Political Party
Organization
Executive committees
Florida law,
section 103.091, provides that each political party shall have a
state executive committee. These state committees may establish
county executive committees. Committee members represent the
precinct in which they live. In Volusia County, both the Democrat
and Republican parties have executive committees. The election of
members of these committees held in the First Primary election in a
Presidential election year. Some minor parties have similar
organizations. The next election for Executive Committees will be in
2008. It is on the 1st Primary Ballot.
There
are usually two members from each precinct. Vacancies may be filled
by appointment. County executive committees must file a list of
their members' names and addresses in the Elections Office.
Candidates for county executive committee elections must file with
the Supervisor of Elections during a qualifying period, usually in
July of the presidential election year. Members of executive
committees are not considered "public officials" under Florida's
Government-in-the Sunshine laws, and candidates for committee
positions do not file campaign finance reports.
Florida
Statutes 103.091 Political
parties.--
(1) Each political party of the state
shall be represented by a state executive committee. County
executive committees and other committees may be established in
accordance with the rules of the state executive committee. A
political party may provide for the selection of its national
committee and its state and county executive committees in such
manner as it deems proper. Unless otherwise provided by party rule,
the county executive committee of each political party shall consist
of at least two members, a man and a woman, from each precinct, who
shall be called the precinct committeeman and committeewoman. For
counties divided into 40 or more precincts, the state executive
committee may adopt a district unit of representation for such
county executive committees. Upon adoption of a district unit of
representation, the state executive committee shall request the
supervisor of elections of that county, with approval of the board
of county commissioners, to provide for election districts as nearly
equal in number of registered voters as possible. Each county
committeeman or committeewoman shall be a resident of the precinct
from which he or she is elected.
(2) The state executive committee of a
political party may by resolution provide a method of election of
national committeemen and national committeewomen and of nomination
of presidential electors, if such party is entitled to a place on
the ballot as otherwise provided for presidential electors, and may
provide also for the election of delegates and alternates to
national conventions.
(3) The state executive committee of
each political party shall file with the Department of State the
names and addresses of its chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer,
and members and shall file a copy of its constitution, bylaws, and
rules and regulations with the Department of State. Each county
executive committee shall file with the state executive committee
and with the supervisor of elections the names and addresses of its
officers and members.
(4) Any political party other than a
minor political party may by rule provide for the membership of its
state or county executive committee to be elected for 4-year terms
at the primary election in each year a presidential election is
held. The terms shall commence on the first day of the month
following each presidential general election; but the names of
candidates for political party offices shall not be placed on the
ballot at any other election. The results of such election shall be
determined by a plurality of the votes cast. In such event, electors
seeking to qualify for such office shall do so with the Department
of State or supervisor of elections not earlier than noon of the
57th day, or later than noon of the 53rd day, preceding the primary
election. The outgoing chair of each county executive committee
shall, within 30 days after the committee members take office, hold
an organizational meeting of all newly elected members for the
purpose of electing officers. The chair of each state executive
committee shall, within 60 days after the committee members take
office, hold an organizational meeting of all newly elected members
for the purpose of electing officers.
(5) In the event no county
committeeman or committeewoman is elected, or a vacancy occurs from
any other cause in any county executive committee, the county chair
shall call a meeting of the county executive committee by due notice
to all members, and the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote
of those present at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Such
vacancy shall be filled by a qualified member of the political party
residing in the district where the vacancy occurred and for the
unexpired portion of the term.
(6)(a) In addition to the members
provided for in subsection (1), each county executive committee
shall include all members of the Legislature who are residents of
the county and members of their respective political party and who
shall be known as at-large committeemen and committeewomen.
(b) Each state executive committee
shall include, as at-large committeemen and committeewomen, all
members of the United States Congress representing the State of
Florida who are members of the political party, all statewide
elected officials who are members of the party, and the President of
the Senate or the Minority Leader in the Senate, and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives or the Minority Leader in the House of
Representatives, whichever is a member of the political party, and
20 members of the Legislature who are members of the political
party. Ten of the legislators shall be appointed with the
concurrence of the state chair of the respective party, as follows:
five to be appointed by the President of the Senate; five by the
Minority Leader in the Senate; five by the Speaker of the House of
Representatives; and five by the Minority Leader in the House.
(c) When a political party allows any
member of the state executive committee to have more than one vote
per person, other than by proxy, in a matter coming before the state
executive committee, the 20 members of the Legislature appointed
under paragraph (b) shall not be appointed to the state executive
committee and the following elected officials who are members of
that political party shall be appointed and shall have the following
votes:
1. Governor: a number equal to 15
percent of votes cast by state executive committeemen and
committeewomen;
2. Lieutenant Governor: a number equal
to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and
committeewomen;
3. Each member of the United States
Senate representing the state: a number equal to 10 percent of the
votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
4. Attorney General: a number equal to
5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and
committeewomen;
5. Chief Financial Officer: a number
equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen
and committeewomen;
6. Commissioner of Agriculture: a
number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive
committeemen and committeewomen;
7. President of the Senate: a number
equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive
committeemen and committeewomen;
8. Minority leader of the Senate: a
number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive
committeemen and committeewomen;
9. Speaker of the House of
Representatives: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by
state executive committeemen and committeewomen;
10. Minority leader of the House of
Representatives: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by
state executive committeemen and committeewomen; and
11. Each member of the United States
House of Representatives representing the state: a number equal to 1
percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and
committeewomen.
(d)1. The governing body of each state
executive committee as defined by party rule shall include as
at-large committeemen and committeewomen all statewide elected
officials who are members of such political party; up to four
members of the United States Congress representing the state who are
members of such political party and who shall be appointed by the
state chair on the basis of geographic representation; the permanent
presiding officer selected by the members of each house of the
Legislature who are members of such political party; and the
minority leader selected by the members of each house of the
Legislature who are members of such political party.
2. All members of the governing body
shall have one vote per person.
(7) Members of the state executive
committee or governing body may vote by proxy.
(8) The conducting of official
business in connection with one's public office constitutes good and
sufficient reason for failure to attend county or state executive
committee meetings or a meeting of the governing body.
History.--ss.
1, 2, 2A, ch. 22039, 1943; ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 22678, 1945; s. 7, ch.
26870, 1951; s. 32, ch. 77-175; s. 1, ch. 78-1; s. 22, ch. 79-164;
s. 3, ch. 81-312; s. 12, ch. 82-143; s. 3, ch. 83-242; s. 33, ch.
84-302; s. 17, ch. 87-363; s. 607, ch. 95-147; s. 2, ch. 95-197; s.
110, ch. 2003-261; s. 20, ch. 2005-286.
Note.--Former
s. 102.71.
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