CONSTITUTION (AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION)
LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF IOWA
A Non-Profit Association

ARTICLE I:  NAME

    The name of the association shall be the "Libertarian Party of Iowa" hereinafter referred to as the "Party."

ARTICLE II:  DURATION AND DISSOLUTION

    The duration of the Party shall be perpetual.  In event of dissolution, all assets would go to the (National) Libertarian Party, a non-profit association.

ARTICLE III:  PURPOSE

    The purpose for which the Party is organized is to implement and give voice to the principles embodied in the Statement of Principles by:

  1. Nominating candidates for nationa, state, and local offices and supporting candidates for political office.
  2. Entering into political information activities.

ARTICLE IV:  OFFICERS

    Section 1.  The officers of the Party shall be a Chairperson, and Recorder, and a Treasurer.  All of these officers shall be elected at each Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year by the attending delegates and shall take office immediately upon the close of the Convention and serve thereafter until the final adjournment of the next Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year.

    Section 2.  No offices shall be combined.

    Section 3.  The Chairperson shall preside at all conventions and all meetings of the Executive Committee.  He or she shall be the chief executive officer of the Party.

    Section 4.  The Recorder shall perform the duties of the Chairperson in the event the Chairperson is, for any reason, unable to perform the duties of that office, shall be the recording officer of the Party, and shall provide, or make provision for, legal services to the Party.

    Section 5.  The Treasurer shall receive, expend, and account for the funds of the Party under the supervision and direction of the Chairperson and Executive Committee.

    Section 6.  Except as otherwise provided herein, the officers of the Party shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE V:  EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

    Section 1.  The Executive Committee of the Party shall be composed of the following:

  1. The three elected officers of the Party and the immediate past Chairperson;
  2. At least four and no more than eleven members elected at each Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year, so as to be representative of the state as prescribed by the Bylaws.  In the event that a maximum number of people have not been elected in an odd-numbered year, then new members may be added at a Regular Convention in an even-numbered year to serve a one year term on the Executive Committee.

    Section 2.  The Executive Committee shall take office immediately upon the close of the Regular Convention occurring in odd-numbered years, and serve thereafter until the adjournment of the next Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year.

    Section 3.  Any Executive Committee member, including any officer, may be suspended, that is, denied the authority to perform his or her specific functions, by a two-thirds vote of the entire Executive Committee.
        The position of a suspended member shall be declared vacant unless the suspended member appeals to the Judicial Committee within three days of notification of suspension.  If the suspension is appealed, the Judicial Committee must rule within thirty days.  If the Judicial Committee upholds the suspension by a three-fourths majority, the position of the suspended member will be declared vacant.  If the Judicial Committee fails to uphold the suspension, the member shall be reinstated.

    Section 4.  If a vacancy in the Executive Committee should occur through the above procedure or through the resignation, death or disability of a member, the Executive Committee shall appoint new members (including officers) to complete the term of the office vacated.

    Section 5.  The Executive Committee shall have the control and management of all the affairs, properties, and funds of the Party consistent with this Constitution.

    Section 6.  The Executive Committee shall meet in a manner, time and place as prescribed in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE VI:  CONVENTIONS AND CAUCUSES

    Section 1.  The Party shall hold a Regular Convention every year at the time and place selected by the Executive Committee.

    Section 2.  For all Regular Conventions, Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be elected to be representative of the State as prescribed by the Bylaws.  In addition, the Executive Committee members shall automatically be entitled to Delegate status.

    Section 3.  A duly selected Alternate may be freely substituted for the Delegate who is temporarily or permanently absent from the floor.

    Section 4.  The State Executive Committee, by a three-fourths majority vote of the Executive Committee membership, may call a Special Convention.  Delegates must be notified two weeks prior to the convention.
         These conventions shall consist of the state officers and all eligible delegates to the last annual convention.  Such a Special Convention cannot take the place of an annual convention.  Only those matters mentioned in the call to the convention may be considered at a Special Convention.

    Section 5.  The Executive Committee, by a three-fourths majority vote of the Executive Committee membership, may call a Caucus of Eligible Electors representing this political organization for making one nomination of a candidate for each office to be filled at a general election.  The Executive Committee shall name the officers of such Caucus.

ARTICLE VII:  COMMITTEES

    Section 1.  There shall be a standing Judicial Committee, composed of 3 to 9 members exclusive of the Executive Committee.  The Judicial Committee shall be elected at each Regular Convention occurring in an odd-numbered year, and shall serve the same term as the Executive Committee.  In the event that a maximum number of people have not been elected in an odd-numbered year, or if other vacancies occur, then new members may be elected at Regular conventions in an even-numbered year to serve the remainder of the term.   The Judicial Committee may fill any vacancies occurring between conventions.  The Judicial Committee shall select its own chairperson.

    Section 2.  At least one month prior to each Regular Convention, the Executive Committee shall appoint a Credentials Committee, a Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee and a Platform Committee, including the chairperson of each committee, as follows:

  1. The Credentials Committee shall consist of one member from each congressional District when available, exclusive of Executive Committee members.
  2. The Constitution, Bylaws and Rules Committee shall consist of 3 to 5 members.
  3. The Platform Committee shall consist of at least three members, including one member from each Congressional District when available, plus one member-at-large.   Additional at-large members may be appointed if necessary to meet minimum requirements.

ARTICLE VIII:  PLATFORM

    Section 1.  The Party shall adopt a Platform at its first Regular Convention.  Said Platform shall include, but not be limited to, the Statement of Principles of the (National) Libertarian Party and the implementation of these principles contained in the Statement, in the form of Planks.

    Section 2.  The Statement of Principles affirms that  philosophy upon which the Libertarian Party is founded, by which it shall be sustained, and through which Liberty shall prevail.

    Section 3.  The Platform, other than the Statement of Principles, may be amended by deletion, substitution, or addition or any Plank by the Convention Delegates in session and voting.  The substitution of a new Plank for an old Plank, or the addition of a new Plank, shall require approval by a vote of 90% of the Delegates in session voting.  A Plank may be deleted from the Platform by a vote of 50% of the Delegates in session voting.  A Plank must not be in violation of, or in contradiction to, the Statement of Principles.
         If any Member of the Judicial Committee considers a Plank in violation or in contradiction to the Statement of Principles, it may be deleted only by a unanimous vote of the Committee.

ARTICLE IX:  NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES

    Section 1.  Nomination of candidates for U.S. Senator and the executive offices of Iowa will normally be made   only at the Regular Convention held preceding the election.  Nominations of candidates may be made by a Caucus of Eligible Electors.  Under special circumstances, a candidate for political office can be nominated at any convention.  To be nominated at a convention in a year that does not contain an election, a candidate must:

  1. File notification of intention to seek the Party nomination for a particular office by registered mail with the Chairperson of the Party at least 30 days prior to the convention, and
  2. The person's candidacy must be approved by convention Delegates.

    Section 2.  Nominations shall be made from the convention floor by the Delegates.  All balloting shall be done by secret ballot.

    Section 3.  Delegates may vote for "NOBODY" and such a vote or votes will be treated the same as a vote for a candidate.

    Section 4.  If, after a ballot, no candidate has attained a majority vote, all nominees who have received less than 10% of the total vote shall be struck from subsequent ballots.  If, after two ballots, no candidate has attained a majority vote, the candidate with the least votes shall be struck from the subsequent ballots; this procedure shall be repeated after each ballot in which no candidate has received a majority vote, until one candidate or "NOBODY" attains a majority.  If "NOBODY" achieves a majority vote, then the Party will have no candidate for that position.

    Section 5.  If a Caucus of Eligible Electors is called, Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this Article shall apply, with Eligible Electors as the Delegates.

    Section 6.  The candidacy of any person for any office may be disavowed by a three-fourths vote of the entire membership of the combined Judicial and Executive committees, meeting in joint session.

ARTICLE X:  REPRESENTATION TO THE (NATIONAL) LIBERTARIAN PARTY

    Delegates and Alternate Delegates shall be selected as prescribed by the Bylaws in numbers permitted by the (National) Libertarian Party.  One of the Delegates shall be the State Chairperson, if he or she chooses to take the position.

ARTICLE XI:  MEMBERSHIP

    Members shall be those persons whose State Party dues are current.  The following statement shall appear on the membership application form: "Libertarians believe that all people have the right to live their lives in any manner they choose so long as they do not initiate force or fraud against others."

ARTICLE XII:  JUDICIAL COMMITTEE

    In addition to the responsibilities set forth in Articles V and VIII, the Judicial Committee shall be responsible for the following:

         Disciplinary actions against any Party Member shall be in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, except as otherwise provided herein.

ARTICLE XIII:  BYLAWS

    Section 1.  The Executive Committee shall follow the Bylaws.

    Section 2.  The Bylaws of the Party may be amended by a majority vote of the Delegates at any Regular Convention of the Party, or by a vote of three-fourths of the Executive Committee at any other time.

ARTICLE XIV:  CONVENTION GOVERNMENT

    Conventions of the Party shall be governed by the current Convention Rules and Bylaws, unless otherwise amended at a Regular Convention.

ARTICLE XV:  OPEN MEETINGS

    Section 1.  All meetings in the Party shall be open to all Members.

    Section 2.  The secret ballot may not be used for any committee decision.  The secret ballot may be used for elections.

ARTICLE XVI:  AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

    This Constitution may be Amended by a 90% vote of the Delegates at any Regular Convention.