Dash Kostka for UDems Parliamentarian

CONSTITUTION OF THE UNIVERSITY DEMOCRATS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN

Article 1, Article 2, Article 3

ARTICLE I – NAME

The name of this organization is “University Democrats at the University of Texas at Austin,” abbreviated “University Democrats”, or “UDems.”

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The object of this organization is to influence elections; to promote the ideals of the Democratic Party; to educate the community and promote civic engagement; to advocate for issues concerning students, the Austin community, and the Democratic Party at all levels of government; to serve the community through volunteering; and to accept political contributions and make political expenditures in furtherance of these goals.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

§ 3.1. ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP.

(a) Each student, faculty member, or staff member at The University of Texas at Austin is eligible to be a member of UDems.

(b) In accordance with Sec. 6-202(a)(2) and Sec. 6-302 of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities, this organization restricts membership to students, faculty members, and staff members of the University.

§ 3.2. ENROLLMENT IN MEMBERSHIP.

(a) A person becomes a member for a particular semester by paying dues of $5 to that semester’s Treasurer and submitting to the Treasurer their name, their mailing address, and a pledge to support the Democratic Party. The person may also request that their information not be distributed.

(b) A person who has been expelled may again become a member only if readmitted under Article X.

(c) A member lacks the right to make a motion or vote until said member has attended two regular meetings or attended supplemental events as designated by the UDLC.

§ 3.3. TERM OF MEMBERSHIP.

Membership is per semester, and expires at midnight after the first regular meeting of the following semester unless terminated early or renewed. A member who is not an officer may cancel their membership in writing to the Treasurer, and a member who is an officer may cancel their membership by distributing their cancellation to all members; the cancellation takes effect immediately and does not need to be accepted.

§ 3.4. MEMBERSHIP LIST.

(a) The Treasurer keeps the list of members and the information each member provided upon enrollment.

(b) The Treasurer may distribute the names of all members who opt in to anyone in UDems or others approved by a majority of UDLC.

(c) Except as this subsection otherwise provides, the Treasurer may not distribute any other membership information, even to other officers. The Treasurer must provide information under §3.5. UDLC may by two-thirds vote allow or require the Treasurer to distribute a member’s information, unless the member requested that their information not be distributed.

§ 3.5. JOINT MEMBERSHIP.

The Treasurer must give Austin Young Democrats the information they need in order to recognize all UDems members as their own, including for members who requested that their information not be distributed. The Treasurer may give this information at any time and must give it on request of Austin Young Democrats.

§ 3.6. CHAT ROOM.

(a) The Vice President must administer a chat room or similar service accessible only to members and students eligible for membership. The President and Secretary General will also have administrative status in this chatroom, but the Vice President will still hold primary responsibility.

(b) The Vice President must create a procedure for any member to officially distribute material through the chat room. Any member may use this procedure if the rules require them to distribute something to all members.

(c) The Vice President must ensure that every member receives everything distributed through the procedure, even if a member is banned from the chat room.

§ 3.7. ELIGIBILITY OF MEMBERSHIP.

In accordance with Sec. 6-202(a)(3) of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities, this organization may not deny membership on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, except that a registered student organization created primarily for religious purposes may restrict the right to vote or hold office to persons who subscribe to the registered student organization’s statement of faith; and a registered student organization may restrict membership based on the provisions of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS AND APPOINTEES

§ 4.1. OFFICERS.

The officers of UDems, in order of precedence, are the:

(1) President;

(2) Vice President;

(3) Communications Director;

(4) Secretary General;

(5) Treasurer;

(6) Campus Director;

(7) Parliamentarian;

(8) Membership Director; and

(9) Member-at-Large.

Their duties are as prescribed by this Constitution, and the duties of the President, Vice President, Secretary (General), and Parliamentarian are also as prescribed by the parliamentary authority.

§ 4.2. ELIGIBILITY TO BE AN OFFICER.

(a) Each officer must be a member of UDems.

(b) No person may hold multiple officer positions at once, excluding positions to which the person was appointed by UDLC to fill a vacancy.

§ 4.3. NOMINATIONS.

(a) Officer nominations are taken at the last two regular meetings of each semester. Nominations do not require a second, and a person need not be present to be nominated. Self-nominations are allowed. Existing UDLC officers may neither endorse nor nominate candidates for the UDLC board unless they are nominating themselves. Additionally, candidates for UDLC may not solicit endorsements from elected officials. At the last regular meeting, each officer is elected before nominees for the next office are taken. An absentee may only be nominated if the nominator presents, at the time of nomination, proof that the nominee consents to their nomination.

(b) The Secretary General must record each nominee and, after the first nomination period, must distribute the list of nominees to all members.

(c) Each nominee must be eligible for office. At each election, a person may only be nominated for one office, except that a person who has been defeated for exactly one office may be nominated for one other down-ballot office.

(d) Until a candidate for their position is elected, a nominee may orally withdraw at any time during a meeting, including immediately after being nominated. A person who withdraws is not a nominee. A nominee may only withdraw orally at a meeting. A nominee who withdraws is not considered to have been defeated under Subsection (c), unless there is a tiebreaker vote and the nominee withdraws after the initial vote.

§ 4.4. ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

(a) Officers are elected by instant-runoff ballot with absentee voting, except that a sole nominee may be elected by acclamation if there is no objection and no accepted absentee ballot favoring another person. The election threshold is a majority. They serve for a term of one semester, including any preceding summer session, and until their successors are elected, and officers elected at the last regular meeting of the semester take office at noon the day before the UT Austin official graduation date for the semester. They may be removed through impeachment proceedings as provided by this Constitution. If the election has no result, there is another vote.

(b) (i) For elections of the Member-at-Large, all incumbent UDLC members shall be ineligible to vote.

(ii) Except for the presiding officer, the Parliamentarian, and any candidates for Member-at-Large, incumbent UDLC members cannot participate in elections for Member-at-Large and must be removed from the room immediately after the presiding officer closes nominations. They may not return until all ballots have been submitted and tabulation has begun.

(iii) Absentee ballots shall be permitted, but it shall be the responsibility of the presiding officer to ensure no absentee ballot cast by an incumbent UDLC member is valid for the election of Member-at-Large.

(c) At officer elections, the presiding officer has exclusive power to recognize speakers and set time limits, but the membership may modify time limits as provided in the parliamentary authority.

(d) (i) If the presiding officer is a candidate for any UDLC position, the current board will decide by a two-thirds vote ahead of time who will preside over their election only.

(ii) If the Parliamentarian is a candidate for any UDLC position, they shall have no rule-enforcement powers during that election; that responsibility shall lie with the presiding officer.

(e) The tellers (ballot-counters appointed by the presiding officer) must inform the presiding officer of the votes received by each candidate; the presiding officer must then announce the result. The Secretary General must keep the election results for one year after the election and make them available to any member who asks.

(f) During the transition meeting each newly elected officer must take the Oath of Office led by the outgoing president. The oath of the office will be the following: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of (Position) to the best of my ability.” During the transition meeting the President, Vice President, and Secretary General must also transfer logins and admin status to all electronic resources including but not limited to email accounts, Slack admin access, and Hornslink admin access.

§ 4.5. VACANCIES.

(a) An officer may resign by distributing their resignation to the UDLC. The resignation takes effect immediately and does not need to be accepted.

(b) In the case of resignation, an acting officer may be appointed by the President or Acting President.

(c) A vacancy created before April 1 in a spring semester, or November 1 in a fall semester, is filled by special election. The first nomination period is at the first regular meeting no earlier than the day after the vacancy is created. At the following regular meeting, the special election is held under the same procedures as the regular election. The election takes effect at the close of the meeting.

(d) A vacancy that is not filled by special election is filled by majority vote of UDLC. The appointment takes effect immediately when the appointee is informed of it unless the appointee declines. The appointee may already be an officer. The appointment may not be rescinded except through the same process used to remove an elected officer.

(e) If there is a vacancy in the office of President but not Vice President, the Vice President immediately becomes President. There is then a vacancy in the office of Vice President, which is filled as provided by this section. Should the Vice President decline, the next able and willing officer in order of precedence becomes the acting president until a special election can be called. The ascending officer holds both seats during this time. Should the acting president or other officer run in the special election for president, they must resign the lower office at least seven days in advance to allow nominations for that office on the same day as the nominations for President. During this time, the remaining members of UDLC are responsible for duties of all vacant offices. A defeated candidate may down-ballot as provided by §4.3.

(f) Should a vacancy fall upon the office of President and Vice President, the same procedure as Subsection (e) remains but the office of the Vice President remains vacant until a special election could fill that seat.

§ 4.6. LEAVES OF ABSENCE.

An officer may take a leave of absence not exceeding 21 days. If the 21 days elapse, then the officer is resigned. Upon the occasion of a leave of absence, the vacating officer may appoint an officer to fill the vacated post until the next UDLC meeting. If the absent officer is unable or unwilling to appoint such a person, this duty shall fall to the President. At the next UDLC meeting, the board must vote to confirm a member of UDems to fulfill the duties of the vacating officer until the next UDLC meeting. Such a vote must be taken at each UDLC meeting until the vacating officer is once again able to fulfill the duties of the office, or resigns.

§ 4.7. LIAISING AND CHARTERING.

(a) The President is ultimately responsible for liaising with all external and on campus organizations.

(b) The President must also maintain the registration of UDems as a registered student organization at UT Austin and a chapter of any other desired parent organization, and must manage the organization’s HornsLink. The Secretary General must be familiar with the rules of UT Austin and all parent organizations and advise members on compliance with them.

§ 4.8. FINANCE.

(a) Immediately after entering office, the Treasurer shall be the chief financial officer and campaign treasurer of UDems under applicable PAC laws and, together with the President, shall jointly own the UDems bank accounts and coordinate fundraising.

(b) The Treasurer must report the cash balance of UDems at every UDLC meeting, and it must be entered into the minutes.

(d) Unless in conflict with this Constitution or any duly authorized bylaws, the general bookkeeping rules of UDems shall be the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as maintained by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

(e) (i) At the beginning of each semester, the Treasurer may submit to UDLC a proposal for the binding rules of finance and accounting for UDems. These rules shall be enacted upon approval by a two-thirds vote of UDLC.

(ii) No such financial bylaws shall be valid if they conflict with this Constitution, whose provisions remain supreme.

(iii) Financial bylaws enacted under §4.8(e)(i) may be reversed and remanded to UDLC for reconsideration by a majority vote of the general membership.

(iv) Until any new financial rules are enacted, the most recent financial rules, whether authorized by UDLC or a previous version of this Constitution, shall remain in effect.

(v) No change to UDems financial rules shall be made mid-semester, or without the Treasurer’s consent, unless approved by a majority vote of the general membership.

(vi) The provisions of Article VI, Section 3, Subsections (c) and (d) of this Constitution shall be inoperative when applied to actions authorized by UDLC under this section.

(f) No person shall spend UDems money, and the Treasurer must prevent UDems money from being spent, until after the expenditure has been duly authorized. An expenditure is approved:

(1) by the President and Treasurer, or by majority vote of UDLC, if the expenditure will cause less than $50 to be given to the same entity within a seven-day period;

(2) by a majority vote of UDLC, if the expenditure will cause $50 or more but less than $200 to be given to the same entity within a seven-day period; or

(3) by a two-thirds vote of UDLC, if the expenditure will cause $200 or more to be given to the same entity within a seven-day period.

(g) UDems may make an expenditure, as duly authorized bylaws allow, to reimburse any individual who spends their own money for the organization’s purposes.

§ 4.9. PUBLICITY.

(a) The Communications Director controls UDems’s public statements and outreach, represents UDems to the media, takes photographs and videos of UDems events, and manages UDems social media. The Secretary shall assist the Communications Director as needed with UDems’ written or internal communications, including but not limited to statements to the media, letters, press releases, formal responses, and proofreading. The Communications Director must create and maintain a website for UDems.

(b) During the fall and spring semesters, the Vice President must distribute a newsletter to members.

§ 4.10. MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR.

(a) The Membership Director must arrange for UDems to take part in one apolitical volunteer event each semester.

(b) The Membership Director arranges UDems social events, and in a fall semester must arrange for an event designed for new members to take place no later than the last Sunday in September.

(c) Alongside the Member-at-Large, the responsibilities of the Membership Director shall be to engage, recruit, and mentor new members, to act as a trusted point of contact for general members, and to foster a culture of inclusivity and community within UDems.

§ 4.11. SAFETY EDUCATION TRAINING.

Each semester, the Vice President must complete the Safety Education Training and present it to all other officers as required by University policy.

§ 4.12. SECRETARY GENERAL.

The Secretary General shall serve as the chief logistical and internal affairs officer of UDems, and shall be charged with record-keeping and historical documentation.

§ 4.13. RULES.

The Parliamentarian shall be the chief procedural, rules-enforcement, and governance officer for UDems, ensuring that all meetings and organizational processes adhere to the parliamentary authority and the Constitution. The Parliamentarian shall act as an independent procedural authority and shall not exercise direct executive power except as necessary to enforce fairness, order, and proper procedure.

§ 4.14. DEPUTY OFFICERS.

Any UDLC officer, excluding the President and Vice President, may have at least one deputy officer. UDLC will decide on how many deputy officers and who will have a deputy officer at the beginning of each semester, and must vote unanimously on both of these issues. If deputy positions are contested, the Secretary General will preside over this election. Deputies will be elected by instant-runoff ballot with absentee voting if there are multiple candidates for any one office. The date for the election will be set by UDLC, and nominations will be taken at the meeting prior to the election and the meeting of the election. The threshold for deputy elections will be a simple majority (50%). If deputy candidates are not contested, they will be confirmed by a two-thirds vote of UDLC. Deputy candidates must be members of UDems, and cannot hold multiple deputy positions at once. If deputies resign or are impeached, UDLC will select their replacement by majority vote. UDLC will vote unanimously on how many deputies to appoint and elect; those that are appointed by UDLC will serve starting the last meeting of each semester, while those that are elected will serve immediately upon their election. Deputies will not have voting authority within UDLC.

§ 4.15. MEMBER-AT-LARGE AND ELASTIC CLAUSE.

(a) The responsibilities of the Member-at-Large shall be to act as liaison between the general members and leadership, and to act as the dedicated voice for general members in leadership meetings and decisions.

(b) The officers must perform any necessary tasks that this Constitution does not assign to any particular officer or group of officers. The Member-at-Large shall normally assume primary responsibility for such tasks, unless the nature of the duty requires delegation to another officer or group.

ARTICLE V – MEETINGS

§ 5.1. REGULAR MEETINGS.

(a) UDems has meetings weekly on a set day by UDLC. The President must set the time and location of each regular meeting and announce it by the day prior, and may arrange programs at meetings.

(b) The first regular meeting of a semester must be the first week of class. Afterwards, UDems meets weekly until the last class day of the semester, except on UT Austin holidays or if a meeting is canceled.

§ 5.2. SPECIAL MEETINGS.

(a) The President may call a special meeting no later than the sixth day before the meeting. The call must state the purpose of the meeting; the President must distribute the call to all members. The meeting cannot act outside its purpose.

(b) The President must call a special meeting at the request of ten UDems members or a majority vote of UDLC; the requestors must state the purpose of the meeting.

§ 5.3. CANCELLATION OF MEETINGS.

(a) The President may cancel a regular meeting at any time before the meeting by distributing notice to all members, except that a regular meeting may not be canceled if there are two or fewer regular meetings left in the semester or if an endorsement forum has been called for that meeting.

(b) A special meeting may not be canceled, except that a special meeting whose sole purpose is to hold an endorsement forum is canceled if the forum is canceled or rescheduled.

§ 5.4. QUORUM.

The quorum of UDems is four members, gathered in person, online, or some combination thereof, but a quorum is not required to present a program or receive announcements.

§ 5.5. PRESIDING OFFICER.

(a) When UDems is not considering business, the highest-ranked officer who is able and willing to preside is the presiding officer.

(b) When UDems is considering business, including constitutional amendments, endorsements, and officer nominations and elections, the Secretary General presides if able and willing. The Parliamentarian shall provide procedural guidance as needed. In the absence or inability of the Secretary General to preside, the Parliamentarian shall preside. In all other cases, the presiding officer is as provided by the parliamentary authority.

§ 5.6. ORDER OF BUSINESS.

The order of business at UDems meetings, unless suspended by a two-thirds vote, is:

(1) Program, at regular meetings only;

(2) Special Orders, including officer elections and endorsement forums;

(3) Unfinished Business and General Orders, including constitutional amendments;

(4) New Business.

§ 5.7. LOGISTICAL DUTIES FOR MEETINGS.

The Communications Director must publicize each meeting, and any UDLC member can ensure suitable facilities are available for each meeting. The location of a meeting may be changed with reasonable notice.

§ 5.8. ELECTRONIC MEETINGS OF UDEMS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.

(a) If UDLC finds that an emergency makes it unwise for UDems to meet in person, UDLC by two-thirds vote may order that a UDems regular or special meeting be held electronically, or that all members be given the right to participate electronically in a meeting held in person.

(b) Before calling such a meeting to order, the presiding officer must distribute to all members instructions for participating electronically. The platform for the meeting must allow all members of UDems to participate simultaneously.

(c) At such a meeting the UDLC must provide at a prior UDLC meeting an online mechanism for collecting ballots in such a way that ensures the anonymity and integrity of the election as best as possible.

ARTICLE VI – THE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

§ 6.1. LEADERSHIP COUNCIL ESTABLISHED.

The University Democrats Leadership Council, or UDLC, is the executive board of this organization. It consists of all officers, and individuals holding multiple officer positions only have one vote on UDLC. It has full power and authority over the affairs of UDems, except:

(1) to elect officers, other than to fill vacancies as this Constitution allows;

(2) to take a position on a ballot item if an endorsement forum is required;

(3) to amend this Constitution;

(4) to remove impeached officers from office; or

(5) to take any other action that this Constitution expressly reserves to the full membership.

§ 6.2. UDLC MEETINGS.

UDLC holds regular meetings at the call of the President or a majority of the actual number of officers. The call of a UDLC meeting must be announced to all members of UDems at least one hour before the meeting, except meetings to consider expenditures of up to $250 and absentee ballots as this Constitution requires. The quorum is a majority of the actual number of officers gathered in person, online, or some combination thereof.

§ 6.3. UDLC ACCOUNTABILITY.

(a) Every member of UDems is entitled to attend every UDLC meeting, unless UDLC goes into closed session by a majority vote in open session.

(b) The Secretary General must take minutes of each UDLC meeting and make them available after each meeting. Minutes from open session must include how each officer voted on each non-unanimous vote. Minutes from closed session must include each main motion, who made it, and whether it was adopted, as well as how each officer voted on each non-unanimous vote relating to discipline. Otherwise, minutes from closed session must omit discussions whose confidentiality UDLC has not waived by majority vote.

(c) The general membership may rescind or amend any UDLC action as provided by the parliamentary authority unless this Constitution expressly forbids it.

(d) The general membership may give UDLC instructions that it must carry out unless this Constitution expressly forbids it. If UDLC can take an action by majority vote of the actual number of officers, UDems can instruct them to take the action by majority vote of those present and voting. Higher vote thresholds in UDLC require corresponding vote thresholds in UDems, and if previous notice is required in UDLC it is required in UDems.

§ 6.4. UDLC VOTE THRESHOLD.

(a) In UDLC, when calculating whether a vote on a main question passes or fails, the threshold is the required fraction (majority or supermajority) of the actual number of officers, not of the officers present and voting. This does not apply to secondary motions, such as the motion to postpone, or to permissible proceedings in the absence of a quorum. If the parliamentary authority allows a majority of the entire membership to adopt a motion, that provision does not apply to UDLC.

(b) This section does not allow an officer who is absent from a UDLC meeting to vote at the meeting.

§ 6.5. UDLC ACTIONS OTHER THAN AT AN IN-PERSON MEETING.

(a) In addition to meeting in person, UDLC may meet electronically and take action through a platform that:

(1) allows simultaneous oral communication among participants;

(2) allows all officers to participate simultaneously; and

(3) allows non-officers who are members of UDems to listen to the meeting, unless UDLC has voted in open session to go into closed session.

(b) With the written consent of a majority of the officers, UDLC may subscribe UDems to a matter of public policy before a state or local governmental body, other than a ballot issue under Article VII. When a position is taken by majority written consent, officers must be given 24 hours in which to grant or revoke their consent, even if all officers have already stated their opinions, and the Secretary General must immediately announce to all UDems members when a position is taken. This subsection does not limit UDLC’s power to take action at meetings.

§ 6.6 MISSION STATEMENT PER SEMESTER.

Each semester, before the first regular meeting of UDems, UDLC must adopt a mission statement for that semester.

ARTICLE VII – ENDORSEMENTS

§ 7.1. ELECTORAL POSITIONS RESTRICTED.

UDems may not take an official position for or against any candidate for public office or any proposition in the State of Texas, a political subdivision, the federal government, or a UT Austin election, except as this article allows.

§ 7.2. ALLOWED ENDORSEMENTS AT ENDORSEMENT FORUMS.

(a) If this section allows UDems to take a position, it may only be taken at an endorsement forum.

(b) Except as Subsection (e) provides, at each Democratic primary election in Texas, including any resulting runoff election, UDems may support one candidate for each nomination, except the nomination for President of the United States, and one candidate for chair of each county party.

(c) Except as Subsection (e) provides, at each general or special election in Texas, including any resulting runoff election, UDems may:

(1) support one Democratic candidate in each partisan contest that did not have a primary;

(2) support one candidate in each nonpartisan contest; and

(3) support or oppose each proposition.

(d) Except as Subsection (e) provides, at each UT Austin election, UDems may support one pair of candidates for executive alliance, and may support or oppose each proposition.

(e) If, in a given race, there is only one candidate who is eligible for endorsement under Subsections (b)–(d), or the race is a runoff election to which §7.3(c) applies, UDems may not consider that race at an endorsement forum.

§ 7.3. ALLOWED ENDORSEMENTS WITHOUT AN ENDORSEMENT FORUM.

(a) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, UDems automatically supports any Democratic nominee and, after the filing deadline, any sole Democratic candidate in a partisan contest that did not have a primary. If UDems has previously rescinded its endorsement of the candidate for any position, there is no automatic endorsement, but UDems may support the candidate by majority vote of UDLC.

(b) If there is only one candidate in a nonpartisan contest, after the filing deadline UDems may support the candidate by majority vote of UDLC.

(c) In a runoff election, if UDems endorsed a candidate in the initial election, and the endorsed candidate is a candidate in the runoff, UDems automatically endorses that candidate in the runoff.

(d) UDems may, by majority vote of the UDLC, join coalitions working towards any purpose except those that support:

(1) An unendorsed candidate or ballot proposition in an election where an endorsement by the general members has already been made;

(2) A position in an election in which UDems is not allowed to make an endorsement.

(e) UDLC may by majority vote authorize UDems to campaign for a candidate or proposition position that it endorsed. UDLC must distribute a written report on this decision to all members. UDems may not sponsor a campaign event for a candidate or proposition position unless authorized to campaign for it.

(f) The membership may rescind an endorsement as provided by the parliamentary authority, and UDLC may rescind an endorsement that it made.

§ 7.4. CALLING AN ENDORSEMENT FORUM.

(a) UDLC may call an endorsement forum by two-thirds vote. The call must state which UDems meeting the forum will be at and which contests and propositions will be considered.

(b) The call of an endorsement forum may include races that have not yet been ordered, or are not eligible under §7.2 but may become eligible. A race that is nonexistent or ineligible when the forum begins is omitted from the forum.

(c) An endorsement forum may not begin until the day after the regular filing deadline. If the filing deadline is extended by law, the forum may begin before the new deadline.

(d) Calling an endorsement forum makes it a special order at the meeting where it is held.

(e) UDLC may cancel an endorsement forum, or change the set of races it will include, by two-thirds vote, or majority vote with previous notice, until the forum begins.

§ 7.5. ENDORSEMENT FORUM PROCEDURES.

(a) The Secretary General presides at endorsement forums if able and willing. The presiding officer has exclusive power to recognize speakers and set time limits, but the membership may modify time limits as provided in the parliamentary authority.

(b) The vote must be taken in closed session after members are allowed to debate in closed session. The presiding officer may call this closed session without a vote to do so.

(c) The tellers must inform the presiding officer of the votes received by each option; the presiding officer must then announce the result. The Secretary General must keep the tellers’ reports for at least one year after the forum and make them available to any member who asks, but nonmembers have no right to see them.

(d) A member who is an endorsement candidate may not preside while their race is being considered. While their race is being discussed in closed session, a member who is an endorsement candidate has no right to be present. They retain the right to vote.

§ 7.6. BALLOT REQUIREMENT.

(a) An endorsement in a contest for office is made by instant-runoff ballot with absentee voting. The election threshold is 60 percent. The ballots must include each eligible candidate and an option to make no endorsement. If the election has no result, UDems makes no endorsement.

(b) Except as Subsection (c) provides, an endorsement on a proposition is made by instant runoff ballot with absentee voting. The options are to support, oppose, or take no position on the proposition. If no option receives the election threshold of 60 percent, UDems takes no position.

(c) For a proposition to amend the Texas Constitution or a city charter, if there are no accepted absentee ballots that voted to oppose or take no position, UDems may support the proposition without a ballot unless a member present objects.

§ 7.7. DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT.

If a member of UDems has worked, with or without pay, for a campaign for any office or proposition considered at an endorsement forum, they must disclose that fact before their first speech in closed session pertaining to that office or proposition at the forum. This only applies to campaigns for the current election cycle. Additionally, if they are currently/have been during the campaign cycle part of an organization involved in a candidate’s campaign they must disclose that fact.

§ 7.8. ANTI-ENDORSEMENTS.

(a) UDems may endorse against a particular individual or individuals in any constitutionally relevant non-partisan election with three or more candidates by the following process:

(i) At the immediate conclusion of the closed discussion period for a particular race during an endorsement forum, any eligible member may move for an anti-endorsement against a candidate or candidates in that race. If seconded, the motion shall be debated as the general body deems proper, then put to an immediate voice vote of the general membership. But there shall be separate votes per proposed candidate to be endorsed against. The motion shall pass with the indisputable support of two-thirds.

(ii) If the voice vote for an anti-endorsement fails, the member having originally made the motion may, at the conclusion of the entire closed discussion period of the endorsement forum, request tabulation by ballot, which shall be administered in a fair and proper manner by the Secretary. The anti-endorsement shall pass with the support of three-fifths of the total number of ballots cast at the forum in-person, including those that abstain from an anti-endorsement motion.

(b) UDems may only endorse against a candidate in a Democratic primary or a jungle primary with the consent of two-thirds of UDLC and the subsequent consent of three-fifths of the general membership. §6.3(c) and §6.3(d) shall not apply to this subsection’s provisions.

§ 7.9. DONATIONS FROM CANDIDATES.

(a) This section applies to a person who:

(1) is a declared candidate in a contest for which UDems has neither made an endorsement nor affirmatively chosen to make no endorsement;

(2) is eligible for UDems endorsement; and

(3) has an opponent in that contest who is eligible for UDems endorsement.

(b) The organization may not accept a monetary gift, or more than one in-kind gift over the course of the election cycle, from:

(1) a candidate to whom this section applies or the candidate’s spouse;

(2) a paid employee of the candidate’s campaign;

(3) a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling of the candidate or the candidate’s spouse;

(4) the spouse of a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling of the candidate; or

(5) a political committee whose sole purpose is to support the candidate.

(c) These restrictions do not apply to donations given at an official UDems fundraiser called by majority vote of the UDLC.

§ 7.10. PUBLICITY OF ENDORSEMENTS.

The Communications Director must publicize every endorsement. For an election apart from a UT Austin election, the Communications Director must create an endorsement flyer that a voter can bring into the polling place, and the Campus Director must ensure that it is distributed outside campus polling places. Once an endorsement has been made for a given position in a given election, UDLC is at liberty to publicize any material about any candidate in that race, so long as it does not disparage the endorsed candidate.

ARTICLE VII – COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS

§ 8.1. COMMISSIONS GENERALLY.

A commission is akin to a special committee of which all UDems are members; commissions are distinguished by the topics referred to them and the identities of their chairs. They are governed by the provisions of the parliamentary authority relating to special committees, except where they conflict with this Constitution.

§ 8.2. CREATION OF COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS.

UDLC may by majority vote create a special committee or commission. It must specify a chair or a method of choosing a chair, and for a special committee must specify the members or how they are to be chosen. It must also specify the matter that the committee or commission will consider.

§ 8.3. MEETINGS OF COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS.

Special committees and commissions meet at the call of the chair or of any two other members. The call must be distributed at least three hours before the meeting to all members of the committee, or to members of UDems who have expressed interest in receiving notices of the commission. The location of the meeting may be changed with reasonable notice. The quorum is a majority of a special committee or three members of a commission.

§ 8.4. DISSOLUTION OF COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS.

(a) A special committee or commission is dissolved when it makes its final report by majority vote. Otherwise, it expires with the term of the officers who appointed it, except that if it was instructed to report to a later term, it expires with that term.

(b) A special committee or commission may be discharged by UDLC as provided by the parliamentary authority.

§ 8.5. ELECTRONIC MEETINGS OF COMMITTEES AND COMMISSIONS.

A committee or commission may meet electronically and take action if authorized to do so by the motion that created it. A platform used for an electronic meeting of a committee or commission must allow all members to participate.

ARTICLE IX - CAUCUSES

§ 9.1. CAUCUSES GENERALLY.

Caucuses are self-governing, permanent bodies intended to represent particular interests and groups within UDems. They may have varying degrees of formality and organization, which this article is intended to accommodate.

§ 9.2. FORMATION OF A CAUCUS.

Any three members may propose a caucus, designating one of them to become the chair if the caucus is approved. A caucus proposal is approved by any two of the President, Vice President, and Secretary General, or by majority vote of UDLC.

§ 9.3. CAUCUS BYLAWS.

A caucus may, but is not required to, adopt bylaws, which may regulate the procedures of the caucus in any manner not inconsistent with this Constitution. Bylaws are adopted with the written consent of the chair and a simple majority of the caucus; they may be amended by the same means unless the bylaws provide otherwise. A caucus may rescind its bylaws by the same process used to amend them, and a caucus is not dissolved solely because it rescinded its bylaws. The chair of a caucus must furnish its bylaws to the Parliamentarian, who must make each caucus’s bylaws available to any member of UDems who asks.

§ 9.4. CAUCUS MEMBERSHIP.

Membership in a caucus may be open to any member of UDems, who may join the caucus without approval, or may be restricted to only members of UDems approved by the caucus. The chair of a caucus must be a member of the caucus. Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, the chair decides whether a caucus is open or restricted. The bylaws may provide rules for how a member is admitted to or expelled from a restricted caucus.

§ 9.5. CAUCUS MEETINGS.

Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, a caucus meets at the call of its chair or any three other members or if the caucus has less than three members than by all of its members, distributed to all caucus members no later than the day before the meeting, but the location of the meeting may be changed with reasonable notice. Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, a caucus may only take official action at a meeting, and the quorum is four members unless the caucus has less than four members then it's however many are attending.

§ 9.6. LAPSE OF A CAUCUS CHAIR.

(a) Unless the bylaws provide otherwise, all caucus chairs’ terms expire at the beginning of the next semester. However, a chair has the option to renew their chairship with no chair election between a fall and spring semester. Otherwise, an election must be called each semester and a member of the caucus may become its chair by a majority election within the caucus run by the Secretary General. If three or fewer people apply for the position, there will be no election and they will be co-chairs. Additionally, any caucus with two or fewer chairs can add a chair mid-semester at the discretion of the Vice President and current caucus chair(s).

(b) A caucus is dissolved if it does not have a chair for two full officer terms. The bylaws may provide for a shorter period or additional means of dissolution.

§ 9.7. MEETINGS OF THE CAUCUSES.

Three times each semester, the Vice President must call a meeting of the caucuses. The call must be distributed to all caucus chairs no later than the sixth day before each such meeting. The Vice President must preside at each such meeting, and the chair of each caucus or their designee is entitled to attend.

§ 9.8. IDENTITY CAUCUSES.

(a) University Democrats shall have caucuses for different identities. UDLC majority vote may designate a caucus as an identity caucus and therein have the protections as enumerated by this section. All identity caucuses will remain active regardless of the number of members currently in the caucus. In the event that an established identity caucus is restricted or closed, and there are no members currently in the caucus, the Vice President may appoint a general member to chair that caucus. Status as an identity caucus may be revoked upon a two-thirds vote of the general membership.

(b) Identity caucuses may be established by as few as one member.

§ 9.9. CAUCUS PROJECTS.

Caucuses are required to conduct at least one project each semester. A project is defined as anything that will bring awareness to the caucus’ issue or a social event. Should a caucus not conduct a project for two consecutive semesters the caucus may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of the UDLC. Exceptions will be made for caucuses having two or fewer members.

§ 9.10. CAUCUS CHAIRS.

(a) Should the UDLC lose confidence in a caucus chair the UDLC can proceed to executive session to remove the chair by two-thirds vote in favor of removal, given that a simple majority of caucus members do not contest the decision of the board within seven days in a vote overseen by someone in the caucus proposed by the caucus chair and agreed to by majority of members present and voting. If a caucus does not appoint one, then it will fall on the Vice President to appoint a chair pursuant to §9.6.

(b) If a caucus chair does not hold an event/project or establish plans to do so before the middle of the semester (October 1st in a fall semester or March 1st in a spring semester), the Vice President will meet with them individually. If the caucus chair refuses to meet with/does not meet with the Vice President at that point, UDLC can vote to remove them by a majority vote.

ARTICLE X – CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINE

§ 10.1. CODE OF CONDUCT.

(a) Each person at a UDems event must abide by the University Code of Conduct and maintain an inclusive, respectful, and friendly environment, and may not knowingly discomfit, intimidate, harass, threaten, or assault another attendee.

(b) Each member of UDems must behave respectably, both at UDems events and otherwise.

(c) Each officer or appointee of UDems must fulfill their duties, including consistently attending UDLC meetings, regular meetings, and other events of UDems to the best of their ability, and may not knowingly use the privileges of their position to give an unfair benefit to themselves or any other person.

§ 10.2. DISCIPLINE GENERALLY.

(a) The powers of UDLC named in this article are exclusive powers of UDLC, and the membership may not rescind or amend, or instruct UDLC as to, its exercise of them.

(b) The presiding officer at a meeting may order any disorderly non-member removed from the meeting, and the assembly by majority vote may order any disorderly member removed. At events other than meetings, any officer may require any disorderly person to leave.

(1) censure, or strike;

(2) removal from office if the person is an officer;

(3) ban from the UDems chat room and other digital platforms;

(4) expulsion from UDems.

(d) Any disciplinary action by UDLC, and any application to reverse a ban or readmit an expelled person, must be considered in closed session with previous notice given to UDLC and the accused or applicant. The accused or the applicant has the right to speak in their defense and present witnesses, but then must leave the meeting; an accused or applicant officer is not treated as a member of UDLC while their case is being considered. An officer has the right to present witnesses, and has the right to do so in the absence of the accused or the applicant and their witnesses.

(e) Only an officer may present a disciplinary matter to UDLC, but they may do so in response to a complaint from a general member.

(f) The Parliamentarian shall be charged with maintaining order and decorum at all meetings of UDems and UDLC.

§ 10.3. PROHIBITION OF HAZING POLICY.

State law and Sec. 14-103(3) of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities define hazing as any intentional, knowing or reckless act, occurring on or off the campus of an educational institution, by one person alone or acting with others, directed against a student, that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in or maintaining membership in any organization whose members are or include students at an educational institution.

§ 10.4. CENSURE.

UDLC may censure a UDems member by a majority vote.

§ 10.5. REMOVAL OF AN OFFICER.

(a) UDLC may impeach an officer by majority vote.

(b) If UDLC impeaches an officer, notice of the impeachment and the grounds for it must be distributed to all members of UDems. UDems must consider a motion to remove the officer at the next regular meeting of UDems, or a special meeting called for the purpose, in closed session. The impeached officer has the right to speak in their defense, but then must leave the meeting and is not treated as a member while their case is being considered. The motion to remove an impeached officer may be considered only in closed session and is adopted by a two-thirds vote.

§ 10.6. BAN FROM UDEMS DIGITAL PLATFORMS.

(a) UDLC may ban a UDems member from the chat room and other digital platforms by a two-thirds vote.

(b) A member who is banned from digital platforms may, once per term, apply to UDLC to reverse their ban, which UDLC may do by two-thirds vote.

§ 10.7. EXPULSION.

(a) UDLC may expel a member, other than an officer, from UDems by a two-thirds vote. UDLC may not expel an officer unless the officer is first removed from office.

(b) An expelled person who is otherwise eligible for membership may, once per term, apply to UDLC for readmission to membership, which UDLC may grant by two-thirds vote.

ARTICLE XI - MISCELLANY

§ 11.1. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY.

The parliamentary authority of UDems is the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. The rules in it govern this organization where they are applicable and not inconsistent with this Constitution, the policies of The University of Texas at Austin, or any other rules governing UDems.

§ 11.2. AMENDMENT OF CONSTITUTION.

(a) This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote if there was at least one week’s previous notice of the broad intent of the amendment. The previous notice must include the text of the amendment. At the election, any proposed amendment must be submitted in writing and is itself amendable in two degrees.

(b) The Parliamentarian must maintain an official version of the Constitution and incorporate into it any amendments adopted during their term. The Communications Director must publish it on the UDems website.

(c) After a member gives previous notice of an amendment, it becomes a general order for the meeting where it will be considered.

(d) The Secretary General will preside over constitutional amendment elections using Robert’s Rules of Order, with guidance from the Parliamentarian as needed. Absentee voting will be allowed for these elections. Discussion of the amendments will be allowed before voting, and members will vote to set time limits for discussion of each amendment.

(e) Amendments to the Constitution take effect immediately upon approval of the member body.

§ 11.3. PREVIOUS NOTICE.

(a) For a UDems regular meeting, previous notice of a motion means that a member announced, at the immediately preceding regular meeting, intent to make the motion at the next meeting. The Secretary General must distribute the notice to all members. The person who gave notice need not be the one who makes the motion.

(b) For a UDems special meeting or a meeting of UDLC or a committee, commission, or caucus, previous notice must be distributed no later than the day before the meeting, except that a caucus may provide different rules in its bylaws. The previous notice is distributed to all members of the body that will meet, except that previous notice for UDLC is distributed to all members of UDems, and the chair of a commission may limit the distribution of notice only to those members who opt in in a manner prescribed by the chair.

§ 11.4. INSTANT-RUNOFF BALLOT.

(a) An election by instant-runoff ballot, or preferential ballot, is conducted using this procedure or any other method that gives the same result.

(b) Each voter ranks as many options as desired in order of preference, starting from 1.

(c) At each stage of the count, the tellers assign each ballot to the highest-ranked option on the ballot that has not been eliminated. They record the number of ballots assigned to each option. Options with no ballots are immediately eliminated. An option that has a proportion of valid ballots equal to or greater than the election threshold is elected; otherwise, if three or more options remain, the option with the fewest valid ballots is eliminated, and the next stage of the count begins. If two options remain, neither of which has reached the election threshold, the election has no result.

(d) If there is a tie for fewest valid ballots, it is broken with the first applicable method below:

(1) eliminate the largest group of options that, combined, have fewer ballots than each other individual option, and whose elimination would leave at least two valid options;

(2) eliminate the one option that had the fewest ballots in the preceding round; failing that, the fewest ballots in the one before it, and so on to the first round;

(3) declare that the election has no result.

(e) A ballot is invalid if:

(1) all of its ranked options are eliminated;

(2) it is wholly unclear; or

(3) it assigns the same rank to multiple options or is otherwise partially unclear, and all options ranked better than the duplicated rank or unclear portion have been eliminated.

(f) A ballot that skips a rank is still counted as if the rank were not skipped.

(g) The tellers’ report must include, for each stage of the count, the total number of valid and invalid ballots, the number of valid ballots required to meet the election threshold, and the number of ballots assigned to each option.

§ 11.5. ABSENTEE VOTING.

(a) If this Constitution states that an election by ballot or instant-runoff ballot allows absentee voting, a member who does not expect to be present may submit an absentee ballot, along with an excuse for their absence, to the Secretary General no later than fifteen minutes before the scheduled start of the meeting. If the Secretary General is a candidate in the election, another officer designated by two-thirds vote of UDLC shall fulfill the Secretary General’s duties under this section only for the race in which the Secretary General is a candidate.

(b) The Secretary General must accept each absentee ballot submitted properly under Subsection (a), and must mark a paper ballot with the absentee voter’s choices, making a notation on the ballot that clearly identifies it as an absentee ballot and allows the Secretary General to recall the identity of the absentee voter. When ballots are counted, the Secretary General must surrender the paper absentee ballots to the tellers, who count them like any other ballots. The absentee ballots are retained with the other ballots for as long as the parliamentary authority requires ballots to be retained.

(c) If an absentee voter votes in person on a given question or set of questions printed on the same paper ballot, their absentee vote on that question or set of questions is discarded in favor of their in-person vote, and the Secretary General must destroy the voter’s absentee ballot.

(d) UDems recognizes that this section conflicts with the fundamental principle of parliamentary law that only those present during a vote have the right to vote. UDems waives that principle to the extent that it conflicts with this section.

§ 11.6. THE UNIVERSITY DEMOCRATS ADVISORY BOARD.

(a) The University Democrats Advisory Board consists of 5-10 alumni of University Democrats or local friends of the club. UDLC will vote to add or remove people to the advisory board by majority vote at the beginning of every semester.

(b) The UDLC will meet with the advisory board at least twice each semester.

(c) The President will ultimately be responsible for all official liaising with the advisory board, and will maintain a chatroom/group chat with all of UDLC and the advisory board.

(d) The advisory board will be responsible for passing down knowledge, including fundraising information, connections, and any other information useful to UDLC. They will be present at a transition meeting at the end of each semester with the old and new UDLC.

(e) The advisory board will not, under any circumstances, have any power over UDLC or any decision-making capabilities within the organization. They exist to provide advice and aid.

(f) This entire election will expire on the last class day of the Fall 2025 semester unless the membership votes to make it permanent by a two-thirds vote.

ARTICLE XII - UNIVERSITY COMPLIANCE

§ 12.1. STATEMENT OF UNIVERSITY COMPLIANCE.

This organization is a recognized student organization at The University of Texas at Austin and shall comply with all campus policies as set forth in the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities.

ARTICLE XIII - UNIVERSITY ADVISOR

§ 13.1. UNIVERSITY ADVISOR.

In accordance with Sec. 6-101(14) and Sec. 6-101(15) of the Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities and Information on Students' Rights and Responsibilities, this organization may have a University Advisor who is at least 21 years of age, is not enrolled as a student at the University, and serves as either:

(a) a part-time or full-time employee of the University.

(b) a representative of a national organization that is associated with the registered student organization.