By-Laws
Republican Executive Committee
ARTICLE I
The name of this organization shall be the Tippah County Republican Executive Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, or County Executive committee, being a political organization located in Tippah County, Mississippi.
ARTICLE II
As the principal organizational arm of the Republican Party at the County level, the Committee will develop an active and vigorous effective political organization within the County, support the principles, objectives, and platforms of the Mississippi Republican Party, work for the election of the candidates of the Republican Party, including but not limited to conducting the Primary elections, and encourage and support the election of all duly nominated Republican candidates in the County.
ARTICLE III
Membership in the Committee shall consist of persons who are qualified electors under the laws of the State of Mississippi, who are in accord with the statement of principles of the Republican Party, and who desire to be members of the Tippah County Republican Executive Committee. Only members in good standing (ARTICLE XIII, Section 3) are eligible to vote on Committee business.
ARTICLE IV
Section 1: A County Convention shall be held in the year 2024 and every four (4) years thereafter at a time and place fixed by the statutes of the State of Mississippi or as otherwise designated by the State Executive Committee. The Convention shall elect delegates and alternates to the Mississippi Republican State Convention, elect a County Executive Committee, adopt platforms, statements of principles, and perform any other duties either prescribed by the laws of the State of Mississippi or not prohibited by said laws.
Section 2: The County Executive Committee shall give notice of the time and place of such Convention in a manner conforming to the laws of the State and the By-Laws of the Mississippi Republican Party. In addition, a notice of the date, time and place of the precinct caucuses shall be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation within the precinct. Notice shall be published not more than 30 days nor less than 5 days before the date of the precinct caucus.
Every effort should be made to distribute caucus instruction and procedure packets to each precinct, as provided by the Central Committee of the Mississippi Republican Party.
Section 3: All Tippah County precinct caucuses are to be conducted on the day designated by the State Central Committee. Each precinct caucus is to be held at its precinct voting location.
An interim Precinct Caucus Chairman shall be appointed by the County Chairman and provided with a form for reporting caucus attendance and proceedings. The first order of caucus business shall be the election of a Precinct Caucus Chairman. Each Precinct Caucus Chairman shall then conduct the election for one delegate and one alternate to the County Convention. All voters and nominees must reside within the precinct.
Section 4: Duly elected precinct delegates and alternates must post notice of their election on the door, or other prominent location within view of their voting location, to further inform the public of a lawfully held Precinct Caucus. Each Precinct Caucus Chairman shall present to the County Convention the names of the delegate and alternate elected from his precinct. Objections to any nominations should be made on the same day as the Precinct Caucus by an appointed member of the County Executive Committee to verify posted notification at the aforementioned precinct location. If the County Executive Committee is unable to resolve the objection to the delegate and/or alternate nomination, the matter shall be handed over to the State Executive Committee for a final ruling on the dispute.
Section 5: The officers of the County Executive Committee shall be the officers of the Convention.
Section 6: The officers of the County Executive Committee shall by majority vote appoint a parliamentarian and a sergeant-at-arms to facilitate an orderly convention. The appointees need not be members of the County Executive Committee.
Section 7: A majority of the duly certified delegates shall constitute a quorum and shall have the power to transact any business unless otherwise provided for herein. Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (12th Edition released September 2020) shall govern the procedure of this Convention unless the Convention should adopt a set of Convention Rules by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
ARTICLE V
PROXIES:
No proxies shall be authorized by a committee or convention of this Party, except that this shall not be construed to prohibit duly elected alternate delegates from acting and voting for delegates in County, State or National Conventions.
ARTICLE VI
COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
Section 1: The County Executive Committee, duly elected every 4 years as described in Article IV, shall consist ideally of eighteen (18) members and no more than thirty-six (36) members. The entire County Convention will elect three (3) members from each Supervisor’s District, when available, plus three (3) members at-large. Immediately after the County Convention the new Executive Committee will meet to elect its officers. By a majority vote, the Executive Committee may appoint additional at-large members not exceeding the maximum Committee size of thirtysix (36) members.
Section 2: Nonvoting advisory membership in the County Executive committee shall be conferred automatically upon Republican officeholders and the Chief Executive or the designee of a Republican organization properly recognized under Section 1 of Article XI.
Section 3: All vacancies in the County Executive Committee shall be filled by the Committee with qualified electors at-large. Vacancies will be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. No vacancies shall be filled by appointment.
Section 4: The County Executive Committee shall do and perform all acts specifically required of a County Executive Committee by the laws of the State of Mississippi.
Section 5: One-third or more members of the County Executive Committee, plus at least one officer of the County Executive Committee, shall constitute a quorum and shall have the power to transact any business at a duly called or regularly scheduled meeting unless otherwise provided herein. Notice of all meetings of the County Executive Committee shall be given to the members. Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of the Committee, unless the Committee adopts a set of Committee Rules by a two-thirds (2/3) vote.
Section 6: The County Executive Committee shall meet quarterly on the second Tuesday of each quarter or at such time as may be necessary upon the call of the County Chairman or majority vote of the members of the Committee.
Section 7: All members of the County Executive Committee, as well as advisory members, shall be given reasonable notice of all called meetings.
Section 8: The County Executive Committee shall have the control and management of all the affairs and properties of the Republican Party in Tippah County, Mississippi, except when the County Convention is in actual session.
ARTICLE VII
SLATE NOMINATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY: There shall be no voting by unit to elect predetermined slates of precinct delegate nominees, county delegate nominees, or Executive Committee nominees. All nominations shall be individually nominated and voted upon.
ARTICLE VIII
OFFICERS:
Section 1: County Chairman: The County Chairman shall be elected by the County Executive Committee in the manner herein set forth. He shall serve as the Chairman, and preside at all meetings, of the County Convention and Executive Committee. The Chairman shall be the Chief
Executive Officer of the Republican Party in Tippah County; shall have general supervision over the affairs, activities, and volunteers of the Party; shall make all committee appointments with approval of the Executive Committee; and shall perform such other duties as are required by law and as usually pertain to the office of the County Chairman, such as coordinating with other state and national Party leaders.
Section 2: County Vice Chairman: The County Vice Chairman shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the Chairman in his absence, or in the event of his inability to act, except as otherwise specifically provided in the election laws.
Section 3: Secretary: The Secretary shall be elected by the County Executive Committee in the manner herein provided. He/she shall serve as the Secretary of the County Convention and the Executive Committee, shall keep Minutes of the meetings of each, and shall perform such other duties as are required by law or may be prescribed by the County Executive Committee, as well as those incidental to the office.
Section 4: Treasurer: The Treasurer shall be elected by the County Executive Committee in the manner herein provided. He/she shall perform the usual duties of the Treasurer of the Party; shall specifically maintain, account for, and disburse all funds coming into the County organization; and shall perform such other duties as are required by law or may be prescribed by the County Executive Committee, as well as those incidental to the office.
Section 5: County Organization Chairman: The County Organization Chairman shall be a member of the Executive Committee and shall be appointed by the County Chairman, subject to the approval of the Executive Committee. He/she shall organize each voting precinct for the conduct of canvasses, elections and other acts of the Committee. He/she shall specifically supervise the members’ programs and any other voter registration and Party activities within the County.
Section 6: Parliamentarian: The Parliamentarian shall be familiar with and keep a copy of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised. He/she shall be responsible for advising the Chairman or other presiding officers on matters of parliamentary procedure governing meetings of the Executive Committee and County Convention.
ARTICLE IX
ORGANIZATION:
Section 1: All affiliated chapters of Republican organizations authorized by the State By-Laws may be officially recognized and sanctioned by the County Executive Committee upon application and a majority vote of the Committee expressing approval.
Section 2: The County Executive Committee may authorize the formation of other affiliated organizations by taking appropriate action subject to the approval of the State Executive Committee.
ARTICLE X
FISCAL CONTROL:
The disbursement of all Committee funds will be made by the co-signature of two out of three Executive Officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer). There shall be an annual audit of the accounts of this Party by a Certified Public Accountant unless waived by the County Executive Committee. No expenditures other than those covered by the annual budget shall be authorized except by specific approval of the County Executive Committee. The expenditure of funds within the budget shall be made at the direction of the County Executive Committee Officers.
ARTICLE XI
ENDORSEMENTS:
Section 1: No committee or Chairman thereof, or any organization authorized to use the name Republican pursuant to these By-Laws, or any action of the County Executive Committee, shall endorse or oppose any Republican candidate for public office prior to a party primary when the Republican nominee will be chosen by primary election.
Section 2: In the event that a party nominee will not be selected by primary election, then candidates for national, statewide, district or multi-county offices may be endorsed by the State Executive Committee. Candidates for County, municipal and county district offices may be endorsed by the County Executive Committee, provided no other committee or organizations organized pursuant to the provisions of these By-Laws may endorse candidates other than those endorsed by the governing committee as specified above; provided, however, that only a Republican running for said office may be so endorsed.
ARTICLE XII
RULES AND REGULATIONS:
The County Convention and all subcommittees of the County Executive Committee are authorized to adopt reasonable rules and regulations to facilitate the orderly conduct of their business so long as said rules do not conflict with these By-Laws, Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised or any state or federal statutes.
ARTICLE XIII
RESIGNATIONS AND REMOVALS:
Section 1: Resignations: Any officer, Executive Committee member, Committee Chairman or member of any committee may resign by submitting a written letter of resignation to the County Chairman. A change in residency outside of Tippah County shall automatically constitute a resignation. Any vacancy occurring in this County which may be filled by the Tippah County Republican Party may be filled by the County Executive Committee. If any Committee member qualifies for elected office, such qualification shall automatically constitute a resignation.
Section 2: Removals: All officers, County Executive Committee members, Committee Chairmen, and members of any other committee of the Party may be removed for cause by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the entire County Executive Committee provided ten (10) days notice of such proposed action shall have been given and provided. Furthermore, the affected person, if not a member of the Executive Committee, shall also be given ten (10) days notice in writing of said meeting and an opportunity to be heard at such meeting. In the event of a removal of any person by the County Executive Committee, the affected member may appeal said removal decision to the State Chairman within ten (10) days after receipt of notice of his/her removal.
Voting on removal actions shall be by secret ballot.
Section 3: Party offices shall be deemed vacant in the following cases:
By the death of the incumbent.
By the resignation of the incumbent.
By the removal of the incumbent.
By the incumbent’s ceasing to be an inhabitant of the state, County, district or precinct for which they have been elected or appointed.
By the refusal of an elected person to accept the office.
While in office, the conviction of the incumbent of any felony.
By the failure of an incumbent to attend, without good and sufficient reason, three (3) consecutive meetings, regular or called, of the Committee of which he/she is a member. Unless the members of the County Executive Committee determine by a majority vote that the reasons for nonattendance were good and sufficient, the Secretary shall notify the delinquent member in writing that his office is vacant, and provisions for filling such a vacancy as provided in Article VI of these By-Laws shall be instituted.
ARTICLE XIV
COMMITTEE:
Section 1: A Political Party may elect or appoint other committees in addition to the County Executive Committee in accordance with its practices. The County Chairman may appoint an auxiliary committee from the membership of the public as he deems advisable, provided that no auxiliary committee member, who is not also a member of the County Executive Committee, shall have any of the rights and privileges of an Executive Committee member. The County Executive Committee membership, by a majority vote of the members present at any called meeting, may direct the County Chairman to appoint specific auxiliary committee members. The Chairman of any auxiliary committee shall be appointed by the County Chairman subject to confirmation by a majority vote of the Committee members present at a meeting. Such Chairman may be removed by the County Chairman or by a majority vote of County Executive Committee members present at a meeting.
The County Chairman shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except for the Nominating Committee.
Section 2: The terms of office of any subcommittee or auxiliary committee shall expire at the termination of the tenure in office of the County Chairman who appointed them.
ARTICLE XV
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE:
If a court of competent jurisdiction shall adjudge to be invalid or unconstitutional any clause, sentence, section, or part of these By-Laws, such judgment or decree shall not affect, impair, invalidate, or nullify the remainder of these By-Laws, but the effect thereof shall be confined to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of these By-Laws so adjudged to be invalid or unconstitutional. If any part of these By-Laws conflicts with any laws of the State of Mississippi or the United States of America, now, or because of future enactments, then these By-Laws shall be considered to be automatically amended to conform to the law.
ARTICLE XVI
ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS:
These By-Laws shall take effect and be in force from and after their adoption by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the County Executive Committee. These By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the County Executive Committee. Written notice of the proposed amendment and a full copy thereof shall be forwarded to the members of the County Executive Committee at least five (5) days before the meeting at which said amendment is to be presented for consideration and vote.
EFFECTIVE DATE
These Bylaws were adopted and became effective at a meeting of the Tippah County Executive Committee on September 10, 2024.