CENTRAL COMMITTEES/COUNTY COUNCIL RULES

Updated November 2003

 

QUALIFIED POLITICAL PARTIES – COMMITTEES & COUNCILS
  • Democratic Party Central Committee (§7200 et.al)
  • Republican Party Central Committee (§7400 et.al)
  • American Independent Party Central Committee (§7650 et.al)
  • Peace and Freedom Party Central Committee (§7750 et.al.)
  • Libertarian Party Central Committee (follows Peace & Freedom Code §7750 et.al)
  • Green Party County Council (follows some of Peace & Freedom Code & own bylaws)
  • Natural Law Party Central Committee (follows Peace & Freedom Code)

Contact Information:

AMERICAN INDEPENDENT PARTY
Jim King, State Chairperson
 444 West 33nd St.
San Bernardino, CA 92405
Tel: (909)553-8113
Web Site: http://www.aipca.org

DEMOCRATIC PARTY
Art Torres, State Chairperson
1401 21st Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95814-5221
Tel: (916) 442-5707
FAX: (916) 442-5715
E-Mail: info@ca-dem.org
Web Site: http://www.ca-dem.org/

GREEN PARTY
Betty L. Traynor, Liaison
P.O. Box 2828
Sacramento, CA 95812
Tel: (916) 448-3437
E-Mail: gpca@greens.org
Web Site: http://www.cagreens.org

LIBERTARIAN PARTY
Aaron Starr, State Chairperson
14547 Titus Street, Suite 214
Panorama City, CA 91402-4935
Tel: (818) 782-8400
FAX: (818) 782-8488
E-Mail: office@ca.lp.org
Web Site: http://www.ca.lp.org

NATURAL LAW PARTY
Judy Barath-Black, State Chairperson
P.O. Box 50843
Palo Alto, CA 94303
Tel: (831) 425-7405
FAX: (831) 427-9230
E-Mail: nlpca@aol.com
Web Site: http://www.natural-law.org

PEACE AND FREEDOM PARTY
Kevin Akin, Chairperson
20212 Harvard Way
Riverside, CA 92507
Tel: (909) 787-0318
E-Mail: kevinakin1950@hotmail.com
Web Site: http://www.peaceandfreedom.org

REPUBLICAN PARTY
George "Duf" Sundheim, State Chairperson
1903 West Magnolia Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91506
Tel: (818) 841-5210
FAX: (818) 841-6668
E-Mail: chairman@cagop.org
Web Site: http://www.cagop.org

HOW TO QUALIFY A NEW POLITICAL PARTY:

 

Qualified political parties are entitled to have candidates identified with that political party standing for partisan offices on the ballot. In order for a party to have such identified candidates, that party must have already qualified to participate in the primary election or, if not qualified, must have completed all the qualification requirements by the 135th day (October 24, 2003 – actual deadline falls on a weekend, so it is moved to the next business day) before the next following primary election (March 2, 2004).

Political bodies can qualify by registration or by petition for the 2004 Primary election. The number of registrants or petition signers is based on a percentage of the number of persons (7,738,821) who voted at the November 5, 2002 General Election.

To qualify a new political party by registration requires that 77,389 persons (one percent) complete an affidavit of registration, on which they have written in the proposed party name as the party they affiliate with. These affidavits of registration must be completed and mailed in by the 154th day before the primary election, which is September 30, 2003.

To qualify a new political party by petition requires that 773,883 persons (ten percent) sign a petition seeking the inclusion of the proposed party in the party nominating process at the March 2, 2004 Primary election. These petitions must be filed with the several counties by the proponent in such time that the counties verify the signatures and certify the counts to the Secretary of State who certifies the proposed party’s qualification not later than the 135th day before the primary election.

A process, allowing political bodies to become political parties, is contained in Division 5 of the Elections Code. To begin the process of qualifying, a political body should follow the procedure described in Sections 5001 through 5003 of the California Elections Code.

Parties currently attempting to qualify for the March 2004 Primary:

v Pot Party

v Reform Party

Recent History of Disqualifications:

In recent history, the Peace & Freedom Party was disqualified as a political party eligible to participate in the March 2000 Primary because at the November 1998 gubernatorial general election none of the Peace and Freedom Party candidates received at least 2 percent of the entire vote of the state. The party requalified after the February 10, 2003 Secretary of State Report of Registration because the party had 79,462 registered voters.

The Reform Party was disqualified as a political party eligible to participate in the March 2004 Primary because at the November 2002 general election none of the Reform Party candidates received at least 2 percent of the entire vote of the state. The party is attempting to qualify for the March Primary. The party must obtain the required number of registered voters (77,389) or signatures required for petition (773,883) affiliating with their party by the deadlines provided above in order to participate in the March 4, 2004 Primary. (Elec. Code §5100)

EXTENSION FOR FILING:

There is no extension for Central Committees or County Council (§8020, 8024).The deadline for filing for office is 88 days before the election.

While the code specifically calls for a 5-day extension for some offices should the incumbent not file for office, there is no such code section calling for an extension of central committee or county council offices. Therefore nominations will close on December 5, 2003

CONDITIONS FOR CONTEST TO APPEAR ON BALLOT:

DEMOCRATIC

 Candidates do not appear on the ballot unless there is a sufficient number of candidates to cause a contested race. Or, if there is an insufficient number of candidates, voters may by E-68 submit a petition signed by 25 qualified voters to run a write-in campaign. In that case, the contest would appear on the ballot. In-lieu of an election, the Board of Supervisors shall declare the candidates for central committee elected. (§7228, 7423, 7673, 7772.).
REPUBLICAN
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT
LIBERTARIAN
GREEN
NATURAL LAW
PEACE AND FREEDOM

CONDITIONS FOR CANDIDATE TO APPEAR ON BALLOT:

DEMOCRATIC

 Must file Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Petition with 20 valid signatures for the office of Central Committee. (§7227, 7422, 7672)
REPUBLICAN
AMERICAN INDEPENDENT
GREEN

Must file Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Petition with 20 valid signatures for the office of County Council. No more than 7 candidates may appear on one Nomination Petition. (Pursuant to Green Party County Council rules)
LIBERTARIAN Candidates must do one of the following:

  1. Filed a Declaration of Candidacy and Nomination Petition with 20 valid signatures for the office of Central Committee/County Council. Up to three candidates for member of central committees in a single central committee election district may have their names listed on a single sponsor's certificate, and the signatures thereon shall be counted toward the sponsor requirement of each and every candidate whose name is listed on the certificate. However, in no case shall the number of candidates having their names on a sponsor's certificate exceed the number of members of central committees to be elected in the district (Elections Code §7777); or

  2. Qualified to have her or his name printed on the primary ballot as a candidate for the party nomination to any partisan office. (§7772)

A person qualifying as a candidate for member of central committee by virtue of qualification to have her or his name appear on the primary ballot for any other partisan public office shall have her or his name listed on the ballot for member of central committee only in the central committee election district of her or his residence. Therefore, candidates running for Congress appear on the central committee ballot in their residence county even though they may not reside in the congressional district for which he/she is running. (§7774)
NATURAL LAW
PEACE AND FREEDOM

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS AND OFFICE TERMS:

Office

Jurisdiction

Term

Begins

Qualifications
Central Committees:

  • Republican

  • Democratic

  • American Independent

 County – elected by Supervisorial District 2 years See party code U.S. citizen, resident eligible to vote in the Supervisorial District the candidate seeks to represent. (Elec. Code §7200, 7209, 7242, 7407, 7420, 7443, 7650, 7654, 7670, 7692,8001)
Central Committees

  • Libertarian

  • Natural Law

  • Peace & Freedom

 County – elected at large 2 years See party code U.S. citizen, resident eligible to vote in the county. Candidates who qualify for party nomination to partisan public office will automatically appear on the ballot for central committee. (Elec. Code §7750, 7753, 7882, 8001)
County Council
  • Green
 County – elected at large 2 years See party code U.S. citizen, resident eligible to vote in the county. (Elec. Code §7750, 7753, 7882, 8001)

 

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS:

The elected partisan officials or nominees of the following parties are ex-officio members of the central committee in the county where they reside. (§7207, 7405, 7652):

v Democratic Party

v Republican Party

v American Independent Party

v Green Party

[ Election's Home Page ] [ E-Mail ] [ Back to Top of this Page ] [ Call Us ]