Resolution Establishing
the Democratic Change Commission
(This resolution was recommended by the
2008 Convention Rules Committee at its August 23, 2008 meeting
and adopted by the 2008
Democratic National Convention on August 25, 2008 in Denver, Colorado)
Section 1. Establishment of
Democratic Change Commission.
BE IT RESOLVED: That no
later than 60 days after the date of the next election of the National
Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the National Chair
shall establish a commission (the “Commission”) to review the Delegate
Selection Rules in light of developments during the 2008 presidential
nominating cycle and to recommend changes to the Delegate Selection
Rules for the 2012 Democratic National Convention, not inconsistent
with these resolutions, to improve the nominating process.
RESOLVED FURTHER: That
the Commission shall be known as the “Democratic Change Commission;”
that it shall consist of 35 members and two co-chairs, all with the
right to vote on Commission business, appointed by the National Chair
of the DNC; that its membership shall be equally divided between men
and women and shall be geographically and demographically diverse; that
the DNC shall provide the Commission with adequate staff and resources
to carry out its mandate in accordance with this Resolution; and that
the Commission shall issue its report and recommendations to the Rules
and Bylaws Committee of the DNC no later than January 1, 2010.
Section 2. Timing of the
Primaries and Caucuses.
RESOLVED FURTHER: That
the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2012 Convention shall provide that
no meetings, caucuses, conventions or primaries which constitute the
first determining stage in the presidential nomination process (the
date of the primary in primary states and the date of the first tier
caucus in caucus states) shall be held prior to the first Tuesday in
March of the election year, except as otherwise provided in the
Delegate Selection Rules and recognizing the valuable role played by
the approved pre-Window states in 2008; and provided that no such
meeting, caucus, convention or primary shall in any event be held prior
to February 1 of the calendar year of the National Convention; and that
the Commission also shall review the sequence and scheduling of
primaries and caucuses with a view towards reducing the scheduling of
such events on the first allowable date that resulted in 22 primaries
and caucuses being held on such date in 2008 and toward reducing
frontloading within the Window period; and that the Commission shall
review the rules for proper enforcement of the primary and caucus
timing requirements and delegate allocation matters, particularly with
respect to action by the Rules and Bylaws Committee; and that in making
its recommendations, the Commission consider any revision of the Rules
of the Republican Party of the United States adopted by the 2008
Republican National Convention regarding the scheduling and sequence of
presidential nominating events.
Section 3. Delegates.
RESOLVED FURTHER: That
the Commission shall consider and make appropriate recommendations for
revisions to the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2012 Democratic
National Convention to provide for a significant reduction of the
number of unpledged party leader and elected official (PLEO) delegates
in order to enlarge the role and influence of primary and caucus voters
in the presidential nominating process. The Commission also shall
review the formulas for delegate allocation to assure that delegates
are fairly allocated to accurately reflect the will of the voters and
that the right of the delegates to reflect the sentiments of those who
elected them shall be secured to all delegates.
Section 4. Caucuses.
RESOLVED FURTHER: That
the Commission shall consider and recommend appropriate revisions to
the Delegate Selection Rules for the 2012 Democratic National
Convention to provide that:
a. the use of a caucus/convention system for any stage of the
delegate selection process by any State Democratic Party shall be
approved by the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee in accordance with any
new specific criteria to be set out in the Delegate Selection Rules,
and which will be designed to ensure that at each stage, any caucus or
convention will be adequately planned, organized, and staffed; will
take place at such times and in such locations as will meet the
requirements of Rule 3 of the Delegate Selection Rules and will
otherwise maximize the opportunity for full participation by Democratic
voters; will be run using appropriate balloting methods and, as to
tiers following the first stage caucus, will utilize accurate lists of
participants; and will afford the opportunity for meaningful
communication of presidential candidates with their pledged caucus
participants reasonably in advance of caucuses and conventions.
b. the use of a caucus/convention system for any stage of the delegate
selection process should be organized in a manner that will ensure the
maximum ability of Democratic voters to feasibly participate in the
first-tier caucuses, including consideration of absentee voting in
caucuses to benefit those who cannot attend a scheduled caucus due to
military service, work, health conditions, family obligations and other
similar reasons that prevent attendance in person.
Section 5. Status of Resolutions
RESOLVED FURTHER: That
the Commission may address other matters related to the presidential
nominating process and Delegate Selection Rules as may be identified by
the National Chair of the Democratic National Committee, and that for
the purposes of Article Ten, Section 2 of the Charter of the Democratic
Party of the United States, these resolutions shall be deemed to be
“otherwise designated.”