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CONSTITUTION (AND ARTICLES of ASSOCIATION)
LIBERTARIAN PARTY of IOWA
A Non-Profit Association

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of the association shall be the "Libertarian Party of Iowa" hereinafter referred to as the "Party".

ARTICLE II: DURATION AND DISSOLUTION

The duration of the Party shall be perpetual. In event of dissolution, all assets would go to the (National) Libertarian Party, a non-profit association.

ARTICLE III: PURPOSE

The purpose for which the Party is organized is to implement and give voice to the principles embodied in the Statement of Principles by:

a. Nominating candidates for national, state, and local offices and supporting candidates for political office.

b. Entering into political information activities.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of the Party shall be a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson of Membership & Development, a Deputy Chairperson of Advocacy & Public Policy, a Deputy Chairperson of Campaigns & Elections, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. All of these officers shall be elected at each Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year by the attending delegates and shall take office immediately upon the close of the Convention and serve thereafter until the final adjournment of the next Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year.

Section 2. In addition, one of the three Deputy Chairpersons shall be elected to serve as Vice Chairperson. Otherwise, no offices shall be combined.

Section 3. The Chairperson shall preside at all Conventions and all meetings of the Executive Committee. He or she shall be the chief executive officer of the Party.

Section 4. The Vice Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson in the event the Chairperson is for any reason, unable to perform the duties of the office.

Section 5. The Secretary shall be the recording officer of the Party, and shall provide, or make provision for, legal services to the Party.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall receive, expend, and account for the funds of the Party under the supervision and direction of the Chairperson and Executive Committee.

Section 7. Except as otherwise provided herein, the officers of the Party shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. The Executive Committee of the Party shall be composed of the following:

a. The six elected officers of the Party; plus

b. At least four and no more than seven members elected at each Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year, so as to be representative of the state as prescribed by the Bylaws. Any seat not filled at a Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year may be filled at any time for the remainder of the term at a Regular Convention occurring in an even-numbered year, at a Special Convention, or by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall take office immediately upon the close of the Regular Convention occurring in odd-numbered years, and serve until the adjournment of the next Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year.

Section 3. Any Executive Committee member, including any officer, may be suspended, that is, denied the authority to perform his or her specific functions, by a two-thirds vote of the entire Executive Committee.
The position of a suspended member shall be declared vacant unless the suspended member appeals to the Judicial Committee within three days of notification of suspension. If the suspension is appealed, the Judicial Committee must rule within thirty days. If the Judicial Committee upholds the suspension by a three-fourths majority, the position of the suspended member will be declared vacant. If the Judicial Committee fails to uphold the suspension, the member shall be reinstated.

Section 4. If a vacancy in the Executive Committee (including an officer vacancy) should occur through suspension, or through the resignation, death or disability of a member, the vacancy may be filled for the remainder of the term at a Regular Convention occurring in an even-numbered year, at a Special Convention, or by the Executive Committee.

Section 5. The Executive Committee shall have the control and management of all the affairs, properties, and funds of the Party consistent with this Constitution.

Section 6. The Executive Committee shall meet in a manner, time, and place as prescribed in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI: CONVENTIONS AND CAUCUSES

Section 1. The Party shall hold a Regular Convention every year at the time and place selected by the Executive Committee.

Section 2. For all Regular Conventions, Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be elected to be representative of the State as prescribed by the Bylaws. In addition, the Executive Committee members shall automatically be entitled to Delegate status.

Section 3. A duly selected Alternate may be freely substituted for the Delegate who is temporarily or permanently absent from the floor.

Section 4. The State Executive Committee, by a three-fourths majority vote of the Executive Committee membership, may call a Special Convention. Delegates must be notified two weeks prior to the convention.
These conventions shall consist of the state officers and all eligible delegates to the last annual convention. Such a Special Convention cannot take the place of an annual convention. Only those matters mentioned in the call to the convention may be considered at a Special Convention.

Section 5. The Executive Committee, by a three-fourths majority vote of the Executive Committee membership, may call a Caucus of Eligible Electors representing this political organization for making one nomination of a candidate for each office to be filled at a general election. The Executive Committee shall name the officers of such Caucus.

ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES

Section 1. There shall be a standing Judicial Committee, composed of 3 to 9 members exclusive of the Executive Committee. The Judicial Committee shall be elected at each Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year, and shall serve the same term as the Executive Committee. In the event that a maximum number of people have not been elected in an odd-numbered year, or if other vacancies occur, then new members may be elected at Regular convention in an even-numbered year to serve the remainder of the term. The Judicial Committee may fill any vacancies occurring between conventions, The Judicial Committee shall select its own chairperson.

Section 2. At least one month prior to each Regular Convention, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Credentials Committee, a Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee and a Platform Committee, including the chairperson of each committee, as follows:

a. The Credentials Committee shall consist of one member from each Congressional District when available, exclusive of Executive Committee members.

b. The Constitution & Bylaws and Rules Committee shall consist of 3 to 5 members.

c. The Platform Committee shall consist of at least three members, including one member from each Congressional District when available, plus one member-at-large. Additional at-large members may be appointed if necessary to meet minimum requirements.

ARTICLE VIII: PLATFORM

Section 1. The Party shall adopt a Platform at its first Regular Convention. Said Platform shall include, but not be limited to, the Statement of Principles of the (National) Libertarian Party and the implementation of these principles contained in the Statement, in the form of Planks.

Section 2. The Statement of Principles affirms that philosophy upon which the Libertarian Party is founded, by which it shall be sustained, and through which Liberty shall prevail.

Section 3. The Platform, other than the Statement of Principles, may be amended by deletion, substitution, or addition of any Plank by the Convention Delegates in session and voting. The Substitution of a new Plank for an old Plank, or the addition of a new Plank, shall require approval by a vote of 90% of the Delegates in session voting. A Plank may be deleted from the Platform by a vote of 50% of the Delegates in session voting. A Plank must not be in violation of, or in contradiction to, the Statement of Principles.
If any Member of the Judicial Committee considers a Plank in violation or in contradiction to the Statement of Principles, it may be deleted only by a unanimous vote of the committee.

ARTICLE IX: NOMINATIONS OF CANDIDATES

Section 1. Party nominees for U.S. President and Vice-President are automatically the nominees of the national Libertarian Party for those offices. Presidential electors shall be nominated by the Chairperson and ratified by majority vote of the Executive Committee.

Section 2. Nomination of candidates for U.S. Senator and the executive offices of Iowa will be made at the Regular Convention held preceding the election.

a. Nominations shall be made from the convention floor by the Delegates. All balloting shall be done by secret ballot.

b. If, after a ballot, no candidate has attained a majority vote, all nominees who have received less than 10% of the total vote shall be struck from subsequent ballots. If, after two ballots, no candidate has attained a majority vote, the candidate with the least votes shall be struck from the subsequent ballots; this procedure shall be repeated after each ballot in which no candidate has received a majority vote until one candidate attains a majority.

Section 3. Nomination of candidates for U.S. House of Representatives and Iowa legislature will be made at the Regular Convention held preceding the election following the procedure in Section 2.

Section 4. Notwithstanding Sections 2 and 3, nominations of candidates may be made by a Caucus of Eligible Electors following the procedure of Iowa §44. If a caucus of Eligible Electors is called, Section 2a. and Section 2b. of this Article shall apply, with Eligible Electors as the Delegates.

Section 5. In the event that no candidate was nominated or a subsequent vacancy occurs in a nomination made under Sections 2 through 4 of this Article, then the Executive Committee may fill the vacancy. Nominations made by the Executive Committee under this Section shall require that the candidate be approved by at least 60% of the full Executive Committee.

Section 6. The nomination of any person for any office may be voided by a three-fourths vote of the entire membership of the combined Judicial and Executive Committees, meeting in joint session.

ARTICLE X: REPRESENTATION TO THE (NATIONAL) LIBERTARIAN PARTY

Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be selected as prescribed by the Bylaws in numbers permitted by the (National) Libertarian Party. One of the Delegates shall be the State Chairperson, if he or she chooses to take the position.

ARTICLE XI: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Members shall be:
a. those persons who are registered with the state of Iowa as voters affiliated with the Libertarian Party, and
b. those persons resident in Iowa who are unable to so register or have been able to so register for less than 90 days and who have indicated their intent to so register in a form specified by the state party.

Section 2. Voting members shall be members who have maintained continuous membership for a period of at least 30 days prior to the state s convention, provided that their dues, if any, are also current. Any member who does not otherwise qualify as a voting member may be granted voting privileges and status as a convention Delegate at a state convention provided that a 4/5 majority of voting members in attendance consent.

ARTICLE XII: JUDICIAL COMMITTEE

In addition to the responsibilities set forth in Articles V and VIII, the Judicial Committee shall be responsible for the following:

Disciplinary actions against any Party Member shall be in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, except as otherwise provided herein.

ARTICLE XIII: BYLAWS
Section 1. The Executive Committee shall follow the Bylaws. The Executive Committee may adopt non-conflicting bylaws between conventions which will not remain in effect beyond the next convention unless ratified.

Section 2. The Bylaws of the Party may be amended by a majority vote of the Delegates at any Regular Convention of the Party, or by a vote of three-fourths of the Executive Committee at any other time.

ARTICLE XIV: CONVENTION GOVERNMENT

Conventions of the Party shall be governed by the current Convention Rules and Bylaws, unless otherwise amended at a Regular Convention.

ARTICLE XV: OPEN MEETINGS

Section 1. All meetings in the Party shall be open to all Members.

Section 2. The secret ballot may not be used for any committee decision. The secret ballot may be used for elections.

ARTICLE XVI: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

This Constitution may be Amended by a 90% vote of the Delegates at any Regular Convention.

 

May 1, 1999   Amended April 14, 2007