Fairfield Democratic Party Rules

• Amended May 11, 1975
• Amended Dec. 10, 1979
• Amended Nov. 19, 1985
• Amended June 12, 1989
• Amended Dec. 17, 1991
• Amended Oct. 18 1993
• Amended Apr. 3, 2000
• Amended June 2 2003

Chapters

I. Rules of the Organization

II. Definitions

III. Town Committee

IV. Town Committee Membership And Vacancy Procedures

V. Election of Town Committee Officers And District Leaders

VI. Duties of Officers And District Leaders

VII. Delegates To Conventions

VIII. Endorsement Of Candidates For Municipal Office

IX. Amendment Procedures

Appendix A. Illustration of the Legal Notice: SECTION IV.A3.d NOTICE

Purpose

In order to preserve the best traditions of the Democratic Party and to encourage and promote new concepts within the framework of an organized Democratic political association, and in order to encourage able Democrats to run for office; to conduct party activities; to organize and direct general election campaigns; to elect qualified Democrats to office; to recommend and nominate able and qualified Democrats for appointive office; to insure active study and improvement of the community of Fairfield in its governmental operations, the following statement is hereby adopted and promulgated as the governing rules of the Democratic Party of Fairfield.

In the event any of the following rules are in conflict with the State Party Rules, the latter will govern; in the event that either of the above is in conflict with the Connecticut General Statutes, the latter will govern.

• A. Robert’s Rules of Order. Unless otherwise provided herein by special rule, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the rules under which all Town Committee meetings and other meetings held pursuant to these party rules shall be governed.
• B. Amendments. These rules may be amended in accordance with Section IX.

The following terms, as used in the Rules of the Democratic Party of Fairfield, shall have the following meanings unless otherwise provided In the Connecticut General Statutes or the rules of the Democratic State Central Committee.

• A. Town Committee: a representative body elected in accordance with the provisions of these rules consisting of enrolled Democrats in Fairfield with power to make policy, nominate (endorse) candidates for office, raise funds and do such other acts in the name or in behalf of the Democratic Party of Fairfield as are consistent with the provisions of the Connecticut General Statutes, the rules of the Democratic State Central Committee and the following Rules.
• B. Town Committee Endorsed Slate: a group of prospective candidates for any office receiving the support of the Town Committee as prescribed in the rules.
• C. Complete Slate: ~ group of putative candidates for any offices or designations which includes a name for every available vacancy.
• D. Primary: a meeting held during consecutive hours at which time the enrolled members of the Democratic Party may, without assembling at the same hour, vote by secret ballot for candidates for nomination to public office or for Town Committee members or delegates to conventions.
• E. Caucus: a meeting, at an hour and place designated by the Chairman, of the enrolled party members of the town or a political subdivision thereof for the purpose of selecting “party-endorsed candidates” for Town Committee.
• F. Municipal Office: any office for which only the electors of the Town may vote and includes the office of each elective official, Justice of the Peace, and Judge of Probate.
• G. Party Endorsed Candidates: persons endorsed by the Town Committee for municipal office, or for membership on the Town Committee as prescribed herein.
• I. Opposing Candidates: any person who seeks nomination for office or position as delegate who was not a party-endorsed candidate.
• J. Majority of Vote: more than fifty percent (50%) of the votes cast for any candidate or proposition.
• K. Plurality of Votes: the greatest number of votes cast with respect to any candidate or proposition.
• L. Chairman: as used herein shall mean Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee.
• M. District Leader: person elected by a majority of votes of district members to lead district activities.
• N. Assistant Dtstrict Leader: person appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the District Leader.
• O. State Rules of Democratic Party: the Rules, as amended, adopted by the Democratic State Central Committee.
• P. Local Rules of the Democratic Party: the Rules, as amended, adopted by the Democratic Town Committee of Fairfield, or as provided by Statute.

The Town Commitee shall be a representative body, the powers, duties and membership in which shall be determined in accordance with the following provisions:

• A. Membership. Each district shall be entitled to be represented on the Town Committee at the rate of one Town Committee member for fifty-three (53) registered Democrats, or major fraction thereof twenty-seven (27), residing within such district as determined in accordance with Section IV.A.1.
• B. Meetings. All Town Committee meetings shall be open to any registered Democrat and to such other persons as may be determined by the Town Committee. The Chairman, or, in the Chairman’s absence, the presiding officer, may recognize any one present at the meeting for the purpose of addressing the committee.
• C. Regular Monthly Meetings. The Town Committee shall meet at least eight (8) times per calendar year. Agendas, including time and location of the meetings, shall be mailed to all members of the Town Committee at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. Members may elect, in writing, to receive the notice by electronic mail.
• D. Special Meetings. Special meetings shall be held, in addition to the regular meetings, upon call by the Chairman, or on request of one-third of the Town Committee membership. Such request shall be in the form of a petition and may be filed with any officer of the Town Committee at least 12 days before the date on which the special meeting is requested to be held. The Chairman or, in Chairman’s absence, the Vice Chairman, or, in the absence of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman, the Recording Secretary shall call said special meeting as requested in the petition. Only such business as is described in the call of said special meeting may be transacted. Agendas, including the time and location of the meeting, shall be mailed to all members of the Town Committee, by US. mail or electronically, seven (7) days prior to the date of the special meeting.
• E. Quorum. A quorum of any meeting shall be forty percent (40%) of the current actual membership of the Town Committee.
• F. Term of Office. Members of the Town Committee shall serve for a term of two years, commencing on the day following the day established for holding a primary for election of said Town Committee members and ending on the day established for holding a primary fat’ the election of members of the succeeding Town Committee, or until successors have been duly elected and have qualified.
• G. Town Committee Primary Date. Each Town Committee shall fix the first (1st) Tuesday in March, every even year, for the holding of a primary for the election of Town Committee members. Said primaries shall be conducted in accordance with the Connecticut General Statutes.
• H. Expenditure of party Funds.
• 1. No funds constituting all or part of the treasury of the Democratic Town Committee may be expended for any purpose other than matters affecting nominees for Town, State or National election or the Town Committee as a whole; provided that the treasurer may pay all bills incurred in the normal course of business of the Town Committee or for purposes specifically authorized by the Town Committee or by a campaign finance committee consisting of the four elected Town Committee Officers and, during a municipal election year, the Democratic candidates for First Selectman, Selectman and Town Clerk and, during a State election year, the Democratic candidates for State Representatives and for State Senator provided they are electors of Fairfield, and such other persons as may be appointed by the Town Committee.
• 2. Expenditures of party funds in behalf of the candidacy of any person for election to the Town Committee who was nominated or endorsed by action of the Fairfield Town Committee is prohibited.

• A. Membership Procedures.
• 1. Determining Number of Available Seats Per District. The Democratic Registrar of Voters shall determine the number of Democrats registered in each district based on the last completed enrollment list of the calendar year. The Chairman and the District Leaders shall determine the number of available seats in their respective districts in accordance with Section III.A.
• 2. Nomination for Candidates for Town Committee Membership shall take place during a January meeting of the Town Committee at a specified time as legally noticed. Any Democrat registered in the district shall be eligible to declare candidacy in person or by signed proxy on an official form which will be made available as described below. (see Appendix)
• 3. Availability of Membership Applications. Prior to the January nominations meeting described in Section 2 above, the Chairman or Chairman’s designee shall take the following steps to advise registered Fairfield Democrats of their eligibility to become members of the Town Committee.
• a. placing on the agenda for the regularly scheduled December meeting discussion of the availability of Membership Applications.
• b. mailing applications to all current members of the Town Committee and all other registered Democrats who may be on a list to receive regular mailings from the Town Committee not earlier than the date the regular December meeting is held nor later than 15 days prior to the January nominations meeting.
• c. causing legal notice of such January nominations meeting to be published in a local paper which is widely circulated in Fairfield as described in Section IV.A.3.d.
• d. the Chairman or Chairman’s designee shall publish a Legal Notice in town and area newspapers including date, place(s), and times of all dlstrict caucuses for purposes of nominating or endorsing members not more than thirty (30) days before the date set for the holding of such caucuses. In addition, the Legal Notice shall state the date of the general primary. The Chairman shall attempt to secure such other publicity as is appropriate. (see Appendix for Illustration of Legal Notice)
• 4. Endorsement:
• a. Party-endorsed candidates for Town Committee shall be selected at a district caucus to be held not earlier than the fifty-sixth (56th) day nor later than the forty-seventh (47th) day preceding the day of the primary. (see Section II.G.)
• b. If it appears that there are more candidates for party endorsement at such caucus than there are seats available based upon the formula described in Section III.A. of these Rules, then the Chairman shall have paper ballots, identical in size and color, prepared containing in alphabetical order, either horizontally or vertically, the names of all declared candidates, and the number of district town committee vacancies to be filled. At the caucus, such ballots shall be made available to all persons residing within said district who have enrolled in the Democratic Party prior to the date of said caucus.
• c. Withdrawal from the District Caucus: In the event that a candidate wishes to withdraw from the district caucus, the following procedure shall be observed:
• 1. Formal written withdrawal notice must be submitted to the Chairman or the Chairman’s designee within seventy-two (72) hours after the close of the Town Committee nomination meeting.
• 2. The formal written withdrawal notice must include: Name, Address, Tel. Number, Date and Signature.
• d. The caucus shall be a voting session supervised by the person and such other personnel as shall have been designated by the Chairman as hereinbefore provided, or by such other method as may be prescribed by State Statute or State Party Rules. Voting shall commence promptly at 7:00 p.m. and shall be declared closed at 9:00 p.m. During said hours, only such persons who have been appointed to supervise the balloting may remain at the polling place. Only persons residing within said district who have enrolled in the Democratic Party prior to the date of said caucus may enter the polling place and only for the purpose of voting.
• e. One ballot shall distnbuted to each person qualified to vote at the caucus, which ballot shall be voted in private and deposited in a locked box provided by the Town Committee containing an opening large enough to receive a folded ballot.
• f. Candidates may not campaign or solicit votes within seventy-five (75) feet of the entrance to the polling place.
• g. Adequate personnel, whether Town Committee candidates or not, shall be appointed by the Chairman to supervise the balloting during the said hours; provided all candidates may be present at the counting of the ballots subject to the supervision of the person appointed by the Chairman.
• h. Void ballots shall consist of those which were not prepared and distributed by the Chairman or which contain write-in names, or which contain votes for more or less than the specified number of candidates. All other ballots shall be deemed valid.
• i. The chairman of the meeting shall preserve the ballots and certify the results of the count on forms prepared by the Town Committee to the Chairman who shall declare as “party-endorsed” those candidates from each district who receive the highest number of votes respectively for the number of available places on the Town Committee from such district. Tie votes involving the lowest qualifying candidates shall be broken as provided in Subsection m. of this Section. The Chairman shall cause the names of the party-endorsed candidates to be published as required by State Statute and Subsection k. of this Section.
• j. If it appears that the number of seats available exceeds or equals the number of candidates seeking endorsement for the Town Committee within any district, no ballots shall be prepared or distributed. At the district caucus for such district, the district designee of the Chairman shall cast one ballot in favor of those candidates and they shall thereby be the party-endorsed candidates. Any vacancies for Town Committee membership in said district shall be filled in accordance with the following Section IV.B.l of these Rules.
• k. The Recording Secretary of the Town Committee shall certify to the Municipal Clerk the names and street addresses of party-endorsed candidates selected as provided in Section IV herein of these Rules, and the date upon which the primary is to be held.
• I. Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for the election of Town Committee members shall be made and certified to the Town Clerk not earlier than the forty-ninth day (49th), nor later than the thirty-fifth (35th) day preceding the day of the primary; and shall be published once in a newspaper having circulation in the Town of fairfield.
• m. In the event of a tie vote involving the lowest qualified candidates from a district, such tie vote shall be broken by whichever of the two following methods the Chairman of the Town Committee selects:
• 1. the drawing of a name or names from a receptacle which draw shall be supervised by a disinterested person present at the caucus who is acceptable to the candidates involved; or
• 2. the vote of the Chairman of the Town Committee, but this provision shall not affect Chairman’s right to cast any vote as a member of the Town Committee which Chairman is otherwise entitled to cast.
• n. If a party-endorsed candidate for election as Town Committee member prior to twenty-four (24) hours before the opening of the polls at the primary dies, or prior to ten days before the primary, withdraws their name from nomination, or for any reason becomes disqualified to hold such position, an endorsement may be made to fill such vacancy by the Town Committee by majority vote of those Town Committee district members present and voting at a special meeting called for that purpose. The Chairman of the Town Committee may cast a vote on such nomination to break a tie, but this provision shall not affect Chairman’s right to cast any vote as a member of the Town Committee to which Chairman is otherwise entitled. The Recording Secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the endorsement to fill such vacancy to the Democratic Registrar of Voters.
• B. Vacancy Procedures. A vacancy shall be deemed to exist when any member of the Town Committee shall resign, die, or move out of the Town of Fairfield, or whose name is removed for any cause whatsoever from the Enrollment List. A member who misses three (3) consecutive meetings may be asked to resign by the executive committee.
• 1. Vacancies resulting from failure to endorse at district caucus shall be filled in accordance with the following Section IV.B.2. of these Rules; provided, however, in no event may such vacancy be so filled
  until after the election of Town Committee Officers and District Leaders.
• 2. Any vacancy on the Town Committee arising from any cause after a Town Committee has been elected and qualified, may be filled by a majority vote of the remaining Town Committee members present and voting from the district in which the vacancy exists, provided,
• a. written information satisfactory to the Recording Secretary shall evidence a vacancy. (see Appendix for form of notice) The Recording Secretary shall report the existence of such vacancies to the Town Committee, and shall notify the Corresponding Secretary who shall notice such vacancies as general information on the next possible meeting notice. Such notice shall permit the filling of such vacancy at any time thereafter in accordance with these Rules.
• b. such meeting shall be called by the District Leader of such district for the purpose of filling such vacancy by written notice to the remaining members mailed not later than five (5) days before the date set for such meeting; and further provided,
• c. that Town Committee members present and voting at such a district meeting shall determine by a majority of votes cast the person or persons to fill such vacancy; and further provided,
• d. that if the District Leader fails to hold such a meeting with 30 days after a vacancy exists, then the Chairman shall call such a meeting and shall preside over the meeting but shall not have the right to vote except where the vacancy exists in the district in which the Chairman resides, or in order to break a tie vote; and further provided,
• e. that the filling of such vacancy shall become official upon the filing of a “Fill a Vacancy Application” form as set forth in the Appendix, from the District Leader of the district in which the vacancy exists with the Recording Secretary prior to the date of a regularly scheduled meeting.
• f. The results of any District caucus held for the purposes of filling vacancies shall be considered valid unless and until any district member of the Town Committee challenges such results by protesting to the Chairman within a month of the announcement of the results that such member was not properly notified of said meeting. The Chairman shall investigate the matter and, if the Chairman finds the protest to be justified, shall declare the results invalid.

• A. Election of Officers. Within one week after election, the members-elect of the Town Committee shall meet to elect a Chairman, a VICe-Chairman, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, and such Officers as may be deemed advisable. There shall be a Corresponding Secretary who shall be appointed by the Chairman. All such Officers must be members-elect of the Town Committee.
• B. Term of Office. Officers so elected shall hold office for the term of the Town Committee electing them
  or until successors have been elected and have qualified.
• 1. Vacancy. A vacancy in any such office shall be filled by a majority vote of the Town Committee members, present and voting, at a meeting held for that purpose after specific notice has been mailed not later than five days before the date set for such meeting.
• 2. Meeting to fill vacancy. Such a meeting shall be held within thirty days after the date such a vacancy shall be deemed to exist by the Chairman; provided that if the Chairman fails to hold such a meeting within said time or if the vacancy consists of the office of Chairman, then the Vice Chairman, Recording Secretary, or Treasurer, in that order, shall call such a meeting.
• C. Certification of Officers. Within one week after organization of the Town Committee, the Recording Secretary shall file with the Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee and with the Fairfield Town Clerk, a list of names and addresses of the Officers and members of the Town Committee and the name and address of the Democratic Registrar of Voters.
• D. Election of District Leaders. The Chairman of the newly organized Town Committee shall designate a time and place, which shall be within one week after the election of Officers of the new Town Committee, for a meeting ‘for the purpose of electing District Leaders from each district. The members-elect from each district shall elect a chairman and a secretary of such meeting. Election of a District Leader shall be by majority of votes cast. The results of such vote shall be announced and then transmitted to the Town
  Committee.
• 1. Vacancy. A vacancy in a District Leader’s position shall be filled by the Chairman who shall call a district meeting for filling such vacancy and who shall preside over the meeting.
• 2. Voting. The Chairman shall not have the right to vote except where the vacancy exists in the district in which the Chairman resides, or in order to break a tie vote.

• A. Chairman. The Chairman shall have the power and duty of calling special meetings, presiding at regular and special meetings, making statements and publishing correspondence in the name of the Fairfield Democratic Town Committee, in addition to such other powers and duties as may be prescribed by State Statute, implied by these Rules, or by majority vote of the Town Committee.
  The Chairman may appoint an attorney who is a member of the Town Committee to act as a legal advisor to the Town Committee.
• B. Vice Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall preside at Town Committee meetings in the absence of the Chairman; and shall, in addition, serve in such other capacities as may be determined by the Chairman or by vote of the Town Committee.
• C. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall have authority to sign checks and issue same upon authority of the Town Committee or the campaign finance committee as described in Section III.H.1. The Treasurer shall have authority to receive and collect money in the name of and in behalf of the Town Committee. The Treasurer shall prepare and maintain books of account showing all receipts and expenditures of money and shall give monthly reports of the financial condition of the Town Committee at regular monthly meetings. The Treasurer shall open and maintain a bank account in the name of the Town Committee. The Treasurer shall turn over to the Treasurer’s successor all such records and funds on hand. The Treasurer shall have the responsibility of becoming familiar with campaign financing laws and regulations. The Treasurer shall appoint an Assistant Treasurer who shall assist the Treasurer and have all the duties and authority of the Treasurer in the Treasurer’s absence. There shall be at least one biennial audit of the Treasurer’s books and accounts, completed at least thirty (30) days before the termination of the term of the Town Committee. Such audit shall be conducted by one or more persons appointed by the Chairman who are experienced in bookkeeping and accounting.
• D. Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall prepare, maintain and make available to Town Committee member’s minutes and permanent records of all Town Committee proceedings; and shall certify elections and endorsements as provided by these Rules and State Statutes.
• E. Corresponding Secretary. The Corresponding Secretary shall prepare and send correspondence and shall send all notices of meetings, elections, and acts of the Town Committee requiring notice.
• F. District Leaders. District Leaders have three main responsibilities: 1) to serve as an advisory committee to the Town Committee; 2) to coordinate Democratic Party election activities within their own districts; and 3) to communicate and inform Town Committee members of their district regarding matters of political interest.
• 1. In the capacity as advisory committee to the Town Committee, the District Leaders shall meet as a committee at monthly intervals or at such times as they may by the Rules provide. In addition, the District Leaders’ committee may be convened by the Chairman or by a majority of their number.
• a. Absences. In the absence of the District Leader, the Assistant District Leader shall attend. If neither can attend, the District Leader, or in District Leader’s absence the Assistant District Leader, shall designate another member of the Town Committee from that district to attend.
• b. Voting. Only District Leaders or their designees as described in a. above and the four elected Officers shall have the right to vote provided no person has more than one (1) vote.
• c. Others Attending. The Town Committee Officers and such others as the District Leaders invite may attend but shall not vote.
• d. Voting Results. Results of the votes may be reported to the Town Committee by the Chairman and wilt be regarded as not binding the Town Committee.
• 2. In the capacity as coordinator of election activities within their own district, District Leaders shall: a) obtain candidates for Representative Town Meeting (R.T.M.), b) obtain Poll Workers for all elections in cooperation with the Democratic Registrar of Voters, and c) assign election duties, such as get-out-the-vote calls, absentee ballot activities, runners, unofficial checkers, staffing of district headquarters, to the Town Committee members from their district. In the event a District Leader is unable to fulfill any of these duties that District Leader shall assign another member from that district to act as election coordinator.
• 3. In the capacity as coordinator of activities within their own districts, District Leaders may convene district meetings and shall inform all members of the district and the Chairman of the Town Committee of the meeting.

• A. Endorsement Procedures. The Town Committee, at a meeting called for that purpose, shall select party-endorsed candidates for delegates to conventions as provided herein:
• 1. Selection of Delegates. A list of candidates shall be determined by the District Leaders and Officers of the Town Committee at a meeting duly warned for that purpose not less than five (5) days before the date of such meeting. The list of candidates shall consist of a number of candidates, equal to the number of delegates to which the town may b~ entitled under State or local Rules, who receive a plurality of the votes of the District Leaders.
• 2. Notice of Candidates. Said list shall be mailed to all Town Committee members together with a notice of a Town Committee meeting to be held for the purpose of endorsing delegates to conventions at least ten (10) days before the date set for such meeting; and other names may be presented for party endorsement at the Town Committee meeting, provided such names are delivered to the Chairman or to the Corresponding Secretary of the Town Committee not later than twelve (12) noon on the fifth (5th) day before the date set for such meeting.
• 3. Notice of Additional Candidates. On the fifth (5th) day before the day set for such meeting, not later than twelve (12) midnight, the Corresponding Secretary shall mail, postage prepaid, notice of such names to all Town Committee members.
• 4. Preparation of Ballots. Party endorsed candidates for delegates to conventions shall be determined by secret ballot, a sufficient supply of which shall be prepared and made available at the meeting by the Chairman in accordance with Section N.A.4.b.
• 5. Void Ballots. The candidates who receive a plurality of votes of Town Committee members present and voting shall be declared party-endorsed delegates to conventions. Void ballots shall be so declared in accordance with Section N.A.4.h.
• 6. Lack of Additional Candidates. If there are no names submitted in accordance with Section A.3 herein, then the list of names as provided in accordance with Section A.2 shall be submitted for approval of the Town Committee as provided herein.
• 7. Certification of Delegates to Conventions. The Recording Secretary of the Town Committee shall certify to the Municipal Clerk the names and street addresses of the party-endorsed candidates selected as provided herein, and the position as delegate for which such person is endorsed and the date upon which
  the primary is to be held.
• B. Alternates. The chosen delegates shall have the power to name their own alternates and said names shall be submitted to the Chairman within one (1) week for the election of said delegates by the Town Committee to any particular convention.
• C. Vacancy Procedures.
• 1. If for any reason the Town Committee fails to make sufficient endorsement of candidates for delegates to conventions, the provision of Title 9, Chapter 144, Section 110 of the 1958 Revision of the Connecticut General Statutes, as may be amended from time to time, shall govern.
• 2. Vacancies: Other. Vacancies in party-endorsed delegate slate or alternate delegate slates shall be filled by the Chairman convening a meeting of the District Leaders, along with the Town Committee Officers, for purposes of resolving such vacancies when time permits and shall be certified in accordance with the Rules herein.
• D. Primaries for Delegates to Conventions. Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for the election as delegates to conventions shall be made and certified to the Town Clerk not earlier than the fifty-sixth (56th) day, nor later than the forty-seventh (47th) day preceding the day of the primary, and shall be published in a newspaper having circulation in the Town of Fairfield.
  Candidates for delegates to conventions chosen as provided herein shall run In the primary for such office as party endorsed candidates; provided any such candidates shall be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the office for which he is a candidate if no valid opposing candidacy has been filed for nomination within the time provided by State Statutes.
• E. Election of Chairman of the Delegation. Delegates to conventions shall, at a meeting called by the Chairman for that purpose[ elect a chairman of the delegation who shall be a delegate to that convention.

• A. Endorsement Procedures.
• 1. Selection of Party-Endorsed Candidates. The Town Committee, at a meeting called for that purpose, shall select party-endorsed candidates for each town-wide municipal office.
• 2. Selection of Candidates for Representative Town Meeting CR.T.M). Candidates for R.T.M. shall be selected by a majority vote of Town Committee members present and voting from their respective voting districts at a meeting called for that purpose.
• 3. Votes Resulting in a Tie. Except as otherwise provided[ if a vote taken on the selection of a party-endorsed candidate results in a tie, such tie vote shall be dissolved by the vote of the Chairman of the Town Committee, but this provision shall not affect Chairman’s right to cast any vote as a member of the Town Committee which Chairman is otherwise entitled to.
• 4. Certification. The Recording secretary of the Town Committee shall certify to the Municipal Clerk the names and street addresses of the party-endorsed candidates for town-wide office and R,T.M. positions, and the title of the office or position. Each party endorsement of a candidate to run in a primary for nomination of candidates for municipal office shall be made and certified to the Town Clerk not earlier than the forty-ninth (49th) day, nor later than the thirtY-fifth (35th) day preceding the day of the primary; and shall be published once in a newspaper having circulation in the Town of Fairfield.
• B. Vacancy Procedures.
• 1. Vacancies in Nominations. Vacancies occurring in nominations for any reason shall be filled in the same manner as the selection of such candidates in accordance with Section A. above. The Recording secretary of the Town Committee shall immediately certify the nomination to fill such vacancies to the Secretary of State and the Municipal Clerk
• 2. Failure to Endorse Sufficient Candidates. If, for any reason, the Town Committee fails to make sufficient endorsement of candidates for municipal office, the provisions of Title 9, Chapter 144, Section 110 of the 1958 Revision of the Connecticut General Statutes, as same may be amended from time to time, shall govern,
• C. Primary. Candidates for municipal office chosen as provided herein shall run in the primary for such office as party-endorsed candidates; provided any such candidate shall be the nominee of the Democratic Party for the office for which he is a candidate if no valid opposing candidacy has been filed for nomination within the time provided by State Statute.

These Rules may be amended by the Town Committee as provided in Section A below or by convention as provided in Section B below.

• A. Amendment of Rules by the Town Committee. These Rules may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Town Committee members present and voting at a special meeting of the Town Committee called for that purpose.
• B. Amendment of Rules by Convention. Alternatively, State Statute provides that these Rules may be amended by a convention under the procedure set forth below.
• 1. Petition. Upon the filing of a petition with the Democratic Registrar of Voters of Fairfield, signed by five percent (5%) of the electors whose names appear on the last completed enrollment list of the Democratic Party of the Town of Fairfield, the said Registrar of Voters shall notify the Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, who shall call for an election to be held on the fourteenth (14th) day after such notification for the purpose of electing delegates to a convention to be held twenty-one (21) days after said notification to amend the Rules of the Democratic Party of Fairfield. The form for this petition shall be prepared and procured from the Democratic Registrar of Voters.
• 2. Supervision of Election. The election called for this purpose shall be under the direction and supervision of the Democratic Registrar of Voters who shall organize procedures for its conduct which are in general conformity with those regularly used at elections in the Town of Fairfield. Said Registrar of Voters shall be available to outline and discuss those election procedures with all interested parties.
• 3. Slate of Delegates. The Town Committee shall elect a slate of delegates to such convention, said slate to be determined by plurality of the votes cast for candidates nominated at the meeting for such office.
• 4. procedures for Election. Voting shall be by paper ballot for the delegates nominated on an at-large basis. The Democratic Registrar of Voters shall choose the name and location of the polling place for each district. Said Registrar of Voters shall decide on the number of and then appoint all election officials required. Said Registrar of Voters shall appoint at least one such official to represent the Town Committee and one to represent the opposition group or groups in each polling place. All election officials shall be enrolled on the last completed Democratic primary list. The delegates receiving a plurality of ballots shall be declared the elected delegates to the convention. Moderators’ returns for this election shall be made to the Democratic Registrar of Voters at Registrar’s office and result thereof shall be declared by the Chief Moderator of the election.
• 5. Legal Notice. At least five (5) days before the election, the Recording Secretary of the Town Committee shall publish notice in a newspaper having a circulation in the Town of Fairfield, such notice shall specify the purpose, the date, the location and the hours during which the polling shall be open.
• 6. Cost of Election. The cost of the election, required to be held under the provisions of this Section, shall be equally divided between the Town Committee and the opposition group or groups. An estimate of the cost of such an election and convention shall be made by the Town Committee at a meeting called for that purpose. Fifty percent (50%) of the amount of such estimate in the form of cash or certified check, payable to the Treasurer of the Democratic Town Committee, shall be deposited with the Registrar of Voters at the time the petition as provided in paragraph “An is filed. Said cash or certified check shall forthwith be turned over to said Treasurer for the purpose of defraying a share of the cost of election.
• 7. Convention. The convention held for the purpose of amending the Rules of the Democratic Party of Fairfield shall be held on the Seventh (7th) day following the date of the election provided in Section 4 above. Said convention shall be called to order by the Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee and the Recording Secretary of the Democratic Town Committee shall be the temporary secretary thereof. A majority of election delegates present and voting shall decide any question properly brought before this convention.

Democratic district caucuses shall be held in the Town of Fairfield, Conn., for the purpose of selecting party-endorsed candidates for the Democratic Town Committee on

January 21, 1986, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. at

Fairfield Woods Jr. High School.

(Or, at the following places, listing district number and location.) i.e.: District 1, Old Field School 2, Mill Hill School etc.

The Primary date for the election of Town Committee members shall be March 4, 1986.