Article I. Name

The name of this organization as filed with the North Carolina State Board of Elections is Libertarian Party of Wake County, hereinafter referred to as WakeLP, and this name is and will remain until such time its members elect to change it as part of an update to this document.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of WakeLP is to:

1. Serve as a local affiliate of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC)
2. Maintain a statement of key issues in Wake County and a WakeLP stance on those issues as a guide for Libertarian political candidates and office-holders within Wake County
3. Disseminate libertarian ideas by entering into political information activities
4. Encourage members to seek political offices throughout Wake County and supporting candidates during elections for those offices
5. Recognize, coordinate with and promote local organizations throughout Wake County that support libertarian policies and principles

Article III. Membership

Members and associates of the Libertarian Party of North Carolina (LPNC), as defined in the party’s bylaws, who reside in Wake County are members or associates of the Libertarian Party of Wake County.

Article IV. Officers

WakeLP officers must be members as defined in Article III, and must not be registered with the State of North Carolina with any recognized political party other than the Libertarian Party of North Carolina. Officers are elected bi-annually in odd-numbered years at the WakeLP Convention as defined in Article V, referred to as the County Convention throughout this document. The officers serve as executives both for the next County Convention and for regular business meetings as defined in Article VII, referred to as Business Meetings throughout this document. The WakeLP Officers are titled and defined as follows:

1. Chair. The Chair serves as the WakeLP chief executive officer of and will preside at the County Convention and at Business Meetings. The Chair leads or delegates the scheduling and announcement of all Business Meetings to ensure WakeLP has at least one (1) Business Meeting per month. The Chair must provide the Secretary with a meeting agenda in sufficient time for the Secretary to distribute that agenda to Members prior to the each Business Meeting.
2. Vice Chair. The Vice Chair serves to assist the Chair and presides on occasion when the Chair is absent from a County Convention or a Business Meeting. When there is a vacancy in the position of Chair, the Vice Chair assumes the office of chair.
3. Treasurer. The Treasurer serves to receive, disperse, and account for WakeLP funds. The Treasurer ensures funds and accounts are managed as described in Article VIII.
4. Secretary. The Secretary serves as the recording officer at the County Convention and at Business Meetings. Additionally, the Secretary serving at the beginning of the County Convention is responsible for publishing the minutes of that convention.

Article V. Executive Committee

The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the control and management of all of the affairs, properties, and funds of the Party consistent with this Plan of Organization and any pertinent resolutions that may have been adopted by the County Convention.

Section 1. Composition

The Executive Committee of shall be composed of the elected officers of the Party and one At-Large member, elected at the County Convention.

Section 2. Committees and Additional Affiliate Positions

The Executive Committee may establish or disestablish committees, and create or terminate additional affiliate offices to serve supplemental purposes or perform delegated tasks and to advise the Executive Committee. WakeLP members appointed by the Executive Committee to additional offices serve at the pleasure of the Executive Committee. No Executive Committee member shall be appointed to these positions.

Section 3. Election

1. Executive Committee members shall be elected every two years in odd-numbered years at the annual WakeLP Convention. Elections to fill any vacancies will be conducted in even-numbered years.
2. If no qualified candidates are nominated for any position on the Executive Committee at the Convention, then that position shall be considered vacant.
3. Attending delegates to the Convention may vote for “None of the Above” for any position on the Executive Committee. If “None of the Above” is elected, that position shall remain unfilled until the next County Convention, at which time the attending delegates may hold a special election to fill that position for the remainder of the term. The Executive Committee may assign the duties of that position to any Party member, but the person filling that position will not have a vote on the Executive Committee.

Section 4. Qualifications

Each member of the Executive Committee must maintain membership with the Party as defined in Article III. Executive Committee members must not be registered with the State of North Carolina with any political party other than the Libertarian Party of North Carolina.

Section 5. Term

The term of the members of the Executive Committee shall run for two years, expiring at the end of the County Convention two years at which their successors are elected (or they are re-elected). If the member was elected in an even-numbered year or appointed in the interim, then her or his term expires at the end of the next County Convention.

Section 6. Resignation

Executive Committee members may resign by supplying notice in writing to the Chair or Vice Chair. Additionally, any member of the Executive Committee who fails to attend three consecutive business or five business meetings overall shall be considered to have tendered an automatic resignation. The Executive Committee may accept or refuse an automatic resignation by majority vote. Also: see Article VI for a potential limitation on the circumstances under which the resignation of a Treasurer can be accepted and made effective.

Section 7. Vacancies

The Executive Committee may appoint new members, if vacancies or suspensions occur, such members to serve until the next State Convention, where a regular election (in odd years) or a special election (in even years) shall be held to fill such position(s). If the appointed new member fails to be elected, the Executive Committee cannot reappoint that person to the same position during that term of office. Note: an unfilled position, per Article V Section 3, is not considered “vacant” and cannot be filled by Executive Committee appointment.

Section 8. Quorum

A majority of the filled voting positions on the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings.

Article VI. County Convention

1. As an affiliate of the LPNC, WakeLP holds a county convention annually prior to the LPNC convention that corresponds to the same year. The primary purposes of the County Convention are to:
   • Elect WakeLP officers and an at-large member (in odd-numbered years)
   • Fill any vacancies or unfilled offices (in even-numbered years)
   • Elect delegates to represent Wake County at the LPNC convention
   • Adopt resolutions or changes to this document to better meet the needs of WakeLP
2. The Convention Chair is the currently-serving WakeLP Chair. Delegates at a County Convention consist of all current members in attendance at that convention.
3. The WakeLP officers of a given convention year shall set the date and location of the next County Convention no less than four weeks prior to the event. In no less than three weeks prior to the convention, the same officers shall announce the convention to the membership in a reasonable combination of media with a concerted effort to reach all of the membership.
4. The nomination and election of each WakeLP officer, as defined in Article IV, will take place at the County Convention. Any member may nominate any member including him or herself without the requirement for a second. Officers are elected by a majority vote of members present and voting, and newly elected officers take office immediately upon the close of the convention.
5. “None of the Above” is automatically considered a candidate on for all WakeLP votes, including for each office. Should “None of the Above” win any election, that office will remain unfilled for the convention term. Exception: the office of Treasurer cannot remain unfilled and a Treasurer may be appointed by the other elected Executive Committee members or, in the event there are none, the outgoing Treasurer must appoint one before her/his term is considered to have expired. Similarly, if the Treasurer is the only currently serving member of the Executive Committee, s/he must appoint a successor before her/his resignation can be accepted and made effective
6. Voting on other matters will require the following:
   1. Resolutions may be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting;
   2. Updates to this document may only be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of members present and voting, and;
   3. Other orders of business at the County Convention are conducted in accordance with the approved agenda. The Democratic Rules of Order (Francis & Francis, 9th ed.) shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters of procedure not specifically covered by this Plan of Organization.

Article VII. Business Meetings

For the purpose of conducting its business, WakeLP holds regular business meetings led by the officers. The primary purposes of a Business Meeting are as follows:

1. To provide reports from the WakeLP officers to the Membership of the regular business conducted since the last meeting
2. To inform the Membership where it can be of service to Wake County on behalf of the Wake LP
3. To collect and allocate funds as described in Article VIII. Other orders of business at a Business Meeting are conducted under the leadership of the presiding officer in accordance with the provided agenda and following an ordered procedure.

Article VIII. Provisions for Handling Funds

The Wake LP officers under the guidance of the Treasurer are responsible for ensuring that funds are collected, dispersed, and accounted for under the following provisions:

1. Contributions will be used for their expressed or designated purpose when applicable.
2. Unallocated funds may be allocated for a specific purpose by a majority attending Membership vote at the County Convention or a Business Meeting. Remaining unallocated funds, not yet purposed by a Membership vote, may be allocated by the Wake LP officers for a purpose necessary to conduct business.
3. The Treasurer must complete and submit accurate quarterly or semi-annual reports to the North Carolina State Board of Elections as required by law for the Libertarian Party of Wake County to remain a recognized party organization.
4. Should WakeLP ever dissolve, any monetary assets will be used to pay all WakeLP liabilities. If any assets remain thereafter, they will be donated to the LPNC or its successor.

Amended in convention, April 24, 2019