Candidate Early Endorsement Rules

Update August 2014: These are outdated rules that are being changed. Please contact us for further details: info-at-dfnyc.org. 

DEMOCRACY FOR NYC EARLY ENDORSMENT RULES 

These Rules are designed to serve as a general description of the Candidate Early Endorsement Process for the group known as “Democracy for NYC.” These Rules only pertain to Democracy for NYC and are not intended to reflect endorsements by (actual or potential) or the endorsement process of any other local coalition group of Democracy for America or of the National chapter of Democracy for America. 

Definitions: 

1. Democracy for NYC(“DFNYC”) is a non-profit political action committee.  DFNYC is part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideals espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard Dean. 
2. A Member of DFNYC is someone who has given DFNYC his/her name, address (residential, mailing, and registered), phone number, and email address (if applicable). Members have a voice, but no vote towards DFNYC endorsements.  
3. A Voting Member of DFNYC is a Member who has participated in three DFNYC meetings, events or actions each year. Each Voting Member will have one vote towards DFNYC endorsements.
4. An Active Member of DFNYC is a voting member who actively participates in DFNYC organizing, events, actions, and activities.
5. An Early Endorsement is an endorsement of an Active Member of DFNYC who is seeking office. Early endorsements are designed to allow DFNYC to provide early support to candidates who run from within the organization and who have demonstrated a commitment to DFNYC and to the ideals espoused by its members. 

Early Endorsement Candidate Requirements: 

1. All New York City, New York State, and federal candidates running in a district within the five boroughs of New York City who have filed to run for office and wish to be considered for early endorsement by DFNYC must: a. be an Active Member of DFNYC; and b. be recommended by the DFNYC Executive Board for early endorsement; and c. be supported by 75%  of the DFNYC Organizing Committee for early endorsement 
2. DFNYC will make good faith efforts to inform all members about the positions and background of the candidates recommend to early endorsement.  These efforts may include by are not limited to: posting a page with information about the candidate on the DFNYC web site, including a statement from the candidate or from a DFNYC member in support of the candidate in the DFNYC newsletter, posting a video message from the candidate, and inviting the candidate to speak a public events sponsored by DFNYC. 
3. DFNYC candidate web pages will feature a link to the candidate’s official campaign website (when available). DFNYC candidate web pages will also contain information on how those visiting a particular page can volunteer for that candidate’s campaign, provided this information is supplied to DFNYC by the candidate or candidate’s campaign. 

DFNYC Voting Process for Early Endorsements:

1. Voting to endorse a candidate or candidates early will be initiated based on a recommendation from the DFNYC Executive Board and support from 75% of the DFNYC Organizing Committee (“call to vote”).  If the candidate is an Executive Board and/or Organizing Committee member, he or she will recuse him or herself from participating in the recommendation and selection process.
2. A call to vote will be announced via the DFNYC email newsletter and DFNYC website, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet. 
3. Voting Members will able vote yes or no on the recommendation for early endorsement.  Each voting member will be able to select from the following voting options as they become available: on-line voting through a voter verifiable system; in-person voting by paper ballot; or voting by a mail-in paper ballot. At least two of these options will be available for all candidate endorsement votes.  
4. A candidate will be endorsed by DFNYC if he or she receives 60% or greater yes votes and a significant number of ballots are cast.  
5. If a candidate does not receive 60% or greater yes votes, the candidate will not receive an early endorsement.  The candidate will remain eligible for regular endorsements following the DFNYC Candidate Endorsement Rules. 
6. Voting results will be published on the DFNYC website and in the DFNYC email newsletter, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet. 

DFNYC Endorsed Candidates:

1. DFNYC early endorsements will be announced to the local media via a media advisory. 
2. DFNYC early endorsements will be announced to DFNYC members via a posting on the DFNYC website, an announcement in the DFNYC email newsletter, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet.
3. DFNYC will not promote a candidate fundraiser for or give funds to a candidate in a New York Citydistrict in a contested primary in which DFNYC has not made an endorsement. DFNYC will not promote a candidate fundraiser for or give funds to any candidate in a district outside of NYC in a contested primary who is does not have the support of a local DFA Coalition group provided one exists in the district and that the group is or intents to be active in the race. 
4. After the DFNYC early endorsement process is complete, the DFNYC website will continue to list each candidate in who has filed to run for the given office and will list new candidates as their information becomes available. All candidate pages will remain active until the election is over or the candidate drops out, regardless of endorsement results. 
5. DFNYC Members are always free to work or volunteer for any candidate of their choosing. 

Auditing the Vote:

1. Any candidate on the endorsement ballot or member of DFNYC may request an audit of the vote. 
2. The DFNYC Executive Board will review the request for a vote audit. All reasonable requests for a vote audit will be granted.
3. A vote audit may consist of, but is not limited to: a. a recount of all ballots cast at which a representative of each of the candidates in question and the party(s) who requested the audit must be present; and b. an investigation into any issues involved in the voting process 

Withdrawing an Endorsement

1. Any member of DFNYC may request a withdrawal of a vote for any of the following reasons: a. the endorsed candidate through words or actions demonstrates ideals which are inconsistent with those of DFNYC b. the endorsed candidate through words or actions demonstrates unethical behavior which is inconsistent with the ethical standards of DFNYC c. the endorsed candidate drops out of the race
2. The DFNYC Executive Board will review the requests for an endorsement withdrawal. If the request is reasonable and meets the criteria listed above for the withdrawal of an endorsement a call to vote will be issued. 
3. A call to vote will be announced via the DFNYC email newsletter and DFNYC website, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet. 
4. Voting Members will be able to select from the following voting options as they become available: on-line voting through a voter verifiable system; in-person voting by paper ballot; or voting by a mail-in paper ballot. At least two of these options will be available for all candidate endorsement votes.  
5. A DFNYC candidate endorsement will be withdrawn if 60% of the ballots are cast in favor of a withdrawal and a significant number of ballots are cast. 
6. A new endorsement vote may be called at a later date following the same rules as the first vote.