Article First: Name

1. The name of this organization shall be the Knox County Democratic Committee, hereinafter referred to as the KCDC.

Article Second: Purpose & Objectives

1. The object and purpose of the KCDC shall be to:

• A. Promote the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party;

• B. Encourage and maintain participation and unity of enrolled voters and potential candidates in Knox County, Maine;

• C. Provide leadership to, and coordination with, Municipal Committees, the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Democratic National Committee; and

• D. Support the nominees elected in the State Democratic Primary and elect Democrats to office.

2. The KCDC shall be a non-discriminatory, non-profit organization.

Article Third: Membership

1. In accordance with the Rules of the Maine Democratic Party, the KCDC shall, whenever possible and practical, consist of a minimum of three (3) members from each municipality in Knox County, one of whom shall be the Municipal Chair. The additional members shall be divided equally among gender identities whenever possible. For each one hundred (100) enrolled Democrats or major fraction thereof, (fifty-one [51] or more), beyond the first one hundred (100), each municipality is entitled to one additional member on the KCDC.

   For the purpose of determining the number of KCDC members, the most recent enrollment figures published by the Secretary of State before January 1st of each even-numbered year shall be utilized.

2. Democratic State Committee members and Democratic members of the Maine Legislature who are residents of Knox County shall be voting KCDC members.

3. Elected officers of the KCDC shall be voting at-large KCDC members.

Additional at-large KCDC members shall be elected as described below.

Article Fourth: Election of Members

1. The KCDC members from municipalities shall be nominated and elected at biennial caucuses held in each municipality. An official list of elected committee members shall be forwarded to the KCDC within ten (10) days of the caucus.

2. If an enrolled Democrat who is a resident of Knox County wishes to become an at-large member of the KCDC, said person may make a formal request to the Recording Secretary before a KCDC meeting, asking to become a voting member-at-large. The KCDC shall, by majority vote of the members present at a duly called meeting, either accept or reject the request. Terms for members-at-large shall coincide with terms for regular KCDC members.

Article Fifth: Duties of KCDC Members

The duties of the KCDC members shall be as follows:

• 1. Attend all meetings of the KCDC;

• 2. Participate in the government and direction of the affairs and activities of the KCDC;

• 3. Work closely with Municipal Chairs to promote a grassroots Democratic organization;

• 4. Serve as a liaison between the Municipal Committees and the KCDC;

• 5. Aid and cooperate with the campaigns of Democratic candidates; and

• 6. Assist in fundraising for KCDC activities and Democratic campaigns.

Article Sixth: Officers of the KCDC

1. The officers of the KCDC shall be a Chair, Vice-Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer, and may include an Assistant Treasurer. Whenever possible, the Chair and Vice-Chair shall have different gender identities. The KCDC may add other officers and standing committees as is deemed necessary.

Article Seventh: Election of Officers

1. A person seeking a KCDC office must be an enrolled Democrat in Knox County but need not be a KCDC member.

2. In January of each odd-numbered year, the current Chair shall call the Biennial Meeting for the election of KCDC officers by providing written notice to all members of the KCDC not less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

3. In the course of electing officers, the current Chair shall preside over the election. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall preside, or in the absence of both, the Recording Secretary shall preside. After the election of officers, the newly elected officers shall assume their positions.

Article Eighth: Duties of Officers

The duties of the Chair shall be to:

1. Serve as the general executive officer and spokesperson for the KCDC;

2. Preside at all meetings of the KCDC;

3. Follow the Rules of the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Delegate Selection Plan regarding caucuses and the State Convention;

4. Appoint a convener of each standing and ad hoc committee and be an ex-officio voting member of each;

5. Establish ad hoc committees as needed to address the interests and concerns of the KCDC;

6. Attend all Maine Democratic State Committee and Caucus of County Chairs meetings;

7. Serve as a liaison between the County, State and Caucus of County Chairs Committees for the exchange of information concerning the activities and requirements of each;

8. Make every attempt to assure that each municipality holds a biennial caucus on the appropriate date;

9. Notify each Municipal Chair of the number of members that may be elected as members of the KCDC; and

10. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.

11. The Chair may delegate any of these responsibilities to other KCDC members.

The duties of the Vice-Chair shall be to

1. Perform all of the duties of the Chair in the absence of same;

2. Become Chair in the event of resignation, removal or death of the Chair and serve the remainder of that term;

3. Attend all KCDC meetings;

4. Be an ex-officio voting member of each standing committee; and

5. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.

The duties of the Recording Secretary shall be to:

1. Keep a complete and accurate record of all KCDC meetings, filing a copy of each with the Chair prior to the next meeting;

2. Make available to any KCDC member for examination or copying any records of meetings and other records such as Bylaws which are formally recognized by the KCDC;

3. Keep a record of attendance of members at each meeting;

4. Maintain a current list of all KCDC members and officers and Knox County Municipal Committees and to provide the Chair with updates;

5. Release mailing lists in part or in whole only at the direction of the KCDC, since the lists are the sole property of the KCDC;

6. Be an ex-officio voting member of the Bylaws Committee;

7. Serve as co-chair of the Communications Committee; and

8. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.

The duties of the Corresponding Secretary shall be to:

1. Cause notice and the agenda of all KCDC meetings to be sent to all members at least seven (7) days prior to said meetings;

2. Write and submit, or cause to be written and submitted, meeting notices to local media;

3. Write, or cause to be written, press releases on specific meetings or specific issues as directed by the KCDC;

4. Provide written notice of cancellation of KCDC meetings or events and to local media;

5. Communicate with the State Democratic Committee as necessary;

6. Serve as co-chair of the Communications Committee; and

7. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.

The duties of the Treasurer shall be to:

1. Disburse KCDC funds as directed or required by the KCDC;

2. Keep full and accurate record of all receipts and disbursements;

3. Deposit all KCDC monies in the name of the KCDC in a recognized bank or trust company;

4. Attend all KCDC meetings;

5. Provide a report of the transactions and financial condition of the KCDC at every regular meeting;

6. Comply on a timely basis with all legal requirements relating to the receipt and distribution of funds;

7. Comply with the regulations and reporting requirements of the Maine Commission on Government Ethics and Election Practices;

8. Supply the documentation necessary for financial audits and/or reviews;

9. Assure compliance with state and federal tax requirements;

10. Develop a two-year budget for submission to the Executive Committee and the KCDC by April of each odd-numbered year; and

11. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.

In the event that there is no Treasurer, a non-elected Bookkeeper may fulfill the duties of the Treasurer, for a designated time identified by the Executive Committee, while the KCDC searches for a Treasurer. The Bookkeeper will report to the officers of the KCDC Executive Committee.  Additionally, the elected Treasurer may retain the services of a bookkeeper as needed, with approval of the Executive Committee.

An Assistant Treasurer may be elected whose duties shall be to:

1. Assist the Treasurer in the performance of his/her duties; and

2. Perform the duties of the Treasurer when the Treasurer is unavailable.

1. The KCDC encourages active participation on its committees.

2. Committee members may be appointed by the KCDC Chair or may volunteer for a committee. The KCDC Chair shall appoint Conveners of Standing Committees and Committee Chairs shall be elected by the committee members, except the Communications Committee, which shall be co-chaired by the Recording Secretary and Corresponding Secretary.

3. At its March meeting following the election of officers, the committee Chairs and members shall be confirmed by the KCDC;

4. The Standing Committees of the KCDC shall be:

Fundraising Committee

The duties of this Committee shall be to;

1. Develop a two-year plan by May of each odd-numbered year that will raise the funds needed by the KCDC and present it to the Executive Committee and the KCDC;

2. Implement the plan’s activities other than those concerning established fundraising programs, first providing a budget to the KCDC for each activity; and

3. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.

Candidate Support Committee

This Committee shall, whenever possible and practical, consist of at least one person from each Maine Senate, House, and County District that encompasses municipalities in Knox County.

The duties of this Committee shall be to:

1. Serve as a resource for local candidates in understanding the rules pursuant to running for election and participating in the Maine Clean Elections program;

2. Present a plan to the KCDC by May of each even-numbered year to support local candidates through the distribution of various materials and organizing relevant events and activities;

3. Present a budget for the expenditure of funds to implement the plan;

4. Coordinate with the Communications Committee, where necessary, in the development of materials;

5. Implement and complete the support activities within the approved budget; and

6. Perform other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.

Bylaws Committee

The duties of this Committee shall be to:

1. Review, maintain and consider the existing Bylaws of the KCDC;

2. Make recommendations and prepare revisions and amendments as directed by the KCDC; and

3. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.

Issues, Program and Special Events Committee

The duties of this Committee shall be to:

1. Arrange for speakers at regular KCDC meetings on topics of interest; 

2. Plan other events as approved by the KCDC; and

3. Perform other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC. 

Communications Committee

The duties of this Committee shall be to:

1. Assist the Corresponding Secretary with the dissemination of information which may be useful to the membership;

2. Maintain and update the KCDC website, membership, mailing and voter lists;

3. Maintain and update the KCDC social media accounts;

4. Create newsletters, press releases, advertisements, and public announcements: and

5. Perform other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC. 

Grievance Committee

This Committee shall consist of a Chair and four (4) members elected at the biennial meeting. Their duty shall be to hear and process all grievances of members or officers of the KCDC, municipal committees or candidates through the following steps:

1. The Grievance Committee Chair, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a written grievance signed by the complainant(s), shall schedule a hearing to be held within fifteen (15) days of setting the hearing date and shall provide notice of said date to the Grievance Committee members at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting.

2. Any enrolled Knox County Democrat may attend said hearing and testify regarding said grievance.

3. At the conclusion of said hearing, the Grievance Committee shall prepare a recommendation.

4. The Grievance Committee Chair shall present a report on the hearing and the recommendation at the next meeting of the KCDC, which will then take action on the recommendation.

5. Appeals of the decision of the KCDC may be made by written notice to the Grievance Committee of the Maine Democratic State Committee with a copy provided to the KCDC Chair.

Liaison Committee

The duties of this Committee shall be to:

1. Act as the KCDC liaison with local and county Democratic party groups and other local, county and state groups involved in voting issues as directed by the KCDC;

2. Report regularly to the KCDC on its activities and relevant activities of the organizations with which it is acting as liaison; and

3. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of all KCDC officers, the Democratic State Committee members, the immediate past Chair of the KCDC and the Chairs of the Standing Committees.

The Executive Committee shall serve only in an advisory capacity to the KCDC. However, in situations of an urgent nature requiring immediate attention, the Executive Committee may take necessary action by the following measures;

Two-thirds (2/3) of the Executive Committee membership shall constitute a quorum necessary for taking any action;

All actions shall be made by a favorable vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the quorum;

Voting by remote means (telephone, email, etc.) is acceptable;

All votes shall be recorded by name and

A report on said action shall be made at the next meeting of the KCDC.

2. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to expend funds within the approved budget categories.

3.The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to:

1. Conduct a search for potential candidates for local elected office;

2. Develop a two-year Strategic Plan for presentation to the KCDC by May of each odd-numbered year;

3. Review the progress toward implementing the activities of the Strategic Plan and present that information to the KCDC at least quarterly;

4. Review the KCDC’s financial operations at least once a year;

5. Develop the agenda for KCDC meetings; and

6. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.

1. Meetings of the KCDC shall occur on a monthly basis unless otherwise agreed to by the KCDC. The Chair may call special meetings as needed, and a meeting shall be called upon the written request of at least five (5) KCDC members.

2. A Biennial Meeting for election of officers and other activities as noted in these Bylaws shall be held in January of each odd-numbered year.

3. Written notice of all meetings shall be sent to all KCDC members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting and shall include information concerning date, time, place and agenda.

4. Meetings of the KCDC and its committees may be conducted with remote participation by means that enable all participants to communicate with each other simultaneously and such remote participation shall be deemed to be attendance at that meeting. 

5. Unless otherwise agreed to by the KCDC, all meetings shall be conducted according to the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, a copy of which shall be available at all KCDC meetings.

The order of business at a regular KCDC meeting, unless otherwise decided upon differently by the Executive Committee, shall be:

1. Lectures, guest speakers, etc.

2. Reading of the minutes of the last KCDC meeting

3. Financial Report

4. Reports of the Officers

5. Reports of Committees

6. Old business

7. New business

8. Adjournment

Notice of cancellation of KCDC meetings shall be sent in writing to members and announced through local media as soon as possible.

Article Twelfth: The Quorum

1. Fifteen percent (15%) of the membership in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all KCDC business.

2. A quorum shall be considered present at all meetings unless two (2) members in good standing request a count.

3. Unless otherwise specified herein, any action taken by the KCDC shall be effective only if adopted by a simple majority of those present at a KCDC meeting. Action to adjourn shall take effect if adopted by a majority of those present, regardless of the number.

Article Thirteenth: Proxies

1. In compliance with the Rules of the Maine Democratic Party, proxies and voting by proxy shall not be allowed at any time.

Article Fourteenth: Officer and Member Resignations

1. Any KCDC member or officer may resign at any time. Such resignation shall be in writing and shall take effect at the time designated therein or upon receipt of the Chair or Secretary.

2. Resignation by a KCDC officer does not automatically imply resignation from the KCDC, unless so specified.

3. The Chair shall inform the appropriate municipal Chair of a resignation immediately upon notification of the same.

4. Any KCDC member, including those who are members because they serve as officers or representatives to the Democratic State Committee, may be deemed to have resigned his or her position when that member has missed three (3) consecutive KCDC meetings. Such member may also be deemed to have resigned his or her position as an officer and/or a KCDC representative to the DSC. The Chair shall make a good faith effort to contact the member who is so affected.
   

Article Fifteenth: Officer and Member Removal

1. Any KCDC member may be removed by the member’s Municipal Committee due to inaction or impropriety. Removal shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote by the Municipal Committee members present at a meeting called for that purpose by written notice sent at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting.
   

2. An officer of the KCDC may be removed because of inaction or impropriety by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of KCDC members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose by written notice sent to all KCDC members at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting.

3. Any KCDC member must be removed upon discovery that the member is no longer registered to vote in a municipality in Knox County and enrolled in the Democratic Party in that municipality or has moved out of Knox County.
   

Article Sixteenth: Filling of Vacancies

1. Vacancies within the KCDC membership shall be filled by vote of the Municipal Committee when possible and otherwise by appointment by the Municipal Chair. As a matter of last resort, if the municipality cannot fill a vacancy, an enrolled Democrat from that municipality may be selected by the KCDC.

2. KCDC officers who are unable to complete their terms shall be replaced by the following procedures:

3. Chair – The Vice-Chair shall assume the position for the rest of the term.

4. All other Officers – By majority vote of the members present at a KCDC meeting duly called for that purpose or at the next regular meeting with notice sent to members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

Article Seventeenth: Bylaws

1. At the first KCDC meeting following the biennial caucus, copies of the KCDC Bylaws and a list of all KCDC members shall be made available by the Recording Secretary. A copy of these Bylaws and membership list shall otherwise be made available to any member by the Recording Secretary or the Bylaws Committee Chair upon request.

2. Subsequent to the election of officers at the January meeting of each odd-numbered year, the KCDC members shall by a majority vote reaffirm the existing Bylaws, adopt revised Bylaws or direct a revision of the Bylaws for the consideration of the membership within the following sixty (60) days. Only at this meeting may the Bylaws be revised without prior written notice.

3. To revise or amend these Bylaws at meetings other than the biennial meeting, the following shall occur:

The revision or amendment shall be submitted to or originated by the Bylaws Committee, and said committee shall make a report and recommendation to the KCDC at a regularly scheduled KCDC meeting.

Written notice and text of the proposed amendment or revision must be sent to all KCDC members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting scheduled to consider such.

A two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members present and voting must favor the amendment or revision.

Amendments or revisions of these Bylaws shall be noted in the KCDC meeting minutes and sent to members within thirty (30) days of the meeting.

Upon adoption or revision of these Bylaws, the Corresponding Secretary shall file a copy with the Maine Democratic Party Headquarters.

Article Eighteenth: Financial Policy

1. The following policies regarding financial matters shall be followed:

2. KCDC funds shall only be provided to Democratic legislative, municipal, county and other candidates running in districts which have at least one town in Knox County unless expenditures for other candidates are approved by a vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of members present and voting.

3. At least seven (7) days prior notice shall be made to all KCDC members regarding matters involving the expenditure of one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more that are not within an approved budget.

4. Travel expenses for members who are required to represent the KCDC outside of Knox County may be reimbursed,with reimbursements limited to the IRS rate for stipends for meals, lodging and mileage.