SDGOP BYLAWS of South Dakota

BYLAWS OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA REPUBLICAN PARTY

SECTION I

STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

1. Purpose: The purpose of the State Central Committee shall be to coordinate the activities of the South Dakota Republican Party, to promote the establishment of Republican principles and policies and to give effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.

2. Powers and Duties: In addition to those duties and functions prescribed by law, the State Central Committee when convened shall have full power and authority in all matters affecting the party organizations and functioning except as to such powers and functions as by law are conferred upon the state party convention. The general management of the affairs of the South Dakota Republican Party shall be vested in the State Central Committee. It may exercise all powers and duties of the State Executive Board. It shall so organize its operations and designate such officers and other personnel as it may determine necessary to accomplish its purposes.

3. Organization: The State Central Committee shall consist of the county chairman, county vice chairman, state central committeeman and state central committeewoman from each county, the state chairman, state vice chairman, state secretary, state treasurer, national committeeman, national committeewoman, and the statewide chairman of each of the auxiliaries recognized in Section VII.2.

4. Officers: The officers of the State Central Committee are the state chairman and the state vice chairman, who shall be of opposite sex, the state secretary and the state treasurer. These officers shall be elected at the first meeting of the State Central Committee held every odd numbered calendar year and shall hold their offices for a term of two years or until their successors are elected. With the approval of the State Central Committee, the state chairman shall appoint a deputy treasurer and such other officers as may be deemed necessary.

5. Duties of Officers:

A. State Chairman: The state chairman, as head of the South Dakota Republican Party, shall have the following duties:

1. The state chairman shall have charge of the State Party Headquarters.

2. The state chairman shall submit an annual budget by January 1 of each year to be approved by the State Central Committee.

3. The state chairman shall submit an annual plan of party goals and objectives to be approved by the State Central Committee.

4. The state chairman shall preside over meetings of the State Central Committee and the State Executive Board.

5. The state chairman shall coordinate and supervise the work of the other officers and of the County Central Committees.

6. The state chairman shall carry out any instructions given him/her by the State

Executive Board and the State Central Committee.

7. The state chairman shall call meetings of the State Executive Board and the State Central Committee as hereinafter provided.

8. The state chairman shall appoint members to any committees deemed necessary for the operation of the Republican Party.

9. The state chairman shall appoint a state finance director who shall serve at the pleasure of the state chairman.

10. The state chairman shall appoint a finance committee composed of such membership as the state chairman shall determine to assist in meeting the financial needs of the State Central Committee.

11. The state chairperson shall expeditiously organize inactive counties in order to re-enfranchise Republican voters in those counties. The state chairperson will respond to counties who wish to reorganize within 15 days of contact by county central committee representatives and/or the regional director. The state chairperson and/or the regional director shall facilitate a county central committee meeting to organize the county and elect new officers within thirty (30) days or at a mutually agreed upon date/time with the county. Failure by the state chairperson and/or regional director to act shall serve as approval in absentia.

B. State Vice Chairman: The state vice chairman shall perform the duties of the state chairman in the absence or disability of the state chairman.

C. State Secretary: The state secretary shall have the following duties:

1. The state secretary shall prepare suitable notices of forthcoming meetings of the State Central Committee.

2. The state secretary shall keep records of the attendance and of the meetings of each meeting of the State Central Committee and the Executive Board and prepare the minutes of all such meetings.

3. The state secretary shall disseminate point of contact information, including name, title, mailing address, email address, and phone number, for all State Central Committee members to all county chairpersons not less than twenty (20) days prior to the Winter and Summer meetings.

D. State Treasurer: The state treasurer shall have the following duties:

1. The state treasurer shall maintain adequate financial records and provide reports thereon to the State Central Committee. Receipts shall be given for money received upon policies established by the State Executive Board.

2. The state treasurer shall make all disbursements for Party expenditures according to a procedure approved by the State Executive Board.

3. The state treasurer shall file financial reports as required by law.

4. The state treasurer shall post such bonds as are necessary in amount fixed by State Central Committee.

6. Vacancies:

A. Events Causing Vacancy: The following events shall cause an officer of the State Central Committee to forfeit his or her office and the office declared vacant: death, resignation, failure to reside in the state, failure to be a registered Republican voter, filing any document with the Secretary of State or a county auditor to be an independent candidate in a general or special election in a race for a partisan public office in which a Republican has been nominated or has filed a petition for the Republican nomination, conviction of a felony, or violation of a bond required to be posted.

B. State Chairman: The state vice chairman shall automatically become state chairman whenever a vacancy shall occur in that office and shall serve the remainder of the term.

C. State Treasurer: The deputy treasurer shall automatically become state treasurer whenever a vacancy shall occur in that office and shall serve the remainder of the term.

D. Other Offices: Any vacancy occurring in the office of state vice chairman or state secretary shall be filled in the following manner:

1. Upon the vacancy, the state chairman may appoint a proxy who shall perform the duties of the office until the next meeting of the State Central Committee as provided below.

2. At the next regular or special meeting of the State Central Committee an election shall be held to fill the vacancy.

3. The position shall be filled by majority vote of the State Central Committee members who are present at the meeting and that person shall serve the remainder of the term.

E. National Committeeman and National Committeewoman: Any vacancy in the positions of national committeeman or national committeewoman shall be filled in the same manner as provided above in Sec. I.6.D. A vacancy shall occur in those positions as provided in the rules of the national Republican Party.

7. Meetings:

A. Regular Meetings: Two regular meetings of the State Central Committee shall be held each year upon the call of the state chairman. One meeting shall be held during January or February and the second meeting shall be held during June, July, August, or September. The State Central Committee may move these meetings to a month other than those specified.

B. Special Meetings: Special meetings for specific purposes may be called by the state chairman or upon the written request of at least one member of each county delegation of at least 10 different counties.

C. Notices: Notices of all meetings shall be sent at least 14 days in advance of the meeting to all members of the State Central Committee and shall clearly indicate the agenda, place, date and hour of the meeting. This provision shall not limit any member from presenting any matter at a regular meeting whether or not included in the agenda in the written notice, except for bylaw amendments. Notices may be sent by mail or email.

D. Minutes: Unofficial minutes of all meetings shall be made available upon request to State Central Committee members within 14 days of the meeting date.

E. Quorum: A quorum of the State Central Committee shall consist of at least 45 members. A member is considered present if the member is at the meeting in person, is represented by proxy, or is attending by telephone teleconference or other electronic (audio or video) means.

F. Voting: The voting at each meeting shall be on the basis of one vote for each member present. Voting shall be by roll call ballot if requested by one-fifth of the members present.

G. Proxies: Proxies shall be allowed for attendance and voting at meetings of the State Central Committee under the following circumstances:

1. All proxies must be in writing and signed by the person granting the proxy.

2. No person may hold more than one proxy.

3. A member of a county delegation may grant his or her proxy only to another registered Republican who resides in the county the member represents.

4. The state chairman, state vice chairman, state secretary, state treasurer, national committeeman and national committeewoman may grant his or her proxy to any registered Republican who resides in the state.

H. Rules of Order: The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the State Central Committee in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the State Central Committee may adopt.

I. Electronic Meetings: A meeting of the State Central Committee may be held electronically. Notice of an electronic meeting is valid if sent at least five days in advance, not including weekends or holidays. No proxies are permitted at a meeting held electronically.

SECTION II

STATE EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. Membership: The State Executive Board shall consist of the state chairman, state vice chairman, state secretary, state treasurer, national committeeman, national committeewoman, and six members of the State Central Committee elected by the State Central Committee as directors. There shall be no more than one director from each of the regions defined in Section VI.8. The directors shall be elected at the same time and for the same term as the state officers, and vacancies shall be governed by Sections I.6.A. and I.6.D.

2. Powers and Duties: The State Executive Board shall have the following powers and duties:

A. Prepare written job descriptions for Executive Director and other personnel.

B. Employ the Executive Director and other personnel.

C. Advise and give direction to the state chairman and executive director in their oversight of the party and the performance of their duties.

D. Carry out these bylaws subject to the will of the State Central Committee.

E. Act for the State Central Committee between meetings of the State Central Committee.

3. Meetings: Regular meetings of the State Executive Board shall be held at the call of the state chairman. Meetings shall be held at a time and place designated by the state chairman. A meeting of the State Executive Board may be held electronically.

SECTION III

COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE

1. Organization: The County Central Committee of each county shall consist of the precinct committeeman and committeewoman from each precinct in the county, the county chairman, county vice chairman, secretary, treasurer, state committeeman, state committeewoman, Republican state legislators residing in the county and Republican elected officials of the county limited to county auditor, county treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, state’s attorney, county coroner and county commissioners. Those Republican legislators and Republican elected county officials shall be those duly elected and certified in the most recent general election regardless of whether they have been sworn in or those persons filling vacancies of these positions as prescribed by state law. Each member shall be entitled to vote at any County Central Committee meeting.

2. Precinct committeemen and committeewomen: One precinct committeeman and one precinct committeewoman from each precinct in the county shall be elected at the primary election pursuant to SDCL §§ 12-5-4 to 12-5-13, inclusive, and shall hold his or her office until the next primary election. If no person is elected at the primary election, the position shall be deemed vacant and may be filled in the same manner as other vacancies.

3. Officers: The elected officers of a County Central Committee are the county chairman and county vice chairman, who shall be of the opposite sex, a county secretary, a county treasurer, a state committeeman and a state committeewoman, who shall hold their offices for a term of two years or until their successors have been elected. The office of secretary and treasurer may be held by the same person. With the approval of the County Central Committee, the county chairman may appoint a deputy treasurer.

4. Organizational Meeting: The County Central Committee shall meet at the county seat between November 15 following the general election and the following January 31 and proceed to form their party organization by electing officers. A majority vote of the County Central Committee members present and voting shall constitute an election, which shall be certified to the county auditor, secretary of state, and state secretary of the State Central Committee.

5. Duties of Officers:

A. County Chairman: The county chairman, as head of the Republican Party in the county, has the following duties:

1. Direct county Republican Party affairs as well as to conduct the political campaign in the county.

2. Attend and serve as a voting member at meetings of the State Central Committee.

3. Carry out the annual plan of party goals and objectives of the state chairman.

4. Seek to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.

5. Appoint a county finance director who works with the state finance director as well as the county chairman.

6. Preside over meetings of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.

7. Direct the activities of the precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen.

8. Serve on the County Executive Board. 

B. County Vice Chairman: The county vice chairman has the following duties:

1. Discharge all duties of the county chairman in his/her absence or disability.

2. Coordinate all Republican auxiliary activities in the county.

3. Other duties as the county chairman may delegate.

4. Serve on the County Executive Board.

5. Attend and serve as a voting member at meetings of the State Central Committee.

6. Assist the county chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.

C. County Secretary: The county secretary has the following duties:

1. Arrange meeting places.

2. Send meeting notices stating agenda, time and place for meetings of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.

3. Keep minutes of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.

4. Maintain all records of the County Central Committee.

5. Assist the county chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.

D. County Treasurer: The county treasurer has the following duties:

1. Pay all bills and serve as custodian of funds.

2. File financial reports as required by law.

3. Perform other duties as the county chairman may delegate.

4. Certify the names of the county officers to the county auditor, secretary of state, and state secretary of the State Central Committee following the county organizational meeting and after a change in any of the county officers.

5. Serve on the County Executive Board.

6. Assist the county chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.

E. State Central Committeeman and Committeewoman: The state central committeeman and committeewoman have the following duties:

1. Attend and serve as voting members at meetings of the State Central Committee and the County Executive Board.

2. Carry into effect the policies of the State Central Committee in cooperation with the county chairman.

3. Prior to the regular meetings of the State Central Committee, they shall cooperate with the county chairman in arranging a county meeting to review the problems, programs, and prospects of the county, or they shall take other procedures to determine the situation so that they may report thereon at the following meeting of the State Central Committee.

4. Assist the county chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election, in raising funds, in conducting county political campaigns, and in general party matters.

F. Precinct Committeemen and Committeewomen: The precinct committeemen and committeewomen have the following duties:

1. Under the supervision of the county chairman, they have the complete responsibility to conduct the political campaign in their precinct, such as compiling and updating voters lists; contacting voters; registering non-voters; and general voter contact activities.

2. Serve as voting members of the County Central Committee.

6. Vacancies:

A. Events Causing Vacancy: The following events shall cause an officer of the County Central Committee or a precinct committeeman and committeewoman to forfeit his or her office and the office declared vacant: death, resignation, failure of an officer to reside in the county, failure of a precinct committeeman and committeewoman to reside in the precinct, failure to be a registered Republican voter, filing any document with the Secretary of State or a county auditor to be an independent candidate in a general or special election in a race for a partisan public office in which a Republican has been nominated or has filed a petition for the Republican nomination, or conviction of a felony.

B. County Chairman: The county vice chairman shall automatically become county chairman whenever a vacancy shall occur in that office and shall serve the remainder of the term.

C. Other Officers and Precinct Committeemen and Committeewomen: Any vacancy occurring in the offices of county vice chairman, county secretary, county treasurer, state committeeman, state committeewoman, precinct committeeman or precinct committeewoman shall be filled by an election held at the next regular or special meeting of the County Central Committee. A majority vote of the County Central Committee members present and voting shall constitute an election, which shall be certified in the same manner as an election at the biennial organizational meeting. If no person has filed to run for precinct committeeman or precinct committeewoman in a precinct and the filing deadline has passed, the County Central Committee may, prior to the primary election, fill the vacancy for the term of office that begins after the primary election. If a deputy treasurer was previously appointed, he or she shall perform the duties of the county treasurer until the vacancy is filled. No elections may be held to fill a vacancy from the day of the primary election through the closing of the state convention.

7. Meetings:

A. Regular and Special Meetings: The County Central Committee shall meet at least twice each year on call of the county chairman. The county chairman may call a special meeting at any time. One-fifth of the members of the County Central Committee or two officers may call a meeting in writing.

B. Notice: Five-days notice must be given for any meeting, excluding weekends and holidays. Notices may be sent by mail or email.

C. Quorum: A quorum shall consist of one-fifth of the members of the County Central Committee (not including vacancies), including at least two officers. For the purposes of determining the number of members needed to have a quorum, Republican state legislators and county elected officials shall not be considered as members of the County Central Committee; however, when present they shall be counted when determining whether a quorum is present. This provision shall not affect the rights of said members to participate and vote at meetings.

D. Rules of Order: The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the County Central Committee in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the County Central Committee may adopt; however, unless any member objects, the committee may act informally at the discretion of the county chairman.

E. Electronic Meetings: A meeting of the County Central Committee may be held electronically.

8. County Executive Board: A County Executive Board consists of the county chairman, county vice chairman, county secretary, county treasurer, state central committeeman, state central committeewoman, county finance director, and at least three others appointed by the county chairman from the registered Republicans in the county. The County Executive Board conducts party business between regular meetings of the County Central Committee. The county chairman calls the meetings of the County Executive Board and presides over such meetings. The county secretary keeps the minutes. Three members of the County Executive Board may call a meeting in writing. A meeting of the County Executive Board may be held electronically. 

9. Inactive Counties:

A. Definition: If more than four years have passed since the state secretary has received a county election certification from a county, then that county is deemed an inactive county and the offices of all county party officers are deemed vacant.

B. Reorganization: The state chairman or the state chairman’s designee may call and preside over a meeting of the county central committee of the inactive county for the purpose of electing officers. A quorum for a meeting held in this manner shall be two members of the county central committee. Notice of the meeting must be given as required by Section III.7.B.

SECTION IV

STATE CONVENTION

1. Time and Place of Convention: A state convention shall be held every even-numbered year. The time and place of holding the convention shall be determined by the State Central Committee. The state chairman shall notify the secretary of state at least fifteen business days previous to the date so chosen. The state secretary of the State Central Committee shall issue the call for the convention, which shall be sent to each county chairman.

2. Delegates:

A. County Delegation: The delegates to the state convention shall consist of the following from each county:

1. The county chairman, county vice chairman, county secretary, county treasurer, state committeeman and state committeewoman;

2. Not to exceed three at-large delegates elected in the primary election preceding the convention, who need not be members of their County Central Committee but must be registered Republican voters in their county; and

3. Each precinct committeeman and precinct committeewoman.

B. Pre-Primary Canvass: It is each county chairman’s responsibility to canvas all potential delegates in his/her county and report the name, address, email, telephone number and method of qualification for each person planning to attend the state convention. The list will be forwarded to the State Central Committee at least 45 days prior to the opening date of the state convention. The failure of a delegate to be included in the canvass shall not prevent that delegate from attending or voting at the convention.

C. Organization: The county chairman and county vice chairman shall serve as the chairman and vice chairman of the delegation from their county. If neither of them is present at the convention, the delegates from the county shall caucus and choose from their membership a chairman and vice chairman of the delegation. The vice chairman of the delegation shall serve as the chairman in the absence of the chairman.

3. Voting:

A. Proportional Representation: For all nominations, elections, and roll call votes, each delegate shall vote the number of votes equal to his or her proportionate representation as to all delegates present from that county bears to the number of votes cast in his or her county at the last gubernatorial election for the Republican candidate for governor. For all other votes, each delegate shall have one vote.

B. Roll Call: Roll call votes shall be a call of the counties. Whenever a roll call vote is required at the convention it shall be the responsibility of the delegation chairman to survey the delegation and announce the total vote for the county when said county is called. A roll call vote shall be taken when required by the convention rules or at any time at the discretion of the convention chairman. The convention rules may not require the support of more than 40% of the delegates present to pass a motion for a roll call vote.

4. Convention Organization:

A. Convention Officers: The state chairman or his or her designee shall call the convention to order and preside until the election of the temporary chairman. Before conducting any business, the convention shall elect a temporary chairman and temporary secretary, who shall take office immediately upon their respective elections. After the adoption of the reports from the credentials committee and the rules committee, the convention shall elect a permanent chairman and a permanent secretary. The convention chairman may appoint such other officers as he or she may deem necessary.

B. Quorum: A quorum shall consist of delegates carrying a majority of the votes cast in the last general election for the Republican candidate for governor.

C. Committees: Prior to the state convention, the state chairman shall designate the members of the platform committee, rules committee, resolutions committee, and credentials committee. The platform committee shall conduct hearings around the state prior to the state convention. The convention chairman shall appoint any other convention committees.

D. Rules of Order: The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the convention in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any rules of order the convention may adopt.

5. Business: The state convention shall complete all responsibilities assigned by state law or by the provisions of these bylaws.

6. 2020 Convention: The following rules shall apply only to the 2020 state convention:

A. The State Central Committee may allow the convention to be held electronically. It may specify that delegates may only participate electronically or may allow delegates to participate in person or electronically.

B. The convention rules committee may adopt temporary rules of order that govern the convention prior to the adoption of the report of the rules committee.

C. The convention may adopt rules of order governing electronic participation in the convention.

D. Any convention rules of order or temporary rules of order regarding the process of a roll call vote shall supersede Section IV.3.B. of these bylaws.

E. If the convention is held electronically, there will be no platform committee. The convention may not consider any changes to the party platform in 2020.

F. If the convention is held electronically, any proposed resolutions must be submitted to the state chairman by June 5, 2020, and for any resolution to be considered by the convention, it must be approved by a 2/3 vote of the committee. The resolutions committee must complete its report by June 15, 2020.

G. No person may be nominated for public office or for national committeewoman or national committeeman unless that person gave written notice of his or her intention to run for the office to the state chairman by June 15, 2020. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes on the first ballot, the convention by majority vote may open nominations for individuals who did not give prior written notice.

SECTION V

VACANCIES IN PARTY TICKET

1. General Provisions: If a vacancy occurs by reason of death or withdrawal after a primary election, a party candidate for public office may be replaced by a new nominee if a meeting of the appropriate party central committee is held and the results are certified to the appropriate official within the times prescribed by SDCL 12-8-6.

2. Presidential Elector or Statewide Office:

A. Appropriate Committee: The State Central Committee shall fill vacancies for party candidates for presidential elector or statewide office.

B. Call: The state chairman shall, upon learning of such vacancy, forthwith issue a call by mail or email for a State Central Committee meeting to fill such vacancy, and designate the hour, date, and place where such meeting shall be held.

C. Voting: At a meeting of the State Central Committee for this purpose, the state chairman, state vice chairman, state secretary, state treasurer, national committeeman, national committeewoman, and the statewide chairman of each of the auxiliaries recognized in Section VII.2. shall not have a vote. Voting shall be by unit representation, each county casting the number of votes cast in that county at the last general election for the Republican candidate for governor.

D. Proxies and Attendance: No proxies are permitted at a meeting called for this purpose. No member is allowed to attend or vote by telephone teleconference or other electronic means unless the meeting is held electronically.

E. Quorum: A quorum for a meeting called for this purpose shall consist of representation from counties carrying a majority of the votes cast in the last general election for the Republican candidate for governor.

F. Congressional Vacancies: The above provisions shall also apply to a meeting called to nominate a candidate for a special election to fill congressional vacancies pursuant to SDCL chapter 12-11.

3. Other Public Offices: If the vacancy is a party candidate for public office other than presidential elector or statewide office, the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of County Central Committee members in attendance who reside in the affected district. In multi-county legislative districts, the call for a meeting shall be issued by the state chairman, who shall notify all interested County Central Committee members of the hour, date, and place where such

meeting shall be held. In a single-county district, the call shall be issued by the county chairman upon learning of the vacancy. Any such meeting may be held electronically.

4. Certification Deadline: SDCL 12-8-6 requires that vacancies be filled and proper certification filed with the secretary of state/county auditor no later than the second Tuesday in August at 5 p.m. or mailed by registered mail by that date and time prior to the election.

SECTION VI

SELECTION OF NATIONAL CONVENTION DELEGATES

1. All delegates and alternates to which South Dakota may be entitled under the National Convention membership formula shall be elected at large at the State National Delegate Selection meeting.

2. The county chairman in each county shall cause to be held at the county seat a special County National Convention Delegate Selection meeting on a date and time on or between April 15 and April 25 in the year for which a National Convention of the Republican Party is to be held for the purpose of nominating a candidate for President and Vice President. Such county meeting shall be open to all registered Republicans residing in the county; public notice, including publication in the official county newspaper, of such a meeting must be given at least 15 days in advance, and all appropriate means of providing notice of such meeting shall be used. It shall be the responsibility of the county chairman to notify the state secretary of the State Central Committee at least 15 days prior to the meeting. If the County GOP organization fails to hold the required County National Convention Delegate Selection meeting, the state chairman may authorize some other method of selecting delegates from that county subject to the approval of the State Executive Board.

3. At the County National Convention Delegate Selection meeting the county chairman shall, after conducting any general business deemed appropriate, hold an election for up to three persons, except Minnehaha County which may elect up to six persons, to be delegates at a State National Convention Delegate Selection meeting to be held on or after May 1 at a time and place to be designated by the state chairman. At the county meeting each registered Republican in attendance may cast up to three votes, provided that not more than one vote may be cast for any one person.

4. Call to the state meeting shall be in writing to the delegates selected at the county meetings or by the reading of such a call at the County National Convention Delegate Selection meetings. The county chairman shall, within 48 hours of the completion of the county meeting, certify to the state secretary of the State Central Committee a complete list of all delegates selected for the state meeting including their names, full addresses, telephone number and email address.

5. At the State National Convention Delegate Selection meeting the state chairman shall, after conducting any general business deemed appropriate, cause to be held the regional caucuses provided for in paragraph 8. After the regional caucuses, the state chairman shall hold an election for national delegates and alternates.

6. Delegates at the State National Convention Delegate Selection meeting shall cast a number of votes equal to the vote received by the Republican candidate for Governor in the last general election in their respective county. The delegates from each county shall divide said vote equally among themselves. In the event that not all delegates are present and voting, the delegate(s) who is/are present shall be entitled to cast the entire vote of that county.

7. The election of national delegates shall be on a single ballot. A like ballot shall be held for alternate positions. Only those individuals nominated at the regional caucuses shall be eligible for election as a national delegate or alternate.

The election of national delegates and alternates shall be accomplished by a slated proportional voting procedure. Each county delegate shall be allocated the appropriate number of votes as defined in paragraph 6. Additionally, each county delegate will distribute their apportioned number of votes by allocating a percentage of their vote using the following method: A sum of the number of ballot positions that may be won at that particular caucus election shall serve as the denominator. The ballot position numbers in descending order shall serve as the numerators. Divide the numerator by the denominator for each ballot position to determine the percentage of the participant’s vote that will be allocated to any person seeking election as a delegate or alternate. The delegate or alternate with the highest number of votes will be slated in position one. The delegate or alternate with the second highest number of votes will be slated in position two and so on. An example of the slated proportional voting procedure is attached for explanation and is a part of this election procedure.

8. County delegates will conduct separate regional caucuses. The six regions: 1) Minnehaha, 2) Davison, Douglas, Hutchinson, Turner, Lincoln, Bon Homme, Yankton, Clay and Union 3) Aurora, Grant, Clark, Codington, Hamlin, Deuel, Kingsbury, Brookings, Sanborn, Miner, Moody, Lake, Hanson and McCook, 4) Jerauld, Roberts, Marshall, Day, Brown, Spink, Beadle, Hand, Hyde, Faulk, Edmunds, McPherson, Potter and Walworth, 5) Butte, Harding, Perkins, Corson, Ziebach, Dewey, Sully, Hughes, Haakon, Stanley, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Oglala Lakota, Bennett, Todd, Tripp, Gregory, Campbell, Buffalo, Brule and Charles Mix, 6) Custer, Fall River, Lawrence, Meade and Pennington.

At the regional caucus, county delegates must determine whether they intend to run for election as a national delegate or as an alternate. At each regional caucus, county delegates will nominate four delegates and four alternates from each region with the exception of Regions 1 and 6. Region 1 will nominate five delegates and one alternate, and Region 6 will nominate five delegates and five alternates. Delegates from each county will vote throughout the entire process according to paragraphs 6 and 7.

9. A. It shall be the duty of the state chairman to certify in writing to the Secretary of the Republican Party within seven days of the close of the State National Convention Delegate Selection meeting a list including the full names and full addresses of each elected delegate and alternate.

B. All delegates and alternates are to be informed by the results of the South Dakota presidential primary election when casting their votes at the national convention.

10. The Secretary of State shall not accept any certification in behalf of a candidate containing the names of delegates and alternates pledged to a Republican candidate for President of the United States nor accept such certification containing the names of uncommitted delegates. Only the names of presidential candidates shall appear on the primary ballot. To appear on the primary ballot, a presidential candidate must comply with SDCL 12-5-3.14. The names of any delegates or alternates shall not appear on the primary ballot.

11. If any vacancy exists in the South Dakota delegation to the National Convention, the State Executive Board may fill such vacancies. The use of this paragraph shall not result in regional representation of delegates and alternates more than the number allowed in paragraph 8.

EXAMPLE

Slated Proportional Voting Procedure:

Statewide Election:

Numerator/Denominator Ballot Position Percentage of vote to allocate

21/231 1 9.1%

20/231 2 8.7%

19/231 3 8.2%

18/231 4 7.8%

17/231 5 7.3%

16/231 6 6.9%

15/231 7 6.5%

14/231 8 6.1%

13/231 9 5.6%

12/231 10 5.2%

11/231 11 4.8%

10/231 12 4.3%

9/231 13 3.9%

8/231 14 3.5%

7/231 15 3.0%

6/231 16 2.6%

5/231 17 2.2%

4/231 18 1.7%

3/231 19 1.3%

2/231 20 0.9%

1/231 21 0.4%

100%

231 (Sum of the number of ballot positions)

Regional Caucus (regions 2, 3, 4, 5):

Numerator/Denominator Ballot Position Percentage of vote to allocate

4/10 1 40%

3/10 2 30%

2/10 3 20%

1/10 4 10%

100%

10 (Sum of the number of ballot positions)

Regional Caucus (regions 1 & 6):

Numerator/Denominator Ballot Position Percentage of vote to allocate

5/15 1 33.3%

4/15 2 26.7%

3/15 3 20.0%

2/15 4 13.3%

1/15 5 6.7%

100.00%

15 (Sum of the number of ballot positions) 

SECTION VII

AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS

1. Recognition: Auxiliaries of the Republican State Central Committee shall be such bodies and organizations as are recognized by the State Central Committee.

2. Current Auxiliaries: Until further change the recognized auxiliaries of the State Central Committee are as follows:

A. South Dakota Federation of Republican Women

B. South Dakota Teen Age Republican Federation

C. South Dakota College Republicans

D. South Dakota Young Republican Federation

3. Disaffiliation: An auxiliary shall cease to be affiliated if the organization is dissolved, withdraws from affiliation, or is no longer recognized by the State Central Committee.

4. Supervision: The State Central Committee shall have general supervisory authority over all auxiliaries.

SECTION VIII

FINANCIAL REGULATIONS

1. Annual Audit: An audit of the State Party’s finances will be completed each year by a certified public accountant. The audit shall be performed in January or February for the previous year. The CPA firm will furnish written and oral reports on the assessment of the Party’s finances and transactions.

2. Check Signing: The Executive Director shall not be authorized to sign checks.

3. Expenditure Limit: No obligation or expenditure in excess of $2,500.00 that was not authorized in the annual budget may be made by the Chairman, Executive Director, or other party officer without the approval of the State Executive Board.

SECTION IX

BYLAW AMENDMENTS

1. Procedure: These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the State Central Committee by a two-thirds vote of those present. Any member of the State Central Committee may propose an amendment by submitting it in writing to the state secretary, who shall include it in the notice of the next regular or special meeting. No proposed amendment may be considered unless it was included in the meeting notice.

2. Amendment of Proposals: Any proposal for amending the bylaws may be amended, provided that such amendments must relate directly to the line and section originally proposed for amendment.

First adopted at a regular meeting of the State Central Committee on February 1, 2014. Amended by the State Central Committee on the following dates: October 16, 2014; February 28, 2015; September 19, 2015; March 24, 2018; September 21, 2019; February 8, 2020; April 16, 2020; May 21, 2020; January 22, 2022; January 14, 2023; September 9, 2023