Endorsement Rules

36th District Democrats Endorsement Rules 2023

2023 Endorsement Interview Rules, and the bylaws.

Emergency Endorsement Rules

A majority of the membership voted to adopt these rules by electronic vote on March 17, 2021:

  1. The Chair shall notify the membership at least 10 days prior to the meeting at which endorsements will be considered. The Chair shall distribute the list of Executive Board endorsement recommendations to the membership prior to the meeting.
  2. Endorsement business will be conducted live during the virtual membership meeting, including debate and voting.
  3. The Chair has the authority to create a slate of uncontested or likely-uncontroversial endorsement decisions for collective approval in one motion. A candidate may be removed from the slate for individual consideration by majority vote of members present and voting.
  4. For all other endorsements not considered in a slate, consideration will proceed one elected office or ballot measure at a time.
  5. In addition to Sections 1 through 4, above, the Endorsement Rules used for the last few years, below, are hereby adopted and will be followed as closely as practicable in the virtual meeting:

36th District Democrats Endorsement Rules

  1. General

    1. Any 36th District Democrat defined as a voting member in Article III of the District Bylaws, is eligible to vote on motions to endorse.
    2. A motion to consider endorsement from the Executive Board shall be considered prior to any other motions to endorse (Article XIII, Section 3 of the Bylaws). If no action was taken by the Executive Board, motions from the floor are open for consideration.
    3. A motion to endorse an additional candidate or candidates is not in order following passage of an endorsement motion in a particular race (Article XIII, Section 4, Subsection a2).

  2. Endorsement eligibility and interview process

    1. To be eligible for endorsement, a candidate must file as a Democrat or in the case of a nonpartisan race other than judicial positions or ballot measures, must identify as a Democrat. Judicial candidates must demonstrate Democratic principles.
    2. A candidate must complete the current King County Democrats Questionnaire (found at kcdems.org) and must interview with the Executive Board of the 36th District to be considered for Executive Board recommendation. In the case that a candidate may not be present physically for an interview with the Executive Board, a surrogate may be sent in their place.
    3. Interviews are open to the public. Video recordings will be posted on 36th.org. Where videotaping isn’t available, transcribed notes will be posted in their place.

  3. Endorsement requirements

    1. If a candidate or ballot measure received 2/3 of the Executive Board’s recommendation, that motion will be forwarded onto the voting membership for consideration. At least 55% of those present and voting is required to sustain an Executive Board recommendation.
    2. If 55% is not reached to sustain an Executive Board recommendation, the floor will then be opened to motions from voting members. At least 55% of those present and voting shall be required for the endorsement motions from the floor to be approved.
    3. To determine the order in which motions from the floor will be considered, the Chair will ask for all proposed endorsement motions to be made at the outset. For each motion receiving a second, there shall be a non debatable straw vote. The motion receiving the most straw votes will be debated and voted upon first. If that motion fails, the Chair will ask for any additional motions to be added to the original list and a new straw vote will be held.
    4. Each motion on the floor shall have up to three speakers for the motion and three speakers against the motion, timed at one minute each, rotating in turn. For motions made from the floor, the maker of the motion is given preference as the first speaker in favor. Only voting members may make motions from the floor and speak for/against motions. Voting members may cede time to non-members.
    5. It is the prerogative of the Chair to move the agenda when it is apparent that various endorsement combinations (e.g., dual or triple endorsements) will not reach the 55% threshold necessary for an endorsement.

  4. Use of 36th District endorsement

    1. Endorsed candidates and ballot measure campaigns may use the 36th District Democrats name and endorsement in any and all literature and voter contact materials.
    2. Endorsed candidates and ballot measures may also use district resources such as membership data and website to solicit volunteers and assistance on the campaign.
    3. The district endorsement is good through the current election season. If no endorsed candidate makes it past the primary, a new endorsement process for the remaining candidates shall be considered for the general election.
    4. Endorsed candidates and ballot measures shall be listed in the 36th District voter’s pamphlet, which will be provided to PCOs for distribution prior to the election.
    5. The district will not be distributing campaign literature to PCOs. Instead, endorsed candidates may include an “ad” in the district voter’s pamphlet for a donation amount to be set by the Executive Board to cover the cost.