                                   490

Fairfax County                                    189                                                   945

City of Falls Church                               7                                                     35

Totals                                                  332                                                1,660

The delegates present in a given Unit delegation shall designate which alternate delegate(s) shall vote in the place of an absent delegate(s) except where the electing body has determined another method of alternate delegate selection. The delegates present and voting at the Convention shall cast the full vote of the Unit delegation with proportionate weight given to majority and minority vote. In no event shall any person cast less than one-fifth (1/5) of a delegate vote.

Filing for Offices

Filing for Chairman of the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee

Any person who desires to seek election as Chairman of the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee must file a signed written statement to that effect, along with a non-refundable filing fee of $1,000.00 (One thousand dollars and zero cents), with the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman, or his designee, accepting applications at 1276 N. Wayne St. #408, Arlington, VA, 22201, no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Friday, February 24th, 2012 (postmark shall not count). The filing fee shall be payable to the 8th District Republican Committee.

Filing for Member of the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia

Any person who desires to seek election to the State Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia must file a signed written statement to that effect, along with a non-refundable filing fee of $500.00 (Five hundred dollars and zero cents), with the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman, or his designee, accepting applications at 1276 N. Wayne St. #408, Arlington, VA, 22201, no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Friday, February 24th, 2012 (postmark shall not count). The filing fee shall be payable to the 8th District Republican Committee.

Filing for Delegate and Alternate Delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention

Any person who desires to seek election as Delegate or Alternate Delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention must file a signed written statement to that effect, along with a non-refundable filing fee of $500.00 (Five hundred dollars and zero cents), with the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman, or his designee, accepting applications at 1276 N. Wayne St. #408, Arlington, VA, 22201, no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Friday, February 24th, 2012 (postmark shall not count). The filing fee shall be payable to the 8th District Republican Committee.

Filing for Elector from the Eight Congressional District of Virginia
to serve in the 2012 Electoral College

Any person who desires to seek nomination as Elector from the 8th Congressional District of Virginia to serve in the 2012 Electoral College must file a signed written statement to that effect, along with a non-refundable filing fee of $2,500.00 (Two thousand five hundred dollars and zero cents), with the 8th Congressional District Republican Committee Chairman, or his designee, accepting applications at 1276 N. Wayne St. #408, Arlington, VA, 22201, no later than 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, Friday, February 24th, 2012 (postmark shall not count). The filing fee shall be payable to the 8th District Republican Committee.

Uncontested Offices

No nominations shall be accepted from the floor of the District Convention.  If, at the convention, any office has fewer than or an equal number of candidates for offices to be elected, all legally filed candidates for that office shall be deemed to be elected.

Certification of Delegates

The said delegates and alternate delegates to the District Convention so elected shall be certified in writing with their respective names, addresses (including zip codes), telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses over the signatures of the permanent chairman and permanent secretary of the unit mass meeting or convention, or of the unit chairman of the unit committee which may have conducted a party canvass to select the delegates and alternate delegates.

Registration for the Congressional District Convention shall be accompanied by a $15.00 (Fifteen dollars and no cents) non-refundable registration fee for each delegate and alternate delegate.  The registration fee is voluntary for all who intend to vote only for Presidential Elector and National Convention Delegates and Alternate Delegates.  The registration fee is mandatory for all who intend to vote in intra-party elections (i.e. District Chairman and State Central Committee).  Certification of names will require that the $15.00 registration fee for each delegate and alternate delegate listed on the certification form accompany the delegate and alternate delegate certification when applicable.  No certification will be accepted without the accompanying applicable fee.

ALL CERTIFICATIONS AND APPLICABLE FEES, REGARDLESS OF THE DATE OF UNIT MASS MEETING, PARTY CANVASS OR CONVENTION MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN TWENTY-ONE (21) DAYS PRIOR (Saturday, April 21, 2012) TO THE CONVENING OF THE DISTRICT CONVENTION, OR DELIVERED IN PERSON NO LATER THAN 6:00 P.M., NINETEEN (19) DAYS PRIOR (Monday, April 23, 2012) TO THE CONVENING OF THE DISTRICT CONVENTION.

After the filing deadline of the certification, no change may be made except a certified alternate delegate may be made a delegate. A copy of the published call of the convention, mass meeting or party canvass called for the purpose of selecting delegates and alternate delegates to said convention, must accompany the certification with the date of publication included.  A delegate or alternate delegate is not certified until his/her name, address, and phone number has been provided on the certification.

Certification should be mailed or delivered as follows:

Original to: Mr. Michael Ginsberg, Chairman
8th Congressional District of Virginia Republican Committee
1276 N. Wayne St. #408
Arlington, VA 22201

Second Copy to: Chris Marston, Treasurer
8th Congressional District of Virginia Republican Committee
110 Shooters Court
Alexandria, VA 22314

Third Copy: for the Unit’s permanent records

Resolutions

Submission of resolutions to the 2012 Eighth Congressional District Convention is prohibited.

Committees

Members of the Temporary Convention Arrangements, Credentials, Nominations, Elections, Resolutions, and Rules Committees shall be appointed by the District Chairman and shall meet in advance of the Convention (at the discretion of the Temporary Chairman of each such Committee and the District Chairman) to perform their duties subject to ratification by the delegates present and voting at the Convention. The Convention shall be conducted in accordance with the Plan of Organization of the Republican Party of Virginia, and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Revisions

In the event that the redistricting process requires technical or conforming changes to the Call, the District Chairman is authorized to revise the Call to make any such technical or conforming changes.  The District Chairman must promptly notify the District Committee of any such conforming changes.

APPROVED by the Eighth Congressional District Republican Committee, December 19, 2011.

Paid for by the 8th District Republican Committee.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
www.vagop8cd.org