ARTICLE 0: Defined Terms

Section 1. By-Law

1. A governing document that aids in defining the structure of an organization, its purpose, how the organization will run its affairs, and the duties and responsibilities of those involved, by providing more specific details that are not sufficiently detailed through the Constitution.

Section 2. Comeback Bid

1. In the event a candidate does not succeed in their contest, they may for any vacant Executive Board position down the order of succession; in the same election cycle.

Section 3. Contest

1. The specific races for candidacy of a vacant Executive Board position. At least one contest is held during an Election.

Section 4. Election

1. An event where a formal and organized choice by vote of a person for a position is held.

Section 5. Non-University

1. Any persons not affiliated with the University or are no longer affiliated with the University (e.g. Alumni).

Section 6. Open Agenda

1. The section of an established meeting where there are no predetermined topics or goals. Any topic that has not been previously discussed may be introduced.

Section 7. Order of Succession

1. The order in which the Executive Board members assume the powers and duties of the President in their absence.

Section 8. Position Paper

1. Written documents that establish an organization’s stance on an issue or idea.

Section 9. Quorum

1. The presence of a majority of the voting membership of the respective meeting.

Section 10. Service Project 

1. Volunteering for a political campaign or community service project through the Cornell Democrats, including but not limited to canvassing, phone banking, or other fieldwork that contributes to the well-being of the Cornell and Ithaca communities. 

Section 11. Subordinate

1. Lower in rank or priority.

Section 12. Umbrella

1. An Inter-organizational group, entity, or committee, both internal and external to the University

ARTICLE 3: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership eligibility.

• The organization shall consist of both undergraduate and graduate students of Cornell University who are interested in the purpose of the College Democrats of New York who shall be approved by the Officers.

• Members of registered student organizations must be registered, matriculated full-time students at their respective Cornell University campuses (i.e., Ithaca, Geneva, NYC Tech). Part-time students, non-matriculated students, students on a leave of absence, or students who are abroad may not serve as officers, eboard, and/or voting members of student organizations. It is the responsibility of the Advisor to collaborate with the President to ensure that all officers are full-time students on their campus. If one of your officers has a change in status that will require them to step down from their position, please contact the Campus Activities Office. General members may be students, faculty, staff, or community members

• The Democrats at Cornell University complies with Cornell University Policy 6.4 of Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct. This policy is also outlined in the Big Red Guidebook.

Section 2. General membership expectations.

General Body

• All meetings of the General Body shall adhere to the New York State Open Meetings Law.

• The Cornell Democrats shall plan to hold one general membership meeting weekly .

  • Exceptions to this rule are during official University holidays and breaks, as determined by the University.

  • The President may call to order additional meetings of the General Body as deemed necessary, provided that said meetings are held in adherence to the New York State Open Meetings Law and the Constitution.

• Four members are the minimum number of voting members who must be present at a properly called meeting to conduct business in the group's name.

  • All Officers must be present to transact business.

• All meetings must have an agenda and be scheduled and notify members at least 48 hours prior to the meeting

Section 3. The Officers reserve the right to remove any member (based on the unanimous decision of the Officers and Advisor) through the following grounds:

• Violation of rules and regulations outlined in the Cornell Student Policies and/or Student Code of Conduct.

• Failure to uphold the provisions of the constitution and bylaws.

• Does not act in the best interests of the organization and/or is engaged in activity jeopardizing the organization's existence.

Section 4. Active Membership:

• Members shall be recognized as “active” after having attended at least one general body meeting (G-body), committee meeting, or service project during the semester.

  • Attendance in an executive meeting or a general body meeting where elections are being held shall not count towards fulfilling membership requirements to the Cornell Democrats.

• Members who have not attended at least one general body meeting (G-body), committee meeting, or service project during the semester, or are part-time students, non-matriculated students, students on a leave of absence, or students who are abroad, shall be considered “inactive.”

article 4: Student Code of Conduct

Section 1. All members must follow local, state, and federal laws, Cornell University rules, and the organization’s constitution at all functions.

Section 2. All members will abide by Cornell University Policies, specifically policy 6.4: Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct.

Section 3. In case of a violation and/or an active University investigation, the following are options (Note: Many University investigations are confidential, and there is no obligation for the University office to share information about a case):

a. Members involved in an active University investigation may receive a temporary suspension or limited membership as determined by a unanimous decision of the Officers and Advisor.

b. Members found violating university policy may be permanently removed as members as determined by a unanimous decision of Officers and Advisors.

Article 5: Executive Board of Officers

Section 1. Composition

The Executive Board shall comprise of eight positions (in order of succession):

1. President

2. Executive Vice President

3. Vice President of Finance

4. Administrative Secretary

5. Vice President of Membership

6. Vice President of Political Affairs

7. Vice President of Communications

8. Vice President of Service and Philanthropy

The Executive Board shall have the power to create ad-hoc positions and elect persons to those positions for a limited purpose, and for a limited time that shall not exceed one academic year.

The creation and election of such positions are to be done with a ⅔ majority vote of the Executive Board.

Ad-hoc positions are not voting members of the Executive Board.

Section 2. President

The President shall:

• Be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cornell Democrats.

• Carry out the mandates, policies, and directives of the Executive Board.

• Ensure that The Democrats at Cornell University’s activities and members follow all Cornell University policies.

• Be the official representative and spokesperson of the Cornell Democrats, both internal and external to the University.

• In consultation with the Executive Board, make all appointment recommendations within the Cornell Democrats.

• Be the Presiding Officer of the Executive Board meetings and the general body meetings of the Cornell Democrats.

• Shall consult with the Executive Board in the fulfillment of their duties and responsibilities, as outlined in the Constitution.

• Monitor and oversee committee membership and productivity along with the Executive Vice President.

• Manage membership/affiliation operations with Umbrellas with the approval of the Executive Board along with the Executive Vice President.

• Define the priorities of the Cornell Democrats during its tenure.

• The president may establish these priorities in consultation with the rest of the Executive Board.

• Ensure all officers are full-time students on their campus.

• Delegate all unassigned tasks deemed necessary for the Cornell Democrats to Executive Board members as seen fit.

Section 3. Executive Vice President

The Executive Vice President shall:

• Be the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Cornell Democrats.

• Ensure that The Democrats at Cornell University’s activities and members follow all Cornell University policies.

• Shall assist the President in the coordination of operations within the Executive Board.

• Oversee the completion and submission of all relevant registration & paperwork for the Cornell Democrats, including but not limited to:

  • 25Live or other room reservation mediums/platforms

  • CampusGroups

• Maintain records of Cornell Democrat’s Inventory, which include but are not limited to:

  • Item

  • Quantity of Item

  • Location of storage

  • Past Usage

  • Vendor/Source of item purchased

• Shall be the ex-officio members of every committee in Cornell Democrats.

• Monitor and oversee committee membership and productivity along with the President.

• Manage membership/affiliation operations with Umbrellas with the approval of the Executive Board along with the President.

• Assist the Vice President of Membership in developing programming dedicated to new member retention.

• Draft amendments in the event the Constitution or any governing documents of the Cornell Democrats conflict with the guidelines & bylaws of the University & local, state, and federal government, such that all governing documents are in compliance with each other.

• Review draft amendments, resolutions, and position papers and make recommendations to the Executive Board.

Section 4. Vice President of Finance

• The Vice President of Finance shall:

• Be the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Cornell Democrats

• Be responsible for all budgetary and fiscal matters of the Cornell Democrats.

• Ensure that the monies are handled in accordance with University financial policies.

• Keep a detailed record of all monies allocated to and raised by the Cornell Democrats.

• Manage the bank account, the receipts, and all fiscal paperwork of the Cornell Democrats.

• Have the ability to strike down proposed budgetary or operational actions of the Cornell Democrats in the event they are deemed not in accordance with University financial policies or are unable to be feasible fiscally.

  • In the event the treasurer is to strike down a proposed budgetary or operational action of the Cornell Democrats, this may be overruled by a two-thirds (⅔) majority vote of the Executive Board.

• Direct fundraising activities and prepare all grant submissions

• Process all necessary reimbursements of the Cornell Democrats

• Deliver a monthly report to the Executive Board that will outline the current financial state of the Cornell Democrats thus far at that time.

• Deliver a semesterly report to the Executive Board that will outline the overall financial state of the Cornell Democrats within the respective semester & recommendations for the next semester.

Section 5. Administrative Secretary

The Administrative Secretary shall:

• Be the Chief Records Officer (CRO) of the Cornell Democrats

• Be responsible for maintaining a current and accurate record of all bylaws

• Take minutes, or ensure that minutes are taken, at all meetings

  • If the Secretary is unavailable, they shall designate another Executive Board Member to take minutes.

• Ensure the minutes of open meetings are available to the general membership.

• Establish and finalize the agendas for meetings of the executive board and general body membership.

• Promulgate information to Cornell students of campaign subgroups, the requirement to create them, and any other pertinent information about subgroups.

• Inform the general body of the agenda of the upcoming general body meeting at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

• Record and disseminate changes to any governing documents of the Cornell Democrats to the membership within two weeks of adoption.

• Keep abreast of campus politics and organize on-campus operations.

  • Direct outreach efforts by fostering strong relationships with other student groups and their operations, encouraging cosponsorship and cooperation in directing events.

• Maintain alumni relations by keeping them connected and up-to-date with the organization, its mission, and its operations.

• Ensure meetings and governing documents of the Cornell Democrats adhere to the New York State Open Meetings Law.

• Manage and keep updated the website of the Cornell Democrats.

Section 6. Vice President of Membership

Vice President of Membership shall:

• Be the Chief Membership Officer (CMO) of the Cornell Democrats

• Organize recruitment and registration of new members at the beginning of each semester, including at Clubfest.

• Assist members who want to establish committees on certain policy and political issues with setting up the committees.

• Assign interested members to existing committees.

• Maintain membership records of the organization, including a list of committees and committee membership.

• Set up and lead trainings prior to phone-banking, canvassing, and all other activities that the Executive Board deems necessary.

• Organize social events for the Cornell Democrats to improve community cohesion and strengthen relationships within the club.

• Have the ability to draft bylaws for the Cornell Democrats in conjunction with the chair of each respective committee.

Section 7. Vice President of Political Affairs

The Vice President of Political Affairs shall:

• Be the Chief Campaign Officer (CCO) of the Cornell Democrats

• Supervise and work to build campaign subgroups.

• Lead organization-wide campaign efforts.

• Educate members on the skills and activities relevant to campaign work.

• Shall coordinate with campaigns or other organizations to ensure resources are being properly allocated or distributed.

• Resources include but are not limited to:

  • Campaign literature

  • Rideshares/Transportation

• Plan events relevant to Democratic politics & policy, civic engagement, and other related initiatives.

• Maintain contacts with elected officials, parties, and other related entities at the local, state, and national levels.

• Coordinate for speakers to appear at Cornell Democrats meetings and/or events.

• Section 8. Vice President of Communications

• The Vice President of Communications shall:

• Be the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the Cornell Democrats

• Be the principal manager of all mediums and platforms of communication of the Cornell Democrats.

• Be responsible for the creation of flyers for general body meetings as well as events for all mediums and platforms.

• Be responsible for all public dissemination of information of the Cornell Democrats.

• Draft Press Release Statements and distribute them to relevant media groups upon approval.

• Manage an up-to-date list of internship opportunities and disseminate them to the Cornell Democrats membership.

Section 9. Vice President of Service and Philanthropy

The Vice President of Service and Philanthropy shall:

• Be the Chief Philanthropy Officer (CPO) of the Cornell Democrats

• Be the vice-chair of the Budget & Finance Standing Committee

• Research and recommend non-profit organizations for the Cornell Democrats to fundraise for.

• Organize community service events/projects/initiatives for Cornell Democrats.

• Deliver a report to the Executive Board that will outline the aftermath/result of such community service within a week after the event.

• Organize a faculty/speakers/formal dinner, fundraisers, and other philanthropic events & activities.

• Deliver a report to the Executive Board that will outline the aftermath/result of such philanthropic activity within a week after the event.

• Organize social events/projects/initiatives for Cornell Democrats.

Section 10. Terms of Service.

• No individual shall hold a specific position as Officer for more than five semesters. Grounds for removal of an officer include:

  • Violation of rules and regulations outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.

  • Failure to uphold the provisions of the constitution and bylaws

• The term in office for the subsequent Executive Board shall commence immediately following the end of the spring academic semester of the current academic year, and said term in office shall terminate immediately following the end of the spring academic semester of the subsequent academic year.

Section 11. Impeachment

• A voting member of the Executive Board may be impeached, and subsequently removed from their respective position in office for violations of the Constitution or other Cornell Democrats governing documents.

• To initiate the impeachment of a member of the Executive Board, a member of the Cornell Democrats shall present the articles of impeachment (including the list of charges and supplemental materials) to any other Executive Board member.

  • In the event it is a member of the Executive Board that wishes to present the articles of impeachment against another member of the Executive Board, they shall only fulfill the role of “member of the Cornell Democrats” and shall not fulfill the role of “other Executive Board member” simultaneously.

  • The articles of impeachment shall be included into the agenda of the next Executive Board meeting.

  • In the event where an Executive Board Meeting has not been scheduled after the submission of articles of impeachment, the President shall call to order an additional meeting of the Executive Board on the impeachment process, provided that said meeting is held in adherence to the New York State Open Meetings Law and the Constitution.

  • The articles of impeachment shall not be included in the agenda of the Executive Board Meeting via Open Agenda or amendment of the agenda itself.

  • The Executive Board shall be notified immediately upon the inclusion of the agenda, with the specific charges mentioned.

  • The Executive Board member with articles of impeachment filed against them is then considered to be charged.

  • Upon inclusion into the agenda, an impeachment proceeding must be held, presided over by the President.

    • The Presiding Officer for the impeachment proceeding shall follow the order of succession, and shall skip Executive Board members that have been charged.

• Impeachment proceeding shall only be conducted via Executive Session, with the inclusion of the witnesses that have submitted the articles of impeachment.

  • Witnesses that have submitted the articles of impeachment shall have the opportunity to present their evidence in favor of removal of the charged Executive Board member during the impeachment proceedings.

• The charged Executive Board member shall have the opportunity to present any counter-evidence and present a defense during the impeachment proceedings.

• After each side has presented their case, ⅔ majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board is needed for the charged Executive Board member to be removed from office.

• If the charged Executive Board member does not attend the impeachment proceedings, one rescheduling of the proceedings shall be permitted before the Executive Board member in question is automatically removed from the Executive Board.

  • Upon removal from office, the Executive Board member position shall be considered vacant.

Section 12. Appeal Process

• After a charged officer has been removed from office, they shall have seven (7) calendar days to appeal the removal.

  • In the event that an appeal has been made, the appointment process shall be temporarily halted until the appeal process is resolved.

• The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board and must include any relevant information that has not already been presented. The appeal shall then be sent to the Legislative & Vetting Review Standing Committee for their recommendation.

• The Articles of Impeachment, Appeal, and Executive Board Decision, and Recommendation from the Legislative & Vetting Review Standing Committee shall be presented to the General Body at the next available General Body Meeting.

• The general body shall only be made aware of an appeal for Articles of Impeachment, but shall not be made known of further details unless they attend the aforementioned General Body Meeting.

• Upon presentation of all relevant documents and decisions, a ⅔ majority vote of the present general body is needed for the appeal to be accepted.

  • In the event the appeal has been accepted, any progress on the appointment process shall be suspended.

Section 13. Elections.

Eligibility:

• All active members of the Cornell Democrats are deemed eligible to run for any Executive Board positions within Cornell Democrats.

  • Part-time students, non-matriculated students, students on a leave of absence, or students who are abroad may not serve as officers, executive board, and/or voting members of Cornell Democrats.

• The members of the Executive Board for the subsequent academic year shall be elected at least before the last day of classes of the spring academic semester of the current academic year.

  • This will be known as the general election for the Cornell Democrats.

• To declare candidacy for an Executive Board position, the prospective member must do so during the candidacy declaration period.

  • The medium in which the candidacy declaration period is held shall be under the discretion of the current Executive Board.

  • The candidacy declaration period is required to be open to all members at a minimum of 7 days, with the final day of the candidacy declaration period being 2 days prior to the day of the election. The candidacy declaration period must be adequately notified to all members of the Cornell Democrats.

  • An eligible member may nominate themselves or be nominated by another voting member as a candidate for an Executive Board position from the floor of the General Body meeting when elections are being held.

    • They must do so before any debate, deliberation, or voting is held for that position.

    • They will be considered a candidate once they have been nominated and another voting member has seconded their nomination

• The role of Presiding Officer for the duration of a Cornell Democrats election shall follow the order of succession and shall skip Executive Board members that have declared candidacy for any Executive Board position.

• In the event no person is available to be the presiding officer, the executive board shall appoint a Presiding Officer for the duration of the Cornell Democrats election via simple majority, with priority given to active non-Executive Board members.

• The order in which contests are held shall follow the order of succession.

• All candidates will be granted 2 minutes of speaking time. This is referred to as the speaking period of the contest.

  • In the event a candidate is not able to attend the election in person, accommodations shall be made at the discretion of the Executive Board. Such accommodations may include but are not limited to:

  • Accepting a written statement and having it read to the general membership.

  • Recording a video in advance of the appropriate time limit outlined in this Article, and have said video be played at the time of their race in place of a speech.

  • Set up a virtual meeting for the candidate to attend the election.

    • If attending virtually, the candidate shall be considered present for the election.

• All candidates will respond to a total of 3 questions and have 1 minute to respond to each. This is referred to as the questioning period of the contest.

  • All questions shall apply to all present candidates in their respective elections.

  • Questions that directly target some candidate(s) shall be overruled by the Presiding Officer and not count towards the number of questions.

• The Presiding Officer of the election shall have the right to establish a discussion period as seen fit

  • Candidates will not be present during the discussion period

  • The Presiding Officer shall have the ability to establish the time limit for the discussion period.

• Vote counting and declaration of winner will occur directly after the questioning or discussion period.

  • Candidates will not be present during the voting period.

  • All votes shall be cast and counted during a Cornell Democrats election.

• Candidates for an Executive Board position are restricted from voting in their respective elections.

• Active Members shall be permitted to vote by absentee ballot if they notify the Executive Board of their inability to vote in person at least one week prior to elections.

  • The circumstances and parameters in which the absentee ballot will be distributed and accepted are at the discretion of the Executive Board but must be made clear to the membership of Cornell Democrats at the start of the candidacy declaration period.

• The members of the Executive Board shall be elected during a Cornell Democrats election by a majority (above 50%) of the votes cast for the respective position. The format of voting for each election shall be a ranked-choice voting method.

  • If none of the candidates have received a majority of the votes cast for the respective position, the candidate with the fewest votes will be dropped from the race, and the dropped ballots shall be re-distributed to their next choice. This repeats until a candidate has received the majority of the votes.

  • In the event of a tie after ranked preferences have been tabulated, an immediate re-vote between the tied candidates shall be held.

    • The Presiding Officer shall have the authority to re-introduce a discussion period if deemed necessary.

      • Guidelines of such a discussion period shall be in compliance with Clause h and it’s subclauses from this section of the Constitution

• The contents of this section shall be shared with all voting members by the presiding officer a day before the election.

Section 14. Appointments

• In the event that a member of the Executive Board were to vacate their position, except for the position of President, (due to leave of absence, resignation, impeachment, etc.), the President shall appoint a person to fill said vacated position.

  • Said appointment shall be in compliance with the Constitution.

• Said appointment shall be made within two weeks of said position being vacated, and the appointee shall serve the remainder of the respective position’s term in office

• Said appointment shall be approved by a ⅔ majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board.

• In the event the appointment is not made within two weeks or does not gain the ⅔ approval of the filled positions of the Executive Board, a special election shall be held to fill the vacancy of the position.

  • This special election shall be in compliance with the Constitution.

• In the event that the President were to vacate their position (due to leave of absence, resignation, impeachment, etc.), the next available member of the Executive Board in order of succession shall assume the role of President for the remainder of the term.

  • The now vacated positions shall be filled in accordance with the Constitution.

• If deemed necessary by the Executive Board, two Political Directors shall be elected/appointed.

  • A ⅔ majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board is needed to enact this clause.

  • Order of succession between the two political directors shall be established by seniority of assumption of office.

Section 15. Responsibilities

Both elected and appointed officers shall be responsible for their duties as listed in this constitution.

Each officer shall also establish and maintain a working relationship with the General Membership, Executive Board, and all other officers, advisors, chairs, committees, and staff necessary to perform their duties.

Section 16. Officer Transitions.

• Each officer shall maintain a record of their position, including budgets and activities of the office, to provide to incoming officers following elections.

• Outgoing officers shall also make every effort to assist in the transition process, including helping to ensure that incoming officers are aware of their responsibilities.

Article 6: Advisor

Section 1. Advisor selection.

• Any faculty or staff member at Cornell University capable of corresponding with the university in the official and legal matters of the Democrats at Cornell University.

• University/Department advisors are assigned by the university/department to oversee an organization.

Section 2. Responsibilities of the advisor.

• Attend general body and/or executive board meetings when needed

• Meet regularly with the organization's President to stay updated and serve as a resource

• Assist with the annual registration process

• Assist with the funding process

Section 3. Term of service.

• There is no limit to how long the advisor may hold the position subject to the advisor acting in the organization’s best interests, does not violate any Cornell University Policies rules and/or Student Code of Conduct, and is not engaged in activity jeopardizing the organization's existence.

ARTICLE 7: Meetings

Section 1. Executive board.

• All meetings of the Executive Board shall adhere to the New York State Open Meetings Law.

• The Executive Board shall meet at least weekly during the academic semesters.

  • Exceptions to this rule are during official University holidays and breaks, as determined by the University.

  • The President may call to order additional meetings of the Executive Board as deemed necessary, provided that said meetings are held in adherence to the New York State Open Meetings Law and the Constitution.

• Quorum shall be required for all meetings of the Executive Board.

• ​​All voting members of the Executive Board shall be required to attend meetings of the Executive Board, unless excused at the discretion of the President.

• Any voting member of the Executive Board has the right to move into executive session.

  • A ⅔ majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board is needed to enact this clause.

Section 2. All members.

• Hold general meetings once a week as decided by the organization members each semester based on academic obligations.

• All meetings of the General Body shall adhere to the New York State Open Meetings Law.

• The Cornell Democrats shall hold one general membership meeting weekly.

  • Exceptions to this rule are during official University holidays and breaks, as determined by the University.

  • The President may call to order additional meetings of the General Body as deemed necessary, provided that said meetings are held in adherence to the New York State Open Meetings Law and the Constitution.

• Four members are the minimum number of voting members who must be present at a properly called meeting to conduct business in the group's name.

  • All Officers must be present to transact business.

• All meetings must have an agenda and be scheduled and notify members at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Section 3. Quorum and Referendum.

• Four members are the minimum number of voting members who must be present at a properly called meeting to conduct business in the group's name.

• All Officers must be present to transact business.

Article 8: Amendments and Ratification

Section 1. This constitution shall become effective once uploaded to CampusGroups during the annual re-registration process.

Section 2. Ratification process

• The constitution on file in CampusGroups is uploaded annually during the re-registration process and is valid until amendments are made.

• This constitution must be ratified again once every academic year and re-uploaded to the CampusGroups group file.

• Any changes to the constitution must be shared with Campus Activities as a revised constitution for review.

Section 3. Effective

• This constitution shall become effective once uploaded to CampusGroups during the annual re-registration process.

Section 4. Amendments

• Amendments to any governing & relevant documents covered within this article may also be:

  • Introduced from the floor at a general body meeting and must be submitted to the Operations Director in writing.

• A ⅔ majority vote of the present general body is necessary for the passage of the amendment. The result of the vote must be reflected in the meeting minutes. A quorum is required.

• All amendments must be promptly submitted to the Office of Student Campus Life for final approval.

Article 9: Governing and Relevant Documents

Section 1. Resolutions

• Approval of Resolutions must be done so with a simple majority vote of the present membership of the filled positions of the Executive Board

Section 2. Position Papers

• Position Papers may also be Introduced from the floor at an Executive Board meeting.

• Approval of Position Papers statements must be done so with a ⅔ majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board.

Section 3. Press Release Statements

• Press Release statements may also be introduced from the floor at an Executive Board meeting or via email sent to all members of the Executive Board.

• Approval of Press Release statements must be done so with a ⅔ majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board.

Section 4. Endorsements

• Endorsements may be made to any Democratic political candidate and/or policy, or third party candidates that caucus with Democrats or uphold values in line with the Democratic Party.

• The Executive Board shall compile a short list of candidates running in federal, state, municipal, and Cornell-wide elections.

• The Political Director shall present the platform of each of the short-listed candidates to the general body for their consideration.

• The general body membership shall vote to endorse one candidate for each race by ranked-choice voting requiring a ⅔ majority.

• In relevant elections where the Cornell Democrats do not officially endorse a candidate, the Cornell Democrats shall facilitate the dissemination of information for all Democratic candidates in that race.

Section 5. Bylaws

Function of Bylaws

Bylaws serve to:

• Ensure transparency and accountability within the chapter’s operations. 

• Provide mechanisms for resolving disputes and handling disciplinary matters which are more specific than the Constitution. 

• Outline the structure and functions of committees and other sub-groups within the chapter as they are created. 

• Explain, in more depth, the year-to-year operations, plans, and goals of the chapter. 

• Establish further specifications for governing documents not previously established.

• Approval of Endorsement must be done so with a simple majority vote of the filled positions of the Executive Board

Article 10: College Democrats of New York

Section 1. Members of the Cornell Democrats shall, on behalf of the general body membership, serve as voting delegates to the College Democrats of New York (herein ‘CDNY’).

Section 2. The President, or their designee, shall serve as the voting delegate to the CDNY.

Section 3. Additional representatives of Cornell Democrats to the CDNY shall be appointed by the President from among nominated voting members of the Executive Board and General Body.

Article 11: Committees

Section 1. All Committee meetings shall adhere to the New York State Open Meetings Law.

• Exceptions to this rule are during official University holidays and breaks, as determined by the University.

• The President or the chair of each respective committee may call to order additional meetings of the aforementioned committee as deemed necessary, provided that said meetings are held in adherence to the New York State Open Meetings Law and the Constitution.

Section 2. There shall exist two types of committees of the Cornell Democrats.

• “Standing Committees of the Cornell Democrats” shall be permanent committees of the Cornell Democrats.

• The Executive Board may establish Standing Committees by a majority vote.

• A Standing Committee will remain in existence indefinitely from their establishment until a majority of the Executive Board votes to dissolve it. 

• The existence of Standing Committees is not impacted by the end of the Academic Year.

• Chairs of Standing Committees must be approved by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

• Standing Committees may be used by the Executive Board to assist in the governance and leadership of the organization.

• Standing Committees may have a broad remit to address issues related to their founding mission

• “Ad-Hoc Committees of the Cornell Democrats” shall be temporary committees. 

• Any voting member of the Cornell Democrats may request the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee from the Executive Board, which can approve it by a majority vote. 

• Ad Hoc Committees exist for a limited amount of time outlined in the initial request.

• If a specific time is not agreed upon at the establishment of an Ad Hoc committee, it will cease to exist at the end of the year. 

• The member who requests the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee will serve as its chair, unless the Executive Board votes otherwise.

• Ad Hoc Committees are formed to address specific issues in a limited manner.

Section 3. All Committees shall have Bylaws outlining the fundamental duties and structure of the committee.

• The creation of said Bylaws shall be shared between the Vice President of Membership and the chair of each respective committee.

Article 12: Fundamental Structure

Section 1. The Constitution of the Cornell Democrats stands as the paramount legal framework governing the organization. Consequently, any other governing documents within the Cornell Democrats that clash with the Constitution are rendered subordinate and overridden by its provisions.

• The Constitution shall be rendered subordinate and overridden by University, local, state, and federal guidelines & bylaws.