To: Enrolled Members of the Democratic Party of the Town of Wallingford, Connecticut:
Pursuant to the Rules of the Democratic Party and the state election laws, you are hereby notified that District caucuses will be held on January 6, 2010, at 7:00 p.m. at
Dag Hammarskjold Middle School, 106 Pond Hill Road, (Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 8 & 9) and
James Moran Middle School, 141 Hope Hill Road, (Districts 5, 6 & 7)
to endorse candidates for election to the Democratic Town Committee and to transact such other business as may be proper to come before said caucus.
Any resident of this Voting District whose name appears on the last completed Democratic Enrollment list may have his or her name placed on the ballot at this caucus by filing with the Democratic Registrar of Voters not less than five days prior to the caucus a signed statement that he or she desires to have his or her name appear on the ballot. Any such resident may also have his or her name placed in nomination from the floor at the caucus itself.
Article III Section 3. Calculation of Membership:
Each voting district shall have one (1) member for every seventy-five (75) registered Democrats residing in the district as of the last printed list in the month of December prior to the Town Committee caucus for the election of a new Town Committee.
Number of Members for Each Voting District
District 1: 5 Members
District 2: 14 Members
District 3: 12 Members
District 4: 14 Members
District 5: 14 Members
District 6: 12 Members
District 7: 13 Members
District 8: 8 Members
District 9: 8 Members
NOTE: It is recommended that those interested in running for a seat on the Democratic Town Committee contact their District Leader prior to the caucus to express their intent.
Agenda For Nominating Caucus
1. Call Convention to Order by Temporary Chair
2. Temporary Char Appoints Temporary Secretary
3. Temporary Secretary Reads Call of Caucus Notice
4. Temporary Secretary Makes Credential Report
5. Election of a Permanent Chair
6. Election of a Permanent Secretary
7. Nominations
8. Updated Report on Credentials / Attendance
9. Election
10. Announcement of Winners
11. Other Business
12. Adjourn
Rules and Guidelines on Town Committee Caucus Procedures
The below rules and guidelines are in response to frequently asked questions regarding the Town Committee Caucus Elections. Additional questions or clarification may be obtained by calling Democratic Town Committee Chairman Vincent Avallone at (203) 605-2716.
1. Caucuses for Town Committee are required by state law and are open to all town registered Democrats in accordance with local Registrar of Voters’ records.
2. Caucuses must be advertised in a local newspaper at least five full days before the caucus. Five full days does not include the date of the actual caucus. The time, date, location, and purpose of the meeting must be stated within the advertisement.
3. Caucuses must be held between January 5th and 12th 2010. Results of the caucus must be certified by the Town Clerk by January 13, 2010 at 4:00pm
4. Any registered Democrat may observe, vote, speak, or participate in the caucus.
5. According to state party rules, nominations the night of the caucus shall be taken by slate and by individual nominations from the floor.
6. After all nominations have been closed (slate and individual), voting may proceed.
7. Since the caucus is a local election, paper ballots and/or secret ballots are permitted. It is recommended that ballots be kept on file for at least sixty days after the election.
8. It is permissible on a paper ballot to identify “Town Committee Endorsed Candidates” if local Town Committee By-Laws allow for such a process.
9. Voters may not vote for more Town Committee members than slots available. If a voter votes for more members than available, the ballot should not be counted.
10. Voters may vote for as many or as few Town Committee members as desired in accordance with the slots available. For example, a voter may vote for only one Town Committee member on their ballot even if twenty are running.
11. DTC members must be elected by a majority of those present and voting. For example, if there are more people nominated than there are slots available, and there are fifty people voting at the caucus, only those who receive twenty-six votes or more are elected on any given ballot. If the full slate of party-endorsed candidates is not chosen on the first ballot, then the names of those who did not receive at least twenty-six votes should be voted on a second ballot, and so on until a full slate is chosen.
12. If a slate wishes to file for a primary, petitions and information on the number of signatures required on the petition may be obtained from the Registrar of Voters.
13. To obtain primary petitions, the challenge slate must consist of at least 25% of the total number of DTC members permitted on a Town Committee. For example, X town has twenty Town Committee members on its Town Committee. A primary slate must have at least five candidates on its petition. These candidates need not be members of the caucus-endorsed Town Committee or of the existing Town Committee.
14. New DTC members take office on the day after the day scheduled for the primary. Town Committee Primaries are scheduled for March 2, 2010. Even in towns where no primary is being held, members do not take office until March 2, 2010. Town Committee Officers are elected after the March primary date.
