4141335 Resolution 19-759, “District of Columbia Democratic State Committee Elections Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2012”

A RESOLUTION

                                                        

19-759  

 

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

 

December 18, 2012

 

 

To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to require the District of Columbia Board of Elections to schedule the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee elections during the special election to fill the at-large Council seat to take place on April 23, 2013.

 

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “District of Columbia Democratic State Committee Elections Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2012”.

 

            Sec. 2. (a) This emergency declaration resolution is necessary to require the District of Columbia Board of Elections ("Board") to schedule the election for District of Columbia Democratic State Committee ("Committee") officials during the special election to fill the at-large Council seat, which is to take place on April 23, 2013.

            (b) On August 26, 2011, the Committee notified the Board that due to the presidential election of 2012, the Democratic National Committee had advised the Committee to avoid scheduling its election of party officials in the middle of the delegate selection process for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

            (c) The Committee advised the Board that it would elect its party officials through a State Convention instead of during the primary held on April 3, 2012; however, the election never took place.

            (d) The Constitution of the Committee states that the election of the party officials must be held at each primary election and makes no exceptions to how the party officials of the Committee are elected.

            (e) The Committee requested that the Board hold an election for its party officials on November 6, 2012.

            (f) The Board notified the Committee that pursuant to section 10(a)(1) of the District of Columbia Election Code of 1955, approved August 12, 1955 (69 Stat. 702; D.C. Official Code § 1-1001.10(a)(1)), elections of party officials can take place only on the 2nd Tuesday in February of each presidential election year or the 1st Tuesday in April of each presidential election year if there is a primary election already scheduled for other purposes on the date requested.

            (g) According to the Board’s determination, at this point an election of Committee officials cannot be held until 2016.

            (h)  The Committee has faced allegations of not being open and transparent with its proceedings.

            (i) All of the current party Committee officials have served beyond their expired terms. It would be irresponsible to wait until 2016 to allow the over 300,000 registered Democrats in the District of Columbia to vote for Committee party officials.

            (j) It would be more open, fair, and transparent to have the Board hold the election for the party officials of the Committee during the special election to fill the at large Council seat on April 23, 2013.

 

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee Elections Emergency Amendment Act of 2012 be adopted after a single reading.

 

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.