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For discussion:Article III, section 1 of the bylaws shall be amended to read:A Green Local must agree to:
- Accept the Ten Key Values and to manage the chapter in accordance with those values.
- Abide by the bylaws of the Green Party of Colorado.
- Openly support only the national candidates selected by Green convention, state level candidates nominated at a Green Party of Colorado nominating convention, and local candidates selected with the criteria specified in sections 4.5.4 and 4.5.5 of these bylaws.
- Make a good faith effort, where reasonable, to increase the number of Green voter registrations within the boundaries of their chapter.
- Make a good faith effort to run state and local candidates.
- Make a good faith effort to increase the number of qualified voting members within their chapter.
- Make a good faith effort to fundraise for the operation of their chapter and to assist in the operation of the Green Party of Colorado.
- Demonstrate evidence of commitment to, and good faith efforts to achieve, gender balance in party leadership and representation.
- Demonstrate evidence of good faith efforts to empower individuals and groups from oppressed communities, through, for example, leadership responsibilities, identity caucuses and alliances with community-based organizations, and endorsements of issues and policies.
Chapter officers and council representatives must not have been registered as a member of a political party other than the Green Party of Colorado for at least thirty days before nomination and must maintain registration as a Green Party of Colorado voter throughout the duration of the officer's/representative's term.A Green local must present its proposed bylaws for approval, and be approved by 60% of the voting Greens at a state party meeting, or by the state council.
Some background: at present, our bylaws language places more party affiliation requirements on candidates seeking nomination than on the chapter itself. This language is intended to align the two issues.Thank you for your comments.I have no objection to adding good faith efforts to run candidates, fund raise, achieve gender balance, empower oppressed communities, and increase Green registrations to a chapter's responsibilities. And I accept the requirement that Green candidates and Green Party officials be registered as Green Party affiliates.But there is still a requirement in the bylaws in Article III, section 2 that members of the Colorado Green Party who are not officers or running for public office must register with the Colorado Secretary of State as Green Party affiliates. This requirement disenfranchises voters who subscribe to the Ten Key Values and would work in the Green Party to work for a "Green" society, but also want an opportunity to cast a primary election ballot. (Note: In Boulder County, the only meaningful partisan election is the Democratic Party primary. It doesn't seem fair to ask a voter not to vote, in order to associate with the Green Party.)So, I propose this addition to the proposed amendment:
Article III, section 2 of the bylaws shall be amended to read:Membership in the Green Party of Colorado is open to anyone regardless of sexual orientation, race, national origin, religion, etc. A member shall subscribe to the Ten Key Values
and be registered with the state of Colorado as affiliated with the Green Party of Colorado and maintain that registration. Members of a Green local may vote on state issues at general state meetings and may serve on the Council.Rationale for Opening the Green Party:Colorado election law systematically and unfairly discriminates against the Green Party (and other minor parties) and makes a large increase in Green Party affiliations highly unlikely. In Boulder County, which has elected only Democrats to office for several years, the ONLY meaningful election is the Democratic Party primary election. It hardly seems reasonable to ask a voter to forego their only chance to cast a meaningful ballot, in order to join the Green Party. In strong Republican districts the problem is reversed, with only the Republican Party primary being meaningful. Colorado's closed primary system forces Boulder County voters who want their vote to have any impact to register Democrat (for at least one day). How is the Green Party supposed to grow in an environment of closed primaries and one-sided (D or R) districts where only the primary election matters? The Green Party should become an inclusive party; should open up. We want to attract people who will work towards a "Green" society as represented by the Ten Key Values. If we require our members to un-affiliate from all other political parties, we will not grow - the election system works against us. Greens must resist the dictates of Colorado election law, written by Democrats and Republicans to establish and maintain two-party control of government. Playing by their rules only strengthens the divisive, exclusionary, closed two-party system the Green Party wants to displace. There is every reason for the Green Party of Colorado to embrace people who want a "Green" society as represented by the Ten Key Values, as full members.
How did your attempt to change Boulder's bylaws to do the same go, Harry?
Greater Boulder Greens did not consider bylaws changes at its August meeting, due to more pressing issues.Its just as well, I think, because opening up the party will be better discussed at the state party level.
Let me kick this scenario out to you.Let's say you elected a Boulder County Commissioner from the Green Party. Let's say that elected commissioner had to step down from office for whatever reason, triggering a vacancy committee election.C.R.S. 1-12-206, paragraph 2 states:
If the vacating commissioner was elected by the electors of the whole county, whether at large or from a district, the successor shall be appointed by a vacancy committee constituted of those persons selected at the county central committee organizational meeting of the same political party as the vacating commissioner.
Let's say the Boulder chapter's membership is now majority non-Greens.Then what?
Let's say the Boulder chapter's membership is now majority non-Greens. Then what?
The entire membership would be Greens, having pledged their support of the 10 Key Values and committing to act based on those values.Just because someone (other than a party officer or a candidate) tells the Colorado Secretary of State they want to exercise their right vote in a Democratic or Republican primary, doesn't mean they aren't Green.Remove the barriers to participation in the Green Party.
But the state law says they have to actually be registered to vote as Greens, not be part of some environmental affinity group. Can you explain what problem you're having that you think your change would solve?
I would have to agree with Andrea on this point for sure, pledging allegiance to the 10KV certainly isn't enough in the eyes of state law, and certainly not for me. I'd much rather not leave our party open to the possibility of such ideological dilution.
Harry, I think that amendment would set a bad precedent and sends the message that we're more of a social club or a caucus within the Democratic Party than a separate political party that actually intends to win elections. I also take issue with the idea that voting for a Democrat anywhere would ever be the “only meaningful vote.” In my view, registering Green in those places is even more important if we're ever going to offer a viable alternative to the two major parties. How can we ask rank and file voters to register (or even vote) Green if we won't do it ourselves and in fact believe that their only meaningful vote is for which Democrat should run for office?
So would the Democrats support non-Dems in their local/state offices? We know already they don't support non-Dems for candidates, right? We should conduct ourselves as a political party, independent of other political parties. If someone truly cares about who we are and what we do, what our vision is, there shouldn't be an issue with being a Green if they are going to serve in a role responsible for helping grow the Green Party of Colorado.
Thanks for all your commentary on party affiliation. I'll try to respond to all the comments here:
But the state law says they have to actually be registered to vote as Greens
To be clear, state law says they have to actually be registered as Greens to vote IN A GREEN PARTY PRIMARY ELECTION.Under Colorado's closed primary system, the Colorado secretary of state must prevent a voter from receiving ballots for more than one party in a primary election. Until the Green Party of Colorado has a primary election, there is no legal incentive for a voter to register as a Green. Voter affiliation is irrelevant in general elections. [You will remember we tried to create a Green Party primary election in 2014 with Bill Bartlett and I contesting for the gubernatorial nomination, until Bill had to drop out.]
pledging allegiance to the 10KV certainly isn't enough in the eyes of state law. . . . I'd much rather not leave our party open to the possibility of such ideological dilution.
The state does nothing to protect the Green Party's ideological purity. State law does not care about a voters ideology, pledges of allegiance or the 10KV. Any registered voter can affiliate with any political party, anytime, with no questions asked by the state. The only thing the secretary of state cares about is who to send primary election ballots to. Each political party sets its own membership rules.
I . . . take issue with the idea that voting for a Democrat anywhere would ever be the "only meaningful vote."
Let me explain. Boulder County is a safe district for Democrats. All public officials elected in Boulder County are Democrats and this has been true for a long time. People who vote in the Democratic primary in Boulder effectively decide the winner of the general election. The outcome of the general election (for county offices and Colorado legislators) is a foregone conclusion. That is why the Democratic primary is the only meaningful election in Boulder County.
registering Green in those places [safe districts] is even more important if we're ever going to offer a viable alternative to the two major parties.
Green candidates in Colorado typically receive about 3 times as many votes as there are registered Greens. Having more registered Greens doesn't necessarily mean Green candidates will get more votes.We are playing in an unfair election system. I believe Green candidates will become viable only when we have a fair election system. A fair election system must use a voting method, such as ranked choice voting, that works when more than two candidates are on the ballot. A fair election system must allow candidates without financial resources to speak and be heard by the electorate. We need publicly-funded election campaigns.The Green Party platform calls for replacement of the party primary system with instantaneous run-off voting. In my view, IRV with ranked choice voting is the best hope for Green Party candidates to become viable. This is why my first passion is reforming Colorado Election law.
We know already they [the Democratic Party] don't support non-Dems for candidates, right?
It depends on the meaning of "support".In terms of party nominations, a party can only nominate a candidate affiliated with its own party. Two parties cannot nominate the same candidate because, under Colorado's closed primary system, a person cannot affiliate with more than one party. [Several states have no concept of party affiliation in their election system. Of course, they don't use a closed primary system like Colorado's.]In terms of voting in a general election, Democrats gave great support to Martin Wirth (G) in his race for CO SD2. Martin got 27% of the vote, if I remember correctly. Democrats chose not to run a candidate against Martin and the Republican candidate.
If someone truly cares about who we are and what we do, what our vision is, there shouldn't be an issue with being a Green if they are going to serve in a role responsible for helping grow the Green Party of Colorado.
First, I think I agree with this quote. I am agreeing with the part of the proposal that requires party officers and council to maintain their Green affiliation. Second, for rank-and-file Greens (not officers or council) if someone truly cares about who we are and what we do, what our vision is, there shouldn't be an issue with voting in another party's primary election if the Green Party has no primary.This is why I'm asking to amend section 3.2.
All a rank and file member needs to do is simply register and re-register. But officers and chapters have a different responsibility.
All a rank and file member needs to do is simply register and re-register. But officers and chapters have a different responsibility.
I agree with your quote and I think we are on the same page. Would you be willing to add text to this bylaws proposal to allow members to vote in other party's primary elections? I think this text would would work:
Article III, section 2 of the bylaws shall be amended to read:Membership in the Green Party of Colorado is open to anyone regardless of sexual orientation, race, national origin, religion, etc. A member shall subscribe to the Ten Key Values
and be registered with the state of Colorado as affiliated with the Green Party of Colorado and maintain that registration. Members of a Green local may vote on state issues at general state meetings and may serve on the Council.Thanks for asking, Harry, but no. Rank-and-file voters are free to do as they wish, but to cast votes regarding the direction of a chapter's growth and goals takes a different level of commitment. And voting in another primary takes a change in voter affiliation in Colorado.
"Members of a Green local may vote on state issues at general state meetings and may serve on the Council."
Why would we let non-Greens have a say in the way we run our party? Our raison d'etre is to build a different way from the duopoly. Can you see how allowing registered members of the duopoly dictate how we strengthen our party, ultimately serves to weaken it? What motivation would there be to vote according to the needs of the Green Party of Colorado? Doesn't that open us up to sabotage, much the way saboteurs infect primaries in open primary states?If you can show me where the Democrats and/or Republicans allow non-affiliated persons to cast votes in their central committees, to vote on such material issues as bylaws or officers (for example), then I might be swayed.Absent that, with all due respect, I cannot entertain such an amendment.
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