Attention Delegates and Alternates:Copy of Official Call to 48th LD Democrats Legislative District Caucus

[Becky Lewis]

The following "Official Call" is the document that has been mailed to all delegates and alternates for all candidates to the 48th LD Caucus to be held April 5th at Interlake High School, Bellevue. This document contains the proposed agenda and rules for the meeting so that all participants may become very familiar with the information. This will help you to be a better delegate and to move the process along faster.

Official Call to the 48th Legislative
District Democrats Caucuses
March 20, 2008

Dear Delegate or Alternate,
Your next step in the Presidential delegate selection process is to attend the 48th Legislative District Caucus on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at Interlake High School, Bellevue, WA 98008. Doors will open at 9:00 AM.The Call to Order to start the Caucus will be at 10 AM. There will be a voluntary registration fee of $10 for all delegates and alternates to the District Caucus. We will only accept exact change with name noted or checks. Payment of this fee shall not be a condition of participation or election. At the LD Caucus we will be happy to accept $25 to cover both your voluntary caucus registration and your 2008
membership in the 48th Democrats.

Delegates and Alternates and registered voters in the 48th Legislative District who declare themselves to be Democrats may participate in the caucus until the adoption of the Credentials Report. Please note that seating for the disabled will be reserved on the first row of bleacher seating. Chairs will also be available. After that, only seated delegates and alternates seated for absent or disqualified delegates shall have voice and vote.

Directions to Interlake High School:
1. Take NE 24th St. a block east from 156th Ave.
2. The school is on the corner of NE 24th St. and 164th Ave. NE.
3. Please car pool if you can---parking may be limited.
4. Parking is available ONLY behind the school or at the Horticultural Center.
5. More parking has been arranged at the Unigard Insurance property next door to
the school. Entry can be made from Northup or NE 24th St. The LD Caucus is
only 1 block away.
6. On street parking is available across from the school where not prohibited.
7. Disabled and elderly attendees may be dropped off at the front of the school. They
will be directed/helped to the event by volunteers.

Purpose of Meeting

The purpose of this meeting is to elect delegates and alternates by Presidential preference or uncommitted to the 8th Congressional District Caucus at Tahoma High School in Covington, WA, or to the 1st Congressional District Caucus at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, WA on Saturday, May 17. These same delegates and alternates are
elected to attend the State Democratic Convention in Spokane on the weekend of June 14-15. We will elect 26 delegates and 15 alternates in the 8th CD//15 delegates and 7 alternates in the 1st CD, half male and half female, allocated among the Presidential candidates including uncommitted that reach the 15% threshold of support at the LD caucus. The delegate selection process is set forth in the Proposed Rules of the Caucus that are part of this mailing. Please read the Proposed Rules for a full understanding of the process.

If you want to run for delegate to the Congressional District Caucus and the State Democratic Convention, you must fill out a delegate nomination form similar to the suggested format at the end of this call. It requests that you write a paragraph in 100 words or less stating why you believe you should be a delegate and if possible include a photo of yourself. Further, after you have signed in at the Caucus, please go to the appropriate CD nominations table and indicate your intention by adding your name to the nomination list at the table, turning in your nomination form, and filling out the candidate’s check list that outlines the responsibilities of a CD/State delegate. Please do this immediately after you have signed in for your precinct. We are here for an important purpose, and we also want to make the day as pleasant as possible. Here are some pointers to improve your experience of the caucus day:

1. We expect a very large turnout of over 1,000 people so we ask that you arrive
between 9:00 and 9:30 to allow time for so many participants to register.
2. Note: The 48th LD Caucus will be held in two gyms within close proximity at
Interlake High School, and you will attend one or the other based on the Congressional
District (CD8 or CD1) where you reside. All the same rules and events will occur in both
CDs. This is designed to help limit the number of delegates in one location and provide
needed breathing room.
2. Due to school rules, we will be sitting in the bleachers in the big gym at Interlake
High School so please dress comfortably for climbing up and down the bleachers.
Note: The first row of all the bleachers will be reserved for those who are disabled,
elderly or not able to climb up to other seats. Please respect this arrangement.
3. Coffee, water and food will be on sale in the cafeteria during the day, beginning with
the sign in period. Of course, you may bring your own food too. The school policy is
that no food or beverages, except for bottled water, will be allowed in the gyms. The
sergeants-at-arms will enforce this policy.
4. Please read the Rules for the LD Caucus which are part of this mailing and bring
them with you to the Caucus.
5. For a full explanation of the Caucus and Convention cycle and running to be a
delegate, please check the Washington State Democrats website. The direct link to
this information is:
http://www.wa-democrats.org/index.php?page=display&id=283
You will also find similar information on the 48th District Democrats website at
48thdems.org

Finally, we invite you to join the 48th District Democrats. We meet on the third Wednesday of the month from 7 - 9 PM at Stevenson Elementary School, NE 8th St. Bellevue, WA. Directions are on our website. Our next meeting is on April 16th .
Our basic membership donation is $25. At the LD Caucus we will accept $25 to cover both your voluntary caucus registration and your 2008 membership in the 48th LD Democrats. Again exact change/check is required If you would like to do even more, please contact us to become a Precinct Committee Officer for your precinct in the 48th LD. You will then be positioned to help us win the most important general election of our time!

Thank you for coming and participating in democracy in action,
Becky Lewis, Acting Chair for the 48th LD District Democrats Caucus/Convention Cycle
[e-mail]

Proposed Agenda for 2008 48th Legislative District Caucuses

1. 9:00 AM – Door open
2. 10:00 AM - Call to Order by Temporary Chair, appoint Secretary, Temporary Sergeant at
Arms and Parliamentarian
3. Pledge of Allegiance
4. Welcome and Recognition of Guests
5. Preliminary Credentials Report
A. Seating of Alternates
B. Challenges
6. Rules Committee Report—Adoption of rules and agenda
7. Speeches for Presidential Candidates
8. Final Report of the Credentials Committee—Total delegates seated, preliminary allocation of
delegates, start 15 minute period for delegates to switch preference
9. Adoption of Agenda and Rules
10. Election of Permanent Chair, appoint Secretary, Sergeant at Arms and Parliamentarian
11. Appointment of Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Parliamentarian
12. Election of Delegates and Alternates to the Congressional District Caucuses and the State
Convention
13. Good of the Order
14. Adjournment

Proposed Rules for the 2008 48th Democrats
Legislative District Caucuses

1. The Legislative District Caucus shall be held on Saturday, April 5, 2008 commencing at
10:00 am, at Interlake High School, 16245 24th Ave., Bellevue, WA 98008.
2. The purpose of the Caucus and its sole business is the election of delegates and alternates to
the Congressional District Caucuses, which will convene on May 17, 2008 at 10:00 AM;
the persons elected shall also serve as delegates and alternates to the 2008 State Democratic
Convention which will convene in Spokane on June 14, 2008.
3. Delegates to the Legislative District Caucus shall be the delegates and alternates elected at
the precinct caucuses.
4. Any duly elected delegate or alternate who moves from his or her precinct prior to the
District Caucus shall automatically forfeit his or her seat and an alternate shall be seated in
his or her place.
5. At the time of signing in, delegates and alternates shall sign in by precinct. Delegates shall
indicate their presidential preference at that time. There will be a voluntary registration fee
for all delegates and alternates to the District caucus of $10 (only exact change/check) at
the door. Payment of this fee shall not be a condition of participation or election.
6. The Legislative District Chair or the Chair’s designee shall serve as the temporary chair of
the Legislative District Caucus. They shall appoint a temporary secretary, sergeant at arms
and a parliamentarian.
7. The Chair shall appoint a representative tally committee of alternates or non-delegates. All
ballots shall be returned to the State Democratic headquarters and shall be retained by the
State Chair until the State Convention has adjourned.
8. The Chair will call on the Credentials Committee for a preliminary Report, which shall
include the number of delegates in attendance and the number supporting each presidential
preference.
The report will include the total number of alternates eligible to be seated at this time due to
the absence of elected delegates. Alternates are seated in the order in which they were
elected and collect their delegate credentials.
9. Presentation of challenged precinct documentation for decision by the caucus as a whole,
shall start with the lowest numbered precinct or at the beginning of the alphabet and
proceeding in alpha-numerical order until all challenges are resolved. If the challenged
delegate is not sustained, he or she shall be removed immediately and replaced by a
qualified alternate. A challenged delegate may not vote on the question of his or her own
challenge.
After this preliminary report the chair will offer an opportunity for any delegate wishing to
change presidential preference to do so. The chair must allow adequate time for any
delegates wishing to make such a change. A record of all such changes must be kept and
read by the chair entered into the minutes of the caucus. The record shall include the name
of each delegate changing preference, the delegate’s presidential preference at the time of
registration and the preference to which the delegate changed. If no such changes occurred
the chair shall report that fact.
10. The Chair of the Credentials Committee shall present the Final Report of the Credentials
Committee which shall include:
A. The total number of delegates certified elected within the Legislative District by
individual Congressional District.
B. The total number of delegates registered and seated at the time the report is given.
C. The names of all alternates seated as delegates and the names of the precincts they will
represent.
D. The number of seated delegates (including alternates seated as delegates) supporting
each presidential candidate or uncommitted status. The Credentials Committee may seat
unchallenged delegates arriving after the Credentials Committee report.
11. The chair of the Rules Committee shall present the report of the Rules Committee. The
Report shall include the reading of these Rules. The Rules, with respect to the seating of
delegates to this Caucus or the election of delegates and alternates to the Congressional
District Caucus, may not be amended.
12. After the adoption of the Final Report of the Credentials Committee only seated delegates
may seek recognition from the floor. An alternate shall not have voice or vote unless
seated to replace an absent or ineligible delegate. Prior to the adoption of the Final Report
of the Credentials Committee any person may seek recognition by the Chair of the Caucus.
At all times the Chair has discretion to recognize any person to speak.
13. Any registered voter of the Legislative District within each individual Congressional
District may be nominated by a delegate to the caucus for the position of Permanent Chair,
or any registered voter of the Legislative District within individual Congressional District
may nominate himself or herself. Nominations, seconding speeches and speeches by the
candidate on his or her own behalf shall not total more than three (3) minutes per nominee.
A majority is required to elect. If no person has a majority, the candidate receiving the least
votes is dropped and balloting shall be repeated using the remaining names. This procedure
shall be repeated until a candidate receives a majority.
14. The Permanent Chair shall appoint a secretary, sergeant-at-arms, and parliamentarian.
15. The Chair shall announce the allocation of Congressional District Caucus/State Convention
delegates and alternates for each Congressional District including the following
information:
A. The number of qualified delegates seated by presidential preference.
B. The number of qualified alternates seated in place of disqualified or absent delegates.
C. The total number eligible to vote at the caucus.
D. Allocation of Congressional District Caucus and State Convention delegates and
alternates supporting each presidential candidate or uncommitted status.
16. Delegates will caucus separately by presidential preference for the purpose of electing
delegates and alternates to their respective Congressional District Caucuses/State
Convention. The Permanent Chair shall designate a chair for each sub-caucus who will
appoint a secretary and a tally committee. The secretary shall record the business of the
caucus, including the names of all persons nominated, the votes each received at the
election and the names of those elected.
17. The election of Congressional District Caucus/State Convention delegates and alternates:
A. Each candidate for Congressional District Caucus/State Convention delegate or
alternate must be a resident registered voter in the Legislative District and the correct
Congressional District and must be identified as to presidential preference.
B. Each candidate for Congressional District Caucus/State Convention delegate or
alternate shall be nominated individually. No second is required. To be nominated one
must fill out our first level nomination sheet (suggested format included in this packet)
with a personal photo if possible. You may choose any format that fits on one 8 1/2 by 11
inch piece of paper and explains why you would like to be a delegate. A candidate who is
not a delegate to the caucus or who is not present must signify in advance, in writing
individually, his/her presidential preference, that he/she will serve if elected and that
he/she is a Democrat and is willing to be known as such. The letter of any absent
candidate shall be read by the sub-caucus chair and shall constitute a nomination, no
second required. All other nominations shall be made by signing the nomination list at
the registration table, submitting a first level nomination form, or from the floor of the
sub-caucus with a nominating form.
C. Because we have record breaking numbers of delegates participating in 2008, we will
be posting on a wall each candidates’ first level nomination form in the sub caucus area
by presidential preference. When it is time to sub caucus to elect delegates to the
Congressional Districts, each sub caucus participant (only delegates to the LD caucus for
a particular presidential candidate) will be given a number of small colored cards to
select their top first level nominated delegates. The number will be commensurate with
the number of delegates needed to be elected in each category (male and female) to the
CD level. For example if the sub caucus is asked to select 10 men and 10 women, each
delegate/voter will choose 10 women and 10 men with different colored cards and place
them in an envelope attached to the nominating sheet. They must choose the exact
number of individuals determined to be needed in each gender category. When this
process is complete the tally committee will announce the delegates who are to be
included in the second level of the nominating process. Up to 3 times the number of
delegates needed will be chosen for this second level of the nominating process. For
example if there need to be 10 female delegates chosen, up to 30 women will be chosen
to go on to the second level of nomination. At the second level, all candidates will be
allowed one minute to speak on their own behalf. Then the allocated number of
delegates/alternates with the most votes submitted on written ballots, see below, will
be selected to go to the CD caucus.
D. Voting shall be by signed ballot and a ballot to be counted must have all positions
(delegates/alternates of each gender) filled with no duplications. The Chair shall give
clear notice to the delegates that they must vote for the allotted number of candidates,
give adequate time to do so, and ask voting delegates to check their ballots before turning
them in. A plurality is required to elect. The Chair shall provide the ballots. After the
votes are collected and tallied, the person receiving the most votes shall have been
elected, the person receiving the next most votes shall have been elected, and so forth
until all allotted delegate positions are filled. In case of a tie vote, the assignment of a
delegate position shall be by lot. The election of alternates shall be part of the delegate
election—the next highest vote getters after all the delegates are chosen for a gender, will
be selected to be alternates. The alternate receiving the most votes shall become alternate
number one, and the alternate receiving the next most votes shall be alternate number
two, and so forth. In case of a tie vote, the assigning number to the alternates shall be by
lot. Each delegation elected shall be equally divided between women and men in both the
delegate and alternate categories unless there are an insufficient number of nominees
from one gender to fill available positions.
18. At the time of the election, each elected Congressional District Caucus/State Convention
delegate shall be requested to pay the $50.00 State Convention Registration fee to the
secretary who shall send fees and a list of delegates and alternates with addresses and
phone numbers to the State Chair within five (5) days. No person shall be excluded or
disqualified from any part of the process for failure to pay such fee.
19. Challenges to the conduct of any precinct caucus must be delivered to the Acting Chair of
the 48th Legislative District Caucus/Convention Cycle no later than 5:00 PM Monday
March 31st or mailed to the 48th Acting Caucus Convention Cycle Legislative District
Chair, 16552 SE 19th St., Bellevue, WA 98008, post marked no later than Saturday March
29th. Only persons who allege that they have been harmed by the conduct of the caucus
have standing to bring such a challenge.
20. Debate shall alternate pro and con, limited to three speakers for and three speakers against
any motion, each speaker to speak no more than one minute.
21. The motion “to table” shall be out of order at all times.
22. A quorum shall consist of 30% of the number eligible to vote as shown on the credentials
report, as most recently amended, except questioning the presence of a quorum shall not be
in order prior to the completion of business as defined in Rule 2 above.
23. The Unit Rule* shall not be permitted at any time.
24. Proxy voting shall not be allowed.
25. All possible efforts shall be made to insure maximum participation of ethnic minorities,
women, youth, persons over 65 years of age, lesbians and gays, Labor, persons with a high
school education or less, disabled, and persons of economic disadvantage.
26. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall prevail in other matters not specifically
covered herein.
*The Unit Rule is a rule of procedure at a national convention under which a state’s entire vote
must be cast for the candidate preferred by a majority of the state’s delegates. Allowing the unit
rule at your caucus would mean that all delegates would be chosen for one candidate. This would
be in conflict with the current system which allows for proportional representation.

April 5, 2008
Suggested Content/Format 48th LD Nomination Form
for Election to the CD_____ Caucus
Obama
or
Clinton

My Name_______________________
Address_____________________
Precinct #___________________
Why I would like to be an Clinton//Obama*
Delegate to the Congressional District Caucus in 100
words or less:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________.
*(Please circle Presidential preference at top of page )