Candidate Endorsement Rules

IMPORTANT UPDATE,  November 2012: 

We are changing all of our endorsement rules. We have temporary rules in place for 2012 races and we are developing rules and procedures for 2013 races. Check back for updates in the next month. If you are a candidate seeking our endorsement, and want more information, please get in touch with our Political Director Richard Wallner at rwallner@dfnyc.org 

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These Rules are designed to serve as a general description of the Candidate Endorsement Process for the group known as “Democracy for NYC,” the local coalition group of Democracy for America. These Rules only pertain to Democracy for NYC and are not intended to reflect endorsements (actual or potential) or the endorsement process of Democracy for America or any other DFA local coalition group.

Definitions

1) Democracy for NYC (“DFNYC”) is a non-profit political action committee.  DFNYC is part of a national coalition of local groups committed to the ideal espoused by Democracy for America, the organization founded by Howard Dean. 

2) A Member of DFNYC is someone who has given DFNYC his/her name, address (residential, mailing, and registered), phone number, and email address (if applicable). Members have a voice, but no vote towards DFNYC endorsements.

3) A Voting Member of DFNYC is a Member who has participated in three DFNYC meetings, events or actions each year. Each Voting Member will have one vote towards DFNYC endorsements.

4) A DFNYC Endorsement Application Form must be completed by all candidates seeking endorsement. The application can be downloaded on this page and returned via mail, fax, or email.

5) The DFNYC Declaration of Coalition Group Support must be completed by a representative of the Democracy for America Coalition Group who represents the area in which the candidate is seeking office. The form does not need to be provided if the candidate is running within the five boroughs of New York City.  

6) A candidate is considered Viable if they receive 15% or more of the first vote. Only viable candidates will be eligible to participate in a run off vote.

Candidate Requirements

1) All New York City, New York State, and federal candidates running in a district within the five boroughs of New York City who have filed to run for office and wish to be considered for endorsement by DFNYC must:

a. complete the DFNYC Endorsement Application Form.  Please note that the new DFNYC endorsement application form is not available at this time but will be soon.  Please email rwallner@dfnyc.org for updates.

b. respond to an invitation to speak at a DFNYC Linkup and/or a candidate forum to which all DFNYC Members have been invited

2) Candidates running in a district outside of New York City who have filed to run for office and wish to be considered for endorsement by DFNYC must:

a. complete the DFNYC Endorsement Application Form; and

b. respond to an invitation to speak at a DFNYC Linkup and/or a candidate forum to which all DFNYC Members have been invited; and

c. demonstrate support from the local Democracy for America Coalition group in the district where he or she is running for office by obtaining a Declaration of Coalition Group Support

3) DFNYC candidate web pages will feature a link to the candidate’s official campaign website (when available). DFNYC candidate web pages will also contain information on how those visiting a particular page can volunteer for that candidate’s campaign, if this information is supplied to DFNYC by the candidate or candidate’s campaign.

DFNYC Voting Process to Endorse Candidates

1) Voting to endorse a candidate or candidates will be initiated by a majority vote of the DFNYC Board of Directors (“call to vote”).  If a member of the Board of Directors is a candidate in the race, he or she will recuse him or herself from participating initiation of endorsement vote.

2) A call to vote will be announced via the DFNYC email newsletter and DFNYC website, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet.

3) Voting Members will be able to select from the following voting options as they become available: on-line voting through a voter verifiable system; in-person voting by paper ballot; or voting by a mail-in paper ballot. At least two of these options will be available for all candidate endorsement votes. All ballots will contain “no endorsement” as a voting option. “No endorsement” votes will be counted and included in all voting results.

4) A candidate will be endorsed by DFNYC if he or she receives 55% of the vote and a significant number of ballots are cast, except in an endorsement for the office of U.S. President or Presidential nominee where the candidate must receive 60% of the vote.  If no candidate achieves 55% of the vote in a race with three or more candidates and two or more candidates are viable, then a run off vote will be called. If no candidate achieves 55% of the vote and one or no candidates are viable, then no endorsement will be made.  There will be no run off votes for the office of President or for a Presidential nominee.

5) In a run-off vote, all candidates who do not achieve 15% of the first vote will be removed from the ballot. If no candidate achieves 55% in the run off vote, then no endorsement will be made.

6) A second endorsement vote may be called at a later date following the same rules as the first vote.

7) Voting results will be published on the DFNYC website and in the DFNYC email newsletter, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet.

DFNYC Endorsed Candidates:

1) DFNYC endorsements will be announced to the local media via a media advisory.

2) DFNYC endorsements will be announced to DFNYC members via a posting on the DFNYC website, an announcement in the DFNYC email newsletter, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet.

3) DFNYC will not promote a candidate fundraiser for, or give funds to, a candidate in a New York City district in a contested primary in which DFNYC has not made an endorsement. DFNYC will not promote a candidate fundraiser for or give funds to any candidate in a district outside of NYC in a contested primary who is does not have the support of a local DFA Coalition group provided one exists in the district and that the group is or intends to be active in the race.

4) After the DFNYC endorsement process is complete, the DFNYC website will continue to list each candidate considered for endorsement. All candidate pages will remain active until the election is over or the candidate drops out, regardless of endorsement results.

5) DFNYC Members are always free to work or volunteer for any candidate of their choosing.

Auditing the Vote

1) Any candidate on the endorsement ballot or member of DFNYC may request an audit of the vote.

2) The DFNYC Board of Directors will review the request for a vote audit. All reasonable requests for a vote audit will be granted.

3) A vote audit may consist of, but is not limited to:

a. a recount of all ballots cast at which a representative of each of the candidates in question and the party(s) who requested the audit must be present; and

b. an investigation into any issues involved in the voting process

Withdrawing an Endorsement

1) Any member of DFNYC may request a withdrawal of a vote for any of the following reasons:

a. the endorsed candidate through words or actions demonstrates ideals which are inconsistent with those of DFNYC

b. the endorsed candidate through words or actions demonstrates unethical behavior which is inconsistent with the ethical standards of DFNYC

c. the endorsed candidate drops out of the race

2) The DFNYC Board of Directors will review the requests for an endorsement withdrawal. If the request is reasonable and meets the criteria listed above for the withdrawal of an endorsement a call to vote will be issued.

3) A call to vote will be announced via the DFNYC email newsletter and DFNYC website, and good faith efforts will be made to notify members who have limited access or no access to the Internet.

4) Voting Members will be able to select from the following voting options as they become available: on-line voting through a voter verifiable system; in-person voting by paper ballot; or voting by a mail-in paper ballot. At least two of these options will be available for all candidate endorsement votes.

5) A DFNYC candidate endorsement will be withdrawn if 60% of the ballots are cast in favor of a withdrawal and a significant number of ballots are cast.

6) A new endorsement vote may be called at a later date following the same rules as the first vote.