Bylaws

I. Name

1.1 The name of this local chapter of the Green Party of Colorado is The Denver Green Party.

II. Purpose and Values

2.1 The purpose of this organization is to work towards a Green society as represented by the Ten Key Values of the Green Party of the United States. These values are as follows:

  1. Ecological Wisdom
  2. Grassroots Democracy
  3. Community Based Economics and Economic Justice
  4. Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
  5. Nonviolence
  6. Decentralization
  7. Respect for Diversity
  8. Feminism and Gender Equality
  9. Personal and Global Responsibility
  10. Future Focus and Sustainability

2.2 The Denver Green Party’s expression of the 7th and 8th Key Values, as well as of the Third Pillar of the Green Party (Social Justice) causes it to declare that we are an anti-oppression party, actively dedicated to the work of ending capitalism and dismantling white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. As such, expressions of sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and other oppressive behaviors are not in keeping with the values of this party.

2.2.1 Further, the Denver Green Party explicitly rejects the false ideas of reverse racism, misandry, etc., because we understand the role of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy, etc. in the oppression of our comrades of all colors, genders, and sexual orientations. While prejudice may exist against white people, against men, against cisgender people, against straight people (or any other privileged group), this prejudice is not oppression because there are no institutional power structures designed to disenfranchise these privileged groups.

2.3 The Denver Green Party may use various methods to affect social change, including but not restricted to: campaigning for electoral offices, petitioning for or supporting ballot initiatives, generating public input, community organizing, demonstrations, cross-coalition collaborations, and educational campaigns and outreach. We recognize that in legitimate, legal instances of direct action, violence is typically initiated by the state, and in keeping with the 5th Key Value (Non-violence), self-defense may be necessary to avert grave injuries or fatalities.

2.3.1 In order to properly implement the methods described in 2.3, officers should also adhere to these values described in sections 2.2 and 2.2.1, and they should do everything within their capacity to help develop the consciousness of their membership, so as to create a welcoming, safe space in which to build collective power, with women, people of color, people with disabilities and the entire spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community and the homeless.

2.3.2 The leadership of the Denver Green Party is also charged with working toward creating opportunities for solidarity with the white working class and all economically-oppressed communities so that mutual understanding and shared collective power can be built.

2.4 The Denver Green Party may develop a platform regarding issues of local, regional, national, or international concerns, as deemed appropriate by the membership. The Denver Green Party may also adopt the platform of the state or national party.

2.5 The Denver Green Party shall only endorse and promote those candidates who are registered Green in the state of Colorado, for non-partisan or partisan state, local and federal offices or those candidates for President of the United States nominated at the Green Party of the United States’ presidential nominating convention, except as indicated in section 7.5 below.

III. Membership

3.1 To be a member of the Denver Green Party, one must be a registered voter of the Green Party of Colorado and reside in Denver County. Members of the Denver Green Party must also agree:

  • to support the Ten Key Values and this party’s interpretation thereof;
  • must abide by the bylaws of the Denver Green Party and the Green Party of Colorado;
  • agree to support/promote only the candidates nominated or endorsed by this local, the Green Party of Colorado and the Green Party of the United States; and
  • should generally agree with the local party platform and the state and national party platforms.

Members of the Denver Green Party must comport themselves in a way that represents the organization positively. Members meeting these criteria are considered members in good standing.

3.2 Membership shall be open to anyone regardless of race, gender expression, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, appearance, or physical ability.

3.3 Voting Members of the Denver Green Party are members of the Denver Green Party that have the ability to vote on this local’s officers, its representatives to Green Party of Colorado Council, nominations for Green Party candidates running for an office relevant to Denver or Congressional District 1, official positions of the Denver Green Party, and a platform or platform items of the Denver Green Party.

3.4 To be eligible to be a Voting Member of the Denver Green Green Party, one must have been a member in good standing according to section 3.1 for at least 30 successive days and pay monthly dues of at least $5 per month to the Denver Green Party. The dues requirement may be waived partially or entirely to those that are unable to pay, on a case-by-case basis and communicated to an officer of the Denver Green Party.

3.4.1 Registered Greens who are not residents of Denver county may apply for membership if there is no Green Party of Colorado-recognized local in the county of their residence. They will be bound by all the requirements for membership and comportment, as well as granted all rights afforded voting members that are residents of Denver county. Such individuals may make their wishes known to an officer of the Denver Green Party, and their membership will be presented to the local for consensus/vote at the next available meeting.

3.5 Voting Members are considered inactive and will not be considered for the purposes of quorum if they have missed two (2) consecutive official votes. These members will be restored to active status after an affirmative vote by the voting members. Members that have not resided in Denver County area for a duration greater than 6 consecutive weeks will be considered inactive and not eligible to vote until their residency in Denver County has been restored. Exceptions can be made for those voting members who are facing a housing crisis as a result of the local economy.

3.6 The membership of an individual in the Denver Green Party may be revoked for failing to abide by the Ten Key Values as interpreted by this party, for disrupting the work of the Denver Green Party, or for acting in a way that represents the organization in an unfavorable manner. A vote of the Voting Members at a local meeting is required to revoke membership in the Denver Green Party. Any individual must be informed of the potential revocation of membership at least two weeks prior to the vote and have a chance to speak in their defense or prepare a written statement to be read at the meeting where the vote is held. The revoked membership of an individual in the Denver Green Green Party can be appealed and reversed by the Voting Members by vote at a local meeting.

3.7 Persons who do not meet the membership requirements of the Denver Green Party as stated in 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 may attend and participate in meetings, but they shall not have the ability to vote, block proposals, serve as officers or candidates of the Denver Green Party, serve as State Council representatives, national representatives, or portray themselves as representing the Denver Green Party.

IV. Structure

4.1 Meetings shall be called by the Co-chairs by notification of members to an extent as reasonably possible, at least one week if possible before the proposed meeting.

4.2 Decisions will be by consensus if possible or if not then by a simple majority, except as noted elsewhere. All officers as well as active Voting Members shall have the right to vote.

4.3 Decisions concerning policy, objectives, or creation or deletion of an office requires a consensus or a vote of a quorum of at least 75% of the Voting Members, or a vote by Voting Members at a local meeting.

4.4 Decisions may be made by email, using an email service that records whether members have opened the email. For votes made by consensus, a “no response” will be interpreted as consensus after opening the email has been recorded.

V. Officers

5.1 Officers shall include two Co-chairs, Secretary and Treasurer. These four will be chosen in odd number years at a designated meeting in either March or April.

5.1.1 Representatives to State and National Conventions will be chosen at a local meeting. In the event of a vacancy of an officer position, a Co-chair may fulfill the duties of the vacant position or delegate another officer to do so until a new officer is elected.

5.1.2 It is the goal of the Denver Green Party to achieve gender diversity in the election of officers; therefore, individuals of any self-identified gender expression are encouraged to serve.

5.2 Members voting for officers must meet the requirements stated in sections 3.1, 3.3, and 3.4.

5.3 If a Denver Green Party officer’s position is vacated in between official meetings, the other officers may make a temporary appointment to be affirmed by a vote of the Voting Members of the Denver Green Party.

5.4 Officers shall be elected by the Voting Members of the Denver Green Party. Voting Members of the Denver Green Party that are in good standing shall be eligible to run for an office of the Denver Green Party. The candidate with the greatest number of votes shall be elected to the office. Ranked-choice voting may be used to conduct these elections.

5.5 If any officer or State Council representative of the Denver Green Party is found to be in contempt of the goals or bylaws of the Denver Green Party or the Green Party of Colorado, recall proceedings may be initiated by any three Voting Members. A quorum of 75% of the Voting Members, or a two thirds vote of the Voting Members present at a local meeting where notice of the agenda for the meeting as an officer recall meeting has been announced for at least 14 days is required to achieve the recall of an officer.

5.6 Representatives of the Denver Green Party on the Green Party of Colorado State Council shall be chosen by a vote of the Voting Members by means of approval voting.

VI. Officer Duties

6.1 Co-chairs will set the initial agenda for meetings seeking input from members prior to the meeting, take action on expedient matters, and act as representatives to the press on local issues or delegate such duties. Co-chairs may form committees to handle specific tasks (such as a website committee) and will be considered the spokespersons for the Denver Green Party.

6.2 The Treasurer shall have charge of the books of the Denver Green Party and account monthly for all moneys collected and disbursed, as well as file required financial reports at local, State and Federal level. Disbursement of funds should be approved at a regular meeting or, if time sensitive, by the officers’ unanimous consent.

6.3 The Secretary is to maintain a list of the members in good standing, Voting Members, officers, and representatives to the Green Party of Colorado Council. In addition, the Secretary is responsible for taking and archiving meeting minutes. The Secretary will maintain a copy of the bylaws with any current amendments, forwarding the same to the Green Party of Colorado and any governmental unit requiring a copy, and maintain a list of those organizations requiring a copy. The Secretary will attempt to get minutes and/or bylaws to any member in good standing who requests them.

VII. Candidates

7.1 Any regular meeting may constitute itself as a vetting agent for the Denver Green Party, or the Voting Members may approve a vetting committee created by the Co-Chairs consisting of Denver Green Party members in good standing.

7.2 Voting Members will be responsible for nominating Green Party of Colorado candidates to run for local political office in partisan elections based on the principle of one person one vote. An officer of the Denver Green Party shall forward those nominations for ratification to the state nominating convention.

7.3 Members voting for the nomination of a candidate must have been registered in the Green Party of Colorado for at least 30 days prior to voting and must meet the requirements stated in sections 3.1, 3.3, and 3.4.

7.4 Candidates nominated by the Denver Green Party must meet the following criteria:

  1. A candidate should endorse the Ten Key Values as interpreted by this party and shall use these values as a basis for their political decision-making.
  2. A candidate must be a registered elector of the Green Party of Colorado at least 60 days prior to seeking nomination and should comply with any eligibility requirements of the Green Party of Colorado. The party registration requirement of the Denver Green Party will take precedence.

7.5 The Denver Green Party may also endorse only candidates registered unaffiliated (UAF) for partisan or nonpartisan races, provided their positions conform to the Ten Key Values as interpreted by the Denver Green Party, as well as the concepts presented in the entire Sections 2.2 and 2.3 of these Bylaws. The process for endorsement shall follow Sections 7.1 and 7.2 of these Bylaws.

VIII. Amendments

8.1 These bylaws may be amended by a two thirds vote of the Voting Members present at a local meeting where notice of the agenda for the meeting as a bylaw meeting has been announced for at least 14 days.

8.2 A copy of adopted bylaws will be maintained by the Secretary and Co-chairs.

passed by consensus on 11/20/2016
updated on 9/2/2018
previous bylaws at https://denvergreenparty.org/previous-bylaws/