PREAMBLE
This Constitution is the governing document the United Utah Party. All official Party bylaws, actions, and decisions of party officers are subject to these provisions.
Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the United Utah Party.
Article II - Membership
Any registered voter in Utah may join the United Utah Party by affiliating on a Utah voter registration form and submitting it to the State or a County elections office.
Article III – State Party Organization
Section 1 – Executive Committee
The governing body of the United Utah Party shall be the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of elected executive officers and congressional district representatives, when appointed.
Section 2 – Elected officers
Elected executive officers are the State Chairperson, the State Vice-Chairperson, the Treasurer, and the Secretary, with duties as follows:
a) The state chairperson shall be responsible for executive direction of the organization and shall be authorized, with the consent of the executive committee, to appoint such administrative staff as needed.
b) The vice-chairperson shall be responsible for duties as the chairperson or Executive committee may assign. The Vice-Chairperson may act on behalf of the Chairperson when the chairperson is absent or incapacitated, as requested by the Chairperson or with unanimous consent of the Executive Committee.
c) The state treasurer shall be the custodian of funds of the organization, and shall:
i) make written financial reports to the Executive Committee, at least four times per year,
ii) make a full financial report in writing at each annual state convention, and
iii) expend funds from the state party treasury in accordance with the directives of the Executive Committee.
d) The secretary shall record minutes at executive committee meetings and state conventions and file them after each such meeting, allowing all Executive Committee members access to these records. The Secretary shall have other duties as the chairperson or Executive Committee may assign.
Section 3 - Congressional District Representatives
The State Chairperson may appoint, with approval of the Executive Committee, one United Utah Party member from each congressional district to serve as a representative of their congressional district on the Executive Committee.
Section 4 - Meetings of the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall meet at least four times per year. The state chairperson may call meetings outside of the regularly scheduled meetings. Members of the Executive Committee and invited participants may attend Executive Committee meetings in person or by electronic audio or video conference. Elected members of the Executive Committee and staff may not be represented by proxy.
Section 5 - Executive Decisions
a) Whenever possible, the Executive Committee shall seek to determine all official actions by consensus. With certain exceptions, when voting is necessary, a simple majority of the Executive Committee must concur with the action to go forward.
b) The Executive Committee, by a majority vote at any of its regularly scheduled meetings shall:
i) approve budgets,
ii) authorize expenditures in the interest of the party, and
iii) provide for an annual audit of the financial records of the party.
c)The Executive Committee, by a majority vote at any of its regularly scheduled meetings, may:
i) determine the rules of its own proceedings,
ii) set policy for the orderly conduct of party business,
iii) take positions in line with the Party platform, and
iv) set goals and act to achieve the Party goals;
d) Votes to change bylaws shall follow the procedures found in Article V Section 2 and in the Party Bylaws.
Section 6 - Standing and Ad Hoc Committees
a) The Executive Committee shall create a Standing Constitution Committee, the duties of which are to review governing documents of the United Utah Party, recommending amendments when needed, and to review and approve new and amended county bylaws.
b) The Executive Committee may create other committees to fulfill certain functions in the party. The members and chairs of standing and ad hoc committees shall be appointed by the Chairperson and approved by the Executive Committee.
Section 7 - Governmental Liaison
One member of the Executive Committee or staff shall be designated by the chairperson to serve as a liaison with the Lt. Governor’s office, as well as with each county elections office.
Section 8 - Annual State Convention
a) The state convention is a function of the state organization. Its purpose is to promote Party unity, consider State Party finances, elect State Party officers, amend the Party Platform or other governing documents, elect Party nominees for state elections, or conduct any other appropriate business.
b) The State Executive Committee shall determine the date, time, and place of the annual State Convention as described in the Bylaws.
c) Any voter who is registered as a member of the United Utah Party by a specified deadline prior to an annual convention, is qualified and may apply to participate as a delegate at that annual convention. The deadline shall be announced as described in the Bylaws. Delegates may be required to provide proof of registration and party affiliation.
d) Notice of conventions shall be made as provided in the Bylaws. Notice of the results of convention decisions, including election of officers, shall be published on the Party website within seven days of the convention.
e) During annual state conventions on even numbered years, delegates shall elect nominees to public office as described in the Bylaws.
Section 9 - Election of State Party Officers
a) The State Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Treasurer, and Secretary shall be elected to a two-year term each odd-numbered year at the regular state organizing convention.
b) The election of officers of the Executive Committee shall be conducted by the Executive Committee and staff. However, no officer of the Executive Committee who is running for re-election in a contested election may participate in the execution of the election, including distribution and counting of ballots.
Section 10 - Removal of Executive Officers
a) The Executive Committee may consider a request to remove a member of the Executive Committee based on conduct, under conditions provided in the Bylaws. Such a request shall be considered by the full Executive Committee with the individual being allowed to respond in writing or verbally.
b) A decision to remove the Executive Committee member shall be made by the Executive Committee with that individual not voting and not present.
Section 11 - Filling Office Vacancies
a) No vacancy by voluntary resignation shall occur within the Executive Committee until a letter of resignation is received by the State Party Chair, or, in the case of a chairperson resignation, the Vice-Chairperson.
b) In the event of a vacancy in any elected position on the Executive Committee, the following steps shall be followed to provide for a successor.
c) In the event of a vacancy in the Chair position, the Vice-Chairperson shall automatically assume the position of the Chair until the next annual state convention, at which time there shall be an election to serve the balance of the term.
d) In the event of a vacancy in any other position normally elected at the state convention, the Executive Committee shall appoint a successor to serve until the next annual state convention, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by election to serve the balance of the term.
Section 12 - Party Affiliation of Officers
All elected or appointed officers and committee members, at State or local levels, shall be current members of the Party and shall vacate such office immediately upon termination of party membership.
ARTICLE IV - County Organization
Section 1 - Formation of County Parties
The basic unit or organization of the United Utah Party shall be the county unit, and the Executive committee shall recognize such units at its discretion. The Executive Committee may organize a region of the party rather than a county on a temporary basis, pending the organization of fully-functioning county parties.
Section 2 - County Party Bylaws
a) Each county party organization approved by the Executive Committee shall receive a governing set of bylaws provided by the Standing Constitution Committee. Current county party bylaws shall be available to United Utah Party members of the respective counties.
b) Any changes in county party bylaws shall become effective only after approval by the Standing Constitution Committee. Such approval shall be given unless the change conflicts with this Constitution.
Section 3 - Duties of County Party Officers
a) The fundamental responsibilities of each county party shall be to develop the fullest possible membership in the county, to hold regularly scheduled meetings, to encourage candidates for elective office, to form and maintain an effective campaign organization, and to promote the general interests of the Party.
b) The officers of each county party shall include a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, and treasurer. The offices of secretary and treasurer may be held by the same person. Officers of a county party shall be elected for a term of two years at biannual county party organizing conventions.
c) County party officers may appoint additional officers.
Section 4 - County Conventions
a) Elections of county party officers shall be held between September 1 and November 30 of odd-numbered years during an organizing convention of the county party.
b) Elections of nominees for local public office shall be held during even-numbered years at a nominating convention of the county party organization as described in the county party bylaws.
c) Written notice, at least ten days prior to the county convention meeting, must be given by the secretary of the county party to a member of the State Executive Committee.
d) At each county convention, only members of the United Utah Party registered in that county shall be eligible to vote.
e) If the chairperson of a county party organization fails to call a county convention within the specified period, the State Chairperson shall be authorized to call for the convention as soon as practicable and shall ensure that the provisions of this Section with respect to notice are observed.
Section 5 - Suspension of County Party Organization
a) The State Executive Committee may, at its discretion, suspend or dissolve a county party organization or take another appropriate action, if it determines that the officers of the county party are clearly failing or refusing to perform the functions for which that organization is responsible.
b) No county party shall be dissolved or suspended until and unless the officers of said county shall be given an opportunity to appear at a meeting of the Executive Committee.
Article V - United Utah Party Documents
Section 1 - United Utah Platform
a) The Party may publish an official party platform, which articulates the values and certain positions held by the Party as a whole. In principle, the Party shall seek a platform that is minimalist in terms of positions on specific policy issues or legislative approaches. The party platform should focus on principles, rather than specific positions whenever feasible.
b) No party member shall be required to endorse the platform, and no political loyalty tests, or anything resembling one, may be imposed upon party members or candidates by party leadership.
c) Changes to the United Utah Party Platform may be initiated as described in the Bylaws. All Party platform statements shall be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of party delegates during the state convention; after which, they shall be officially adopted.
Section 2 - Bylaws
The Executive Committee, by a two-thirds vote at any of its regularly scheduled meetings, may adopt, add to, or amend Bylaws, which Bylaws shall be not inconsistent with the provisions of this constitution. Such United Utah Party Bylaws shall be published along with this constitution and be available to the membership of the party.
Section 3 - Amendments to the United Utah Constitution
This constitution may be amended if the proposed amendment is approved by two-thirds of the delegates at a regularly called annual state convention of the United Utah Party. Proposals for amendments to the State Constitution shall follow the procedures described in the United Utah Party Bylaws.
(May 2019)