T H E C O N S T I T U T I O N
of the
H A R V A R D C O L L E G E D E M O C R A T S
Last Amended,
April 2021
In order to promote a better America, with equality, opportunity, and freedom within a just and strong society, we dedicate ourselves to organizing the participation of Democratic college students at Harvard College. In this mission, we call for full participation of all Harvard students, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Understanding the importance of participation in the Democratic Party to the preservation of our values and principles, we, Democratic college students, do hereby associate ourselves and adopt this Constitution as the Harvard College Democrats.
Article 1: Name and Purpose
A. Name.
The name of this organization shall be the Harvard College Democrats, hereafter referred to in this document as the College Democrats.
B. Purpose.
The College Democrats pledges itself to support the philosophy and candidates of the Democratic Party. Furthermore, the College Democrats declares its intention to support all efforts to increase the participation of college students in Democratic affairs. To these ends, the College Democrats shall educate and train its members so that they may be better able to:
Educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic Party.
Assist in the election of local, state, and national Democratic candidates.
Affect political change on the local, state, and national level.
Article 2: Membership
A. Members.
Membership in the College Democrats shall be open to any college student currently enrolled in Harvard College who wishes to be known as a College Democrat and who has the best interests of the College Democrats and the Democratic Party at heart, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, physical handicap, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation.
B. Comp.
The Harvard College Democrats do not practice a comp process. A prospective member becomes a member in good standing by attending at least one general meeting,committee, service project, or caucus meeting. Members must attend at least one meeting a semester to remain in good standing.
C. Members in good standing.
Members in good standing shall be defined as any member, as defined in Article 2 Section A, who has completed the comp process, as defined by Article 2 Section B, and remains an active member of the College Democrats.
Article 3: The Executive Board
A. Composition.
The Executive Board shall be composed of the Co-Presidents,Secretary, Treasurer, Campaigns Director, Campus Outreach Director, Communications Director, Events Director, Legislative Director, Membership Director, and Service Director. All positions will be elected once yearly at the General Elections.
B. Meetings.
The Executive Board shall meet regularly when school is in session. Meetings shall be opened to all interested members. Either of the Co-Presidents, with 2/3 consent of the Executive Board, can close a meeting based on the delicacy of the issues that will be discussed.
C. Committees and Caucuses
The executive board, during the first month after its election, shall determine the structure of committees within the College Democrats. Committees will be led by one or more members of the executive board and will meet once a week or as necessary. Each committee will work on a particular subject throughout the year. Possible subjects can include: campaigns, policy and publicity, programming, finance, etc.
Caucuses can be proposed to address a particular issue or identity by any member of the executive board or member in good standing. Any member who proposes a caucus will meet with the Membership Director, who will present the caucus to the executive board for approval. The executive board may approve a caucus by majority vote. If the executive board rejects a caucus, the member who has proposed it may appeal the decision for a second vote after demonstrating membership interest in the caucus is sufficient. Each caucus will meet as necessary and can be led by a board member or a member in good standing. Caucuses may be dissolved at any time by a 2/3 vote of the executive board. Caucuses can determine their own leadership, under the guidance of the Co-Presidents and Membership Director.
D. Permanent Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Permanent Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shall be in charge of ensuring that the Harvard College Democrats are thinking about issues of DEI and creating an organization that fosters belonging.
This Committee will be made up of at least two Executive Board members and member in good standing on the basis of applications.
This Committee’s “de facto” chair will be the Membership Director. However, once the members of the Committee are established, the power hierarchy will dissolve and all members will have equal power.
The second Executive Board member will be added to the Permanent Committee by the vote of the Executive Board. If no Executive Board member is interested in being a member of the Permanent Committee, it will be up to the Co-Presidents to appoint a board member to the Permanent Committee.
Members in good standing who apply to be a part of the Permanent Committee and accepted will be known as “DEI Liaisons.”
Reports and suggestions from the Permanent Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will be presented to the Executive Board of the Harvard College Democrats by the Membership Director. The Executive Board must acknowledge receipt of these reports and suggestions within a week, and consider them during regular board meetings within two weeks.
The Permanent Committee will not be disbanded by the Executive Board of the Harvard College Democrats, unless by Constitutional Amendment.”
Article 4. Campaign Subgroups
A. After consulting with the Campaigns Director, a member in good standing may form a campaign subgroup of the Harvard College Democrats if a majority of the executive board agrees that the following conditions have been met:
The purpose of the subgroup is (i) to advocate for a Democratic candidate in a contested primary or general election, or (ii) to advocate for an issue or the passage of legislation.
The member in good standing has presented to the Campaigns Director a plan outlining the group's goals and how it will work to achieve them.
The mission of the group shares the spirit and principles of the Democratic Party, and can best be carried out through the subgroup model.
B. Authorization of a campaign subgroup does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of a particular candidate, legislation, or position by the Harvard College Democrats.
C. If the purpose of the subgroup is to advocate for a Democratic candidate in a contested primary and that candidate wins the Democratic nomination, the group must reapply for subgroup status in consultation with the Campaigns Director.
D. Subgroups may apply for, but are not entitled to, funding from the Harvard College Democrats general budget in compliance with state and federal law. If more than one subgroup working on the same race applies for funding from the general budget, each group must receive equal funding. However, if the Harvard College Democrats decide to endorse a specific candidate, the organization is not bound to give equal funding to opposing subgroups in the same race.
E. The College Democrats Executive Board may dissolve any subgroup by a 2/3 vote if it deems it to be acting in ways contrary to the interest of the Harvard College Democrats as a whole.
F. At the beginning of a presidential election cycle, it is the responsibility of the Campaigns Director to promulgate information to Harvard students about what campaign subgroups are, what is required to create them, and any other pertinent information about subgroups. This could happen, for example, over public social media channels or club-wide email lists.
Article 5: Organizational Authority
A. Candidate Endorsements.
The College Democrats shall endorse candidates by a vote of 2/3 of the general membership. In races in which the College Democrats do not endorse a candidate, the organization shall facilitate the dissemination of information for all Democratic candidates in that race.
B. Substantive Policy Statements.
Formal statements made by the Harvard College Democrats must be approved by a simple majority of the Executive Board. Formal statements must be in accordance with the Harvard College Democrats’ mission.
Article 6: Duties of the Executive Board Positions
A. All Executive Board members must maintain active involvement in all of the College Democrats’ activities and endeavors.
B. Duties of the Co-Presidents.
The Co-Presidents shall:
Be the Chief Executive Officers of the College Democrats.
Define the agenda of the College Democrats during their tenure.
Act as the official representatives of the College Democrats to other groups and the media, along with the Communications Director.
Carry out the mandates, policies, and directives of the Executive Board.
Appoint, after approval of 2/3 of the Executive Board, ad-hoc committees and chairpersons of such committees, and House Captains.
Preside over all meetings of the College Democrats.
Attend at least half of the meetings of the standing committees of the Dems, and work with the Chair of each committee to see that they are effective in building a strong committee, carrying out their responsibilities, and fitting their committee into the organization.
In the event that the Co-Presidents have an irresolvable disagreement, they must bring the issue to the Executive Board, which will discuss and vote on a final decision by simple majority vote.
C. Duties of the Secretary.
The Secretary shall:
Take minutes, or ensure that minutes are taken, at all meetings of the College Democrats, including but not limited to board meetings, membership meetings, and events, and make the minutes of open meetings available to the general membership. In the event that the Secretary is unavailable, they shall designate another Board Member to take minutes.
In consultation with the Co-Presidents and the executive board, make up agendas for meetings of the board, committee members, and membership.
Assist the Co-Presidents in administrative matters.
Direct outreach efforts by fostering strong relationships with other student groups and encouraging cosponsorship and cooperation in directing events.
Work to construct a weekly bulletin with the Communications Director.
D. Duties of the Treasurer.
The Treasurer shall:
Direct fundraising activities and prepare all grants.
Manage the bank account, the receipts and paperwork in case of an audit, and t-shirt sales.
Perform such duties as the Co-Presidents may assign, as well as such duties that are customarily performed by a Treasurer.
E. Duties of the Campaigns Director.
The Campaigns Director shall:
Supervise and work to build campaign subgroups.
Lead organization-wide campaign efforts.
Educate members in the skills relevant to campaign work.
During Presidential election years, if deemed necessary by the board, two campaign chairs can be elected to manage the increased campaign activity.
F. Duties of the Campus Outreach Director.
The Campus Outreach Director shall:
Act as the official Harvard campus contact for the Harvard College Democrats.
Maintain working partnerships with on-campus groups.
Keep abreast of campus politics and organize on-campus activism.
G. Duties of the Communications Director.
The Communications Director shall:
Act as the official representative of the College Democrats to other groups and the media, along with the Co-Presidents.
Notify media of all events of the College Democrats and ensure media coverage.
Write op-eds and letters-to-the-editor, and see that they are placed in campus and off- campus publications.
In consultation with the Treasurer, seek out new ways of publicizing the Democratic message on campus and beyond.
Produce content for the College Democrats' online presence.
In consultation with the Co-Presidents, appoint a webmaster or web team, and work with them to maintain the College Democrats' web presence, email lists, and design consistency.
Send out the weekly bulletin to the full membership, in collaboration with the Secretary, and seek out other ways of publicizing Dems activities to the full membership, on campus, and beyond.
Seek out internship opportunities for members and provide them with information about securing internships.
H. Duties of the Events Director.
The Events Director Shall:
Bring prominent Democratic speakers to campus and build crowds for these events.
Organize a regular convention of the full membership.
Organize faculty dinners, speakers dinners, and a regular formal dinner.
Generate ideas for and plan events relevant to Democratic politics and policy.
I. Duties of the Legislative Director.
The Legislative Director shall:
Write position papers for the College Democrats, with approval by a 2/3 majority of the Executive Board.
Moderate issue discussions, and maintain and update the Harvard Dems platform.
Maintain contacts with elected officials at the local, state, and national level.
J. Duties of the Membership Director.
The Membership Director shall:
Organize recruitment drives during peak periods and year-round.
Organize regular social events.
Keep alumni aware of and connected to the organization.
Serve as an officer of the Programming Committee and attend programming committee meetings.
Act as a permanent member of the Permanent Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Act as a liaison between the Executive Board and the Permanent Committee.”
K. Duties of the Service Director.
The Service Director shall:
Organize community service projects for members.
Work with Membership Director and Communications Director to keep members aware of and involved with service projects.
Work with other student organizations to coordinate service efforts and co-sponsor community service projects.
Constantly research new service opportunities with an emphasis on those that promote a progressive agenda.
Article 7: Elections
A. Elections shall take place within the time period between the end of Thanksgiving Break and the start of reading period. The precise date is at the discretion of the board.
B. Eligibility to run for a position and vote.
Candidacy for the executive board and voting shall be limited to members of the College Democrats who are in good standing in accordance with Article 2, Section C.
C. Campaigns.
No money shall be spent on campaign materials.
No campaign emails shall be sent using campus email lists, including Dems-Announce and Dems-Talk.
No surrogates may campaign for candidates. Candidates may not instruct or request an individual who is not on their ticket to campaign in their favor, and no voter or group of voters, including current board members and candidates, may campaign for any candidate, even if not instructed to do so by the candidate though they may engage in certain allowable forms of election- related communication. Prohibited campaigning shall include but is not limited to setting up meetings, sending emails and text messages, making phone calls, or engaging in any other sort of unsolicited communication to voters initiated for the purpose of convincing the voters to support or oppose a candidate. Allowable election-related communication shall include but is not limited to speaking in favor of or in opposition to a candidate in spontaneous conversation or when the opinion is solicited.
D. Voting procedure.
1. As Democrats, we value accessible elections. Members in good standing shall be permitted to vote by absentee ballot if they notify the Election Commission of their inability to attend the meeting at least one week prior to elections. The election commission shall be required to host at least one hour of absentee voting in a public location between the beginning of the campaigning period and the day before the election and shall be required to inform those who cannot make elections of the time, date, and location of this absentee voting session. The absentee voting session must be held in a wheelchair accessible room on campus. If a member in good standing is unable to be physically present on campus during the election period, the election commission must work with them to find a way for them to cast their ballot. Drop down candidates will be listed on absentee ballots as “Name (DROP DOWN)” provided they have provided the election commission with their drop down choice prior to the absentee voting session. A candidate may still declare a drop down candidacy at the regular election meeting itself, but they will obviously not be eligible to receive absentee votes. In the event of a drop-down candidate winning both their drop-down and their preferred position due to absentee votes, the candidate will become the winner of the position that was voted on first at the regular election meeting, and the next-highest vote getter will be the winner of the second position.
2. All those who are eligible to vote according to Article 7, Section B but have not been granted permission to vote by absentee ballot may only cast ballots in person during the election meeting scheduled by the Executive Board. Once the first campaign speech for the Co-Presidents has begun, no one shall be allowed to enter and vote. No one shall be allowed to leave the elections before the result of the election for Co-Presidents has been announced. No one who leaves the room at any point during the elections will be permitted to re-enter the room and vote. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the election administrators.
E. Secret ballots.
One vote per person per election. Candidates cannot vote in their own election.
F. Order.
The first election shall be for the Co-Presidents, who must run as a ticket. Elections continue as designated in Article 3 section A of the Constitution or as decided by the election administrators prior to the election.
G. Administrators.
Three for each election; composed of Executive Board members, House Chairs, or members in good standing who are not running for elected positions. Administrators can vote. At least one Co-President will be an administrator unless they are running for a position or chooses not to become one. The Executive Board will appoint the other two administrators. Administrators shall distribute campaign materials – no other literature may be distributed by anyone during the elections.
H. Procedure.
Candidates are nominated directly before their election.
Speech length: The candidates for the Co-Presidency will have a combined 4 minutes. Candidates for all other positions will have 2 minutes.
Q & A for the field: The candidates for the Co-Presidency will respond to a total of 3 questions and have 1 minute to respond to each. Candidates for all other positions will respond to 2 questions each and have 45 seconds to respond to each question. The commission will select the questions to be asked.
Vote counting and declaration of winner will occur directly after that election. Candidates will leave the room during the voting.
Instant run-off voting: Voters will rank order their candidate choices. If no candidate receives a majority of 1st place votes, the candidate with the lowest number of 1st place votes will be eliminated, and their votes will be redistributed to the next candidate in their rankings. This process will continue until a candidate receives a majority of votes.
I. Drop-down elections.
Drop-down elections: A candidate may only drop-down once; totaling two elections.
J. Ties.
In the event of a tie for a position after ranked preferences have been tabulated, there will be an immediate re-vote for that position between the tied candidates.
K. Effective date of elections.
The terms for the Executive Board begin on the day after the last day of winter exam period.
Article 8: Removal
A. Cause for removal.
Cause for removal shall be defined as malfeasance or nonfeasance of duties assigned by the Executive Board or delineated within this document, or as ineligibility for Executive Board membership pursuant to Article 2. Cause for removal shall also include grounds found by 3/4 members of the Executive Board to constitute good and sufficient cause.
B. Process for removal.
To begin the process for removal, another member of the Executive Board must charge the officer with the reasons for their removal publicly at a meeting of the Executive Board. The officer in question must be offered an opportunity to defend themselves at that meeting. After a period of two weeks the issue shall be put to a vote. Three-fourths of the Executive Board must vote for removal for an officer to be removed.
Article 9: Vacancies
A. Declaration of vacancy.
A vacancy shall be declared when a member of the Executive Board dies, resigns, is unable to fulfill their duties, or is removed from office. If a vacancy occurs in an Executive Board position, not including the Co-Presidents, then the Co-Presidents will appoint a successor with a 2/3 majority consent of the remaining Executive Board. Upon a vacancy of one Co-President position, the remaining Co-President can appoint a new Co-President with the approval of 2/3 of the Executive Board. Upon a vacancy of both Co-President positions, the remaining Executive Board—using Article 7 section D as a model—will appoint an Election Commission and hold an Election during a meeting of the general membership within two weeks.
Article 10: Amendments
A. Procedure.
The Constitution can be amended by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive Board with 2/3 approval by the general membership.