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SPECIAL RULES OF PROCEDURE
FOR THE SELECTION MEETING OF
THE SWEETWATER COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY

TO SELECT THREE (3) PERSONS QUALIFIED TO FILL A VACANCY IN A COUNTY OFFICE

TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR APPOINTMENT

 

  1. DEFINITIONS

    1. “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Sweetwater County Republican Party or their Designee.

    2. “Central Committee” means the Central Committee of the Sweetwater County Republican Party as defined by Wyoming State Statute, consisting of Precinct Committeemen and Precinct Committeewomen, including their proxies, in attendance.

    3. “Executive Committee” means the duly elected officers of the Sweetwater County Republican Party.

    4. “Selection Process” means the process to select three (3) candidates for nomination to fill a declared vacancy.

    5. “Quorum” means those Central Committee members present and credentialed in accordance with party by-laws.

    6. “Voting Thresholds”: Unless otherwise specified, all voting thresholds in these rules shall be calculated based on the members of the Central Committee present and voting at the meeting, provided a quorum is present.

    7. “Candidate” means a person who has applied to fill the vacancy in a county office.
       

  2. RULES OF PROCEDURE

    1. All rules not otherwise provided by statute or party by-laws shall be interpreted by the Chairman, subject to appeal to the Central Committee.

    2. These rules are adopted upon a majority vote of the Central Committee.

    3. Once adopted, these rules may be changed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Central Committee.

    4. Decisions of the Chair may be overruled by a majority vote of the Central Committee.
       

  3. RECESS AND ADJOURNMENT

    1. The Chairman may recess the meeting for up to fifteen (15) minutes, or for such additional time as reasonably necessary to allow the Teller Committee to complete its duties.

    2. Additional recesses may be approved by a majority vote of the Central Committee.

    3. The Central Committee shall remain in session until three (3) candidates are selected.

    4. A motion to adjourn prior to completion requires a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Central Committee.

    5. If adjourned early, the meeting shall reconvene at the earliest practicable time to fulfill statutory obligations.
       

  4. PARTICIPATION AND VOTING

    1. Only Central Committee members present, or their properly authorized proxies in accordance with Section 5, may vote.

    2. Participants include Central Committee members, Executive Committee member, Chairman’s designees, and eligible candidates.

    3. The public may observe but may not participate.
       

  5. PROXY VOTING

    1. Proxies must comply with WS 22-4-114 and county by-laws.

    2. Each proxy must be a registered Republican from the same precinct.

    3. No person may hold more than two (2) proxies.

    4. Each proxy shall be issued a separate ballot.
       

  6. CREDENTIALS COMMITTEE

    1. The Chairman shall appoint an odd-numbered Credentials Committee of at least three (3) members.

    2. The committee shall report eligible voters and valid proxies.
       

  7. TELLER COMMITTEE

    1. The Chairman shall appoint an odd-numbered Teller Committee of at least three (3) members.

    2. Teller Committee members shall not be candidates in the Selection Process.

    3. The Teller Committee shall distribute, collect, tally ballots, and report results.
       

  8. SERGEANT-AT-ARMS

    1. Appointed by the Chairman to maintain order and manage candidate movement.
       

  9. TIMEKEEPER

    1. Appointed by the Chairman to enforce time limits.
       

  10. PARLIAMENTARIAN

    1. May be appointed by the Chairman to advise on procedure.
       

  11. CHAIRMAN’S DESIGNEE

    1. The Chairman may appoint a designee to perform assigned duties.
       

  12. NOMINATIONS

    1. Candidates meeting application requirements by the deadline shall be considered nominated.

    2. Upon approval by a majority vote of the Central Committee, the floor may be opened to additional nominations.

    3. If fewer than three (3) candidates apply, nominations shall be accepted from the floor.
       

  13. DISQUALIFICATION

    1. The Chairman, with authorization by a majority vote of the Central Committee, may disqualify a candidate for failure to meet statutory eligibility requirements or for material noncompliance with application requirements, including failure to meet application deadlines.
       

  14. ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION

    1. The Chairman shall decide eligibility based on official voter registration records.
       

  15. CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS CANDIDATES

    1. Candidates who are Central Committee members may vote.

    2. Such candidates shall otherwise be treated as candidates and be sequestered as provided in Section 18.
       

  16. BALLOTS

    1. Voting shall be by secret paper ballot.

    2. A ballot containing fewer selections than the maximum allowed shall be valid.

    3. A ballot containing more selections than permitted or multiple votes for the same candidate shall be void in its entirety.

    4. Illegible names may be excluded without invalidating remaining valid selections.

    5. Any vote cast for a person who has not been properly nominated or who is determined to be ineligible shall not be counted. Such vote shall be disregarded without invalidating the remaining valid selections on the ballot.

    6. All determinations are subject to review by the Chairman and appeal to the Central Committee.
       

  17. CAMPAIGN MATERIALS

    1. Campaign materials may be distributed prior to the meeting.

    2. Campaign signs are prohibited during the Selection Process.
       

  18. CANDIDATE SEQUESTRATION

    1. Candidates shall remain in a separate waiting area.

    2. Candidates will be called individually.

    3. No cell phones or other electronic communication devices, including but not limited to smartwatches, tablets, or similar devices, shall be permitted in the waiting area.

    4. Upon completion of all candidate statements and the question phase, candidates shall be released from sequestration and may be present in the meeting room for the remainder of the Selection Process.
       

  19. CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

    1. Each candidate may speak for up to three (3) minutes.

    2. Order shall be determined by lot.

    3. The Chairman or their designee may ask follow-up questions.
       

  20. TIME LIMITS

    1. Time limits may be established or adjusted prior to each phase of the Selection Process.

    2. The Chairman or their designee may extend time limits at his or her discretion if reasonably necessary.
       

  21. FIRST ROUND VOTE

    1. If more than six (6) candidates are nominated, a first-round vote shall be conducted.

    2. Each member may vote for up to six (6) candidates.

    3. All candidates receiving at least one (1) vote shall be eligible to advance, up to a maximum of six (6) candidates.

    4. If more than six (6) candidates receive votes, only the six (6) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall advance.

    5. If less that six (6) candidates receive votes, only those candidates receiving votes shall advance to the Second Round Vote.

    6. If only three (3) candidates receive votes in the First Round, Section 22.4 will apply.

    7. Ties for the sixth position shall be resolved by runoff vote, as provide in Section 25.

    8. If six (6) or fewer candidates are nominated, no First Round Vote shall be conducted. In such case, the Chairman may combine the candidate statement and question phases into a single appearance for each candidate, and the Central Committee shall proceed directly to the Second Round Vote.
       

  22. SPECIAL PROCEDURE FOR EXACTLY THREE CANDIDATES

    1. If exactly three (3) candidates are nominated, each candidate shall be permitted to make a statement in accordance with Section 19.

    2. The Chairman or their designee may ask follow-up questions in accordance with 19.3.

    3. No vote shall occur until all candidate statements have been completed.

    4. Committee may, by majority voice vote, recommend all three (3) candidates as nominees without further balloting. No written ballot shall be required unless ordered by a majority vote of the Central Committee.
       

  23. QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES

    1. Following the First Round Vote, if applicable, or following candidate statements if no First Round Vote is conducted, only the remaining six (6) or fewer candidates shall proceed to the question phase.

    2. Questions may be submitted in writing by members of the Central Committee.

    3. The Chairman, in consultation with the Teller Committee, shall select up to five (5) relevant questions.

    4. Each candidate shall be asked the same questions.

    5. Each candidate shall respond individually and shall not exceed two (2) minutes per answer.

    6. Candidates not currently being questioned shall remain sequestered and shall not observe the questioning of other candidates.

    7. In addition to the standardized questions, the Chairman or their Designee may ask follow-up or individualized questions as needed.
       

  24. SECOND ROUND VOTE

    1. Each member may vote for up to three (3) candidates.

    2. The three (3) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be selected as the three (3) Final Selected Nominees.

    3. Ties for the third position shall be resolved by runoff vote, as provide in Section 25.


 

  1. TIED CANDIDATES

    1. If a tie affects the selection of one or more of the positions, only the tied candidates shall proceed to a tie-breaking process.

    2. Tie-breaking shall be conducted solely among the tied candidates and shall not reopen voting for any other candidates or positions already determined. Candidates not involved in the tie shall not be eligible to receive votes during the tie-breaking process.

    3. The tie-breaking process shall consist of:

      1. one additional vote limited to the tied candidates;

      2. if a tie persists, an additional runoff vote limited to the tied candidates;

      3. if the tie remains unresolved, the tie will be broken by the selection of lots.

    4. Votes conducted under this section are solely for resolving the tie and shall not be considered a new or full round of voting.
       

  2. WITHDRAWAL

    1. A candidate may withdraw at any time prior to the final vote.
       

  3. FAILURE TO SELECT THREE CANDIDATES

    1. If fewer than three (3) eligible candidates remain at any stage, nominations may be reopened by a majority vote of the Central Committee.
       

  4. FINAL SELECTED NOMINEES

    1. The three (3) Final Selected Nominees shall be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners as Nominees for Appointment.

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