37th District Democrats

Endorsement Rules

Please note: On April 11, 2022, the membership of the 37th LD Democrats approved adoption of updated endorsement rules. Those rules are posted below. They differ from the previous rules in some important particulars. First, it will now be possible to rank candidates in order of preference. Second, there will now be a 2-day voting window. (That is, it will no longer be necessary to complete voting during the endorsement meeting itself.) These changes will reduce voting time during meetings and will increase the inclusivity of the voting process.

Information for Candidates

  • Are you a candidate for elected office?
  • Does the office you’re seeking represent at least one precinct in the 37th Legislative District?
  • Are you a Democrat (judicial candidates excepted)?

If you can answer Yes to all three of these questions then you are eligible to seek our endorsement. There must be at least two members willing to put forward a motion to endorse you as a candidate.

Please fill out the appropriate King County Democrats questionnaire. If you have filled out a questionnaire for the KC Democrats, please email the same questionnaire to info@37dems.org.

We do the best to inform our members to make their own decisions as to who to endorse. As a result of this policy, we aim to give our members as much information as possible about every candidate by publishing all KCDCC questionnaires that are sent to us. If you do not wish to have your KCDCC questionnaire published, please indicate that when you email us your questionnaire.

Information for Members

Below are our current standing rules for endorsement, please familiarize yourself with these rules. Want to check if you’re eligible to vote? Look for your name on our members list. If you have any questions please contact us at info@37dems.org

Standing Rules for Endorsements by the 37th District Democrats

Adopted April 11, 2022

  1. Member Certification:
    • PCOs and members who were elected, appointed, or have paid dues at least 25 days prior to Endorsement Meeting are eligible to vote on endorsements.
    • The treasurer and members of the Endorsement and Tally Committee will check-in the members eligible to vote.
    • Each eligible member will receive one or more of the following: a distinguishable voting card, or a unique online credential.
  2. Endorsement and Tally Committee
    • An Endorsement and Tally Committee shall be formed.
    • A member of the Executive Board appointed by the District Chair shall be the Chair of the Endorsement and Tally Committee, and its members shall be such volunteers from the membership as are appointed by the District Chair; who shall make all reasonable attempts to have a diverse committee.
    • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall meet in advance of any meeting where endorsements are to be considered in order to perform their initial duties.
    • The duties of the Endorsement and Tally Committee are:
      • To prepare ballots and voting mechanisms prior to any meeting where endorsements are to be considered;
      • To determine which candidates, if any, who have filed for a given office are ineligible for endorsement by the 37th Legislative District Democrats;
      • To ensure members receive information about all candidates eligible for endorsement by the 37th District Democrats prior to the endorsement meeting;
      • To provide technical assistance to members during the voting period;
      • To tabulate all ballots;
      • To convene a meeting at 8 p.m. the Wednesday following the endorsement meeting at which the results of the vote will be shared with representatives from any campaigns who wish to review the results; and
      • To publish the outcome of the elections from the endorsement meeting by 11 p.m. the Wednesday following the endorsement meeting.
  1. Endorsements of Candidates
    • Eligibility
      • A candidate is eligible for endorsement only upon a member’s motion to endorse that candidate and another member’s second of that motion.
      • A member’s motion and another member’s second is required for No Endorsement to appear on the ballot.
      • With the exception of judicial candidates, all candidates moved and seconded by members shall be eligible provided they declare in writing that they are a Democrat. An option is to have a completed KCDCC Candidate Questionnaire on file with the KCDCC declaring themselves to be Democrats.
      • The Chair shall not close the floor to motions in a given race until they have called for motions a minimum of three (3) times without a response from any member.
      • If, in a given race, only one motion for a candidate is made per Section 3.1 then the Chair shall call for an immediate vote, provided no member objects by voice. The vote shall be by show of hands. If, in the Chair’s opinion, the motion receives 60% support then the candidate receives the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats.
    • Statements by Candidates and Members
      • Each candidate (or representative) seeking the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats will be given one minute to make a statement in favor of the motion to endorse his or her candidacy.
      • Questions for candidates are not in order.
      • Voting members may make a 30-second statement in favor of a motion to endorse a candidate, with no more than two members speaking for each candidate. Statements by members shall alternate in the order motions were made.
      • The Executive Committee may by special rule adjust the time allotted for debate on a specific candidate.
    • Voting on Candidates
      • Ballots shall be made available in electronic format and members will have until 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday following the endorsement meeting to submit the electronic ballot, except:
        • A Member may request a printed ballot be provided to them at an in-person meeting, provided that the member must turn in the ballot before leaving the meeting;
        • The Endorsements and Tally Committee shall establish a mechanism for Members to receive technical support relating to accessing and submitting their electronic ballot;
        • For all races in which more than one candidate has been moved for endorsement, ballots will allow members to rank order their preference for candidates, and no endorsement, if no endorsement has been moved; and
        • Members who, because of a disability, need a special accommodation to vote are advised to make the request to the District Chair prior to the endorsement meeting.
      • First Round:
        • The first round of voting shall allow members to rank the moved candidates or No Endorsement, if moved, in their order of preference on their ballots.
        • Members are not required to rank all choices on the ballot.
        • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall tabulate the ballots as follows:
          • The Endorsement Tally Committee shall count the number of first-choice votes for each candidate and for No Endorsement if moved. In the event that one candidate or No Endorsement receives 60% of the first-choice votes, that candidate or No Endorsement shall be declared the endorsed candidate for the 37th District Democrats.
          • In the event no candidate receives 60% of the first-choice votes, the Endorsement and Tally Committee will determine which candidate or candidates received the smallest number of first-choice votes. That candidate or those candidates shall be eliminated. All second-choice votes of those members whose first-choice candidate is eliminated will be reallocated among the remaining choices. If a member’s second choice was eliminated then the Endorsement and Tally Committee will progress through the Member’s choices until they reach an eligible choice or the ballot is exhausted. If a member only made a first-choice selection and their choice was eliminated their ballot is exhausted.
          • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall add the number of reallocated votes for each remaining choice, to the totals received after the first count. After the reallocation, if one candidate or No Endorsement receives 60% of the votes, that candidate or No Endorsement shall be declared the endorsed candidate for the 37th District Democrats.
          • Additional rounds of candidate elimination and reallocation of votes will occur until either a candidate or No Endorsement receives 60% of the vote, or until only two choices remain, whichever occurs first.
        • If, after all rounds of candidate elimination and reallocation of votes, no candidate and No Endorsement fail to receive 60% of the vote, then the two remaining choices shall advance to a second ballot at the following meeting.
        • By 11 p.m. of the Wednesday following the endorsement meeting, the Endorsement and Tally Committee shall post and announce the results and indicate which, if any, candidate received 60% of the ballots cast, and that candidate shall receive the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats. If no candidate has received the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats a second ballot shall be cast.
  • Second Round:
    • If, in a given race, after the first ballot, a second ballot is required then, at the subsequent meeting of the 37th LD Democrats, members who were eligible to vote in the first round will have the opportunity to cast a second ballot.
    • On the Second Ballot the two remaining choices of the final tally of the First Ballot shall be listed. Additionally, an option of a dual endorsement shall be listed provided the choices on the second ballot are both candidates. If No Endorsement is one of the two choices on the Second ballot then only No Endorsement and the other remaining choice shall only appear on the ballot.
    • Another round of debate will occur, and members may participate as provided by Section 3.4, except that the Chair shall give preference to members who did not speak at the previous meeting.
    • Members shall rank the choices on the second ballot in their order of preference.
    • Members are not required to rank all choices on the second ballot.
    • Voting shall proceed as required by Section 3.3.2 of these standing rules.
    • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall tabulate the ballots in the same manner as required by section 3.3.2.3 of these standing rules.
    • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall post and announce the results and indicate which, if any, choice on the second ballot has received 60% of the final tally, and that candidate shall receive the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats. If no choice on the second ballot has received 60% of the tally, the 37th District Democrats shall not endorse a candidate for that office and will list our position as “No Consensus Achieved” on any materials.
  • Suspension of Rules
    • Motions to suspend these rules in an effort to put forth a motion to endorse a candidate or combination of candidates not included in the Second Round of voting shall be out of order.
  1. Endorsements of Ballot Measures
    • Eligibility
      • The Chair shall call, in sequence, for a motion in favor of the ballot measure, a motion opposing the ballot measure, and a motion for “No Position” of a ballot measure.
      • If only one motion on a ballot measure is made per Section 4.1 then the Chair shall call for an immediate vote, provided no member objects by voice. The vote shall be by show of hands. If, in the Chair’s opinion, the motion receives 60% support then the moved position receives the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats.
    • Statements by Representatives and Members
      • Each representative of a moved position on a ballot measure seeking the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats will be given one minute to make a statement in favor of the motion to endorse their position on the ballot measure.
      • Questions for representatives are not in order
      • Members may make a 30-second statement in favor of the ballot measure, opposing the ballot measure, or for “No Position” of the ballot measure, with no more than three members speaking in turn (F/A/NP/F/A/NP/F/A/NP), provided a motion for that position on the ballot measure was made.
      • The Endorsement and Tally Committee may by special rule adjust the time allotted for debate on a specific ballot measure.
    • Voting on Ballot Measures
      • Voting shall not commence until all motions and statements of representatives and members are complete.
      • All ballot measures shall have the title of the measure and a brief explanation of the measure listed in print if it is feasible to do so.
      • Ballots shall be made available in electronic format and members will have until 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday following the endorsement meeting to submit the electronic ballot, except:.
        • A Member may request a printed ballot be provided to them at an in-person meeting, provided that the member must turn in the ballot before leaving the meeting.
        • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall establish a mechanism for Members to get technical support relating to accessing and submitting their electronic ballot.
        • Members who, because of a disability, need a special accommodation to vote are advised to make the request to the chair prior to the endorsement meeting.
      • First Round:
        • In the first round Members shall vote to endorse only a single moved position.
        • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall post and announce the results and indicate which, if any, moved position received 60% of the ballots cast, and that moved position shall receive the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats. If no moved position has received the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats a second ballot shall be cast.
      • Second Round:
        • If a second ballot is required then, at the subsequent meeting of the 37th LD Democrats, Members who were eligible to vote in the first round shall cast a second ballot.
        • Members shall vote for only moved positions receiving the top two vote totals, including ties, all other moved positions are eliminated.
        • Another round of debate will occur, and members participate as provided by Section 4.3, except that the Chair shall give preference to members who did not speak at the previous meeting.
        • Voting shall proceed as described in Sections 4.3.3 and 4.3.4.
        • The Endorsement and Tally Committee shall post and announce the results and indicate which, if any, moved position has received 60% of the ballots cast, and that moved position shall receive the endorsement of the 37th District Democrats. If no moved position receives 60% support, the 37th District Democrats shall not endorse any position on that ballot measure and will list our position as “No Consensus Achieved” on any materials.
      • Suspension of Rules
        • Motions to suspend these rules in an effort to put forth a motion not made pursuant to Section 4.1 shall be out of order.