The Independence party of Florida, state standing committees shall be:
(a) state standing committee on operations,
(b) state standing committee on budget, planning, and development,
(c) state standing committee on public relations,
(d) state standing committee on platform and public policy.
Subdivision I.2.1. Members and Officers
The members of each state standing committee shall include a member of the state executive committee and a number of at large members which shall not exceed the number of Congressional districts in the State.
Subdivision I.2.2 Manner of Selection
The state executive committee member for each state standing committee shall be selected by the state executive committee. At large members shall be designated by the state convention in such a manner as its standing rules may determine.
Subdivision I.2.3. Term
One half the initial complement of at large members shall serve for 1 year terms, with the balance for 2 year terms. Subsequent at large members shall be eligible to serve terms of 2 years.
Subdivision I.3.1. Election
Each state standing committee chairperson shall be elected by majority vote of its membership.
Subdivision I.3.2. Term.
The term of office for each state standing committee chairperson shall begin fifteen days after the close of the annual convention and end fourteen days after the close of the next such meeting.
Subdivision I.3.3. Vacancy
State standing committee chairperson vacancies shall be filled by majority vote of the state executive committee. Persons designated under this provision shall be the chairperson pro tem of the committee and shall immediately and automatically yield the office upon the filling of the office under Subdivision 3.1 of this Section.
Subdivision II.1.1 Endorsed Candidates
An Independence Party of Florida endorsed candidate shall be a person who is a candidate for a public office and is granted the Independence Party endorsement for that office.
Subdivision II.1.2 Endorsed Elected Public Officials
An Independence Party of Florida endorsed elected public official shall be a person who is elected to and serves in the public office for which that person was the Independence Party of Florida endorsed candidate in the most recent election for that office.
Subdivision II.2.1. Independence Party of Florida Affiliation Required
A candidate must agree to file and run as a Independence Party of Florida Candidate in an election that has party affiliation on the ballot.
Subdivision II. 2.2. Financial Support
In elections where public financing of campaigns may be accessed by Independence Party of Florida candidates or candidates seeking Independence Party of Florida endorsement, no candidate shall be eligible to receive Independence Party of Florida endorsement where the candidate or any of the candidate's committees have accepted PAC contributions during the one hundred eighty days that precede the day the candidate formally requests endorsement.
A candidate who meets all other Independence Party of Florida endorsement criteria shall be eligible to receive Independence Party of Florida endorsement if the candidate and all of the candidate's committees return all PAC contributions received in the one hundred eighty days that precede the day the candidate formally requests endorsement.
Subdivision II.2.2.1 Definitions
1. "PAC" shall mean any political fund or political committee, as defined in the Florida Statutes and Florida Rules, and any non-connected committee, separate segregated fund, or political committee as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act and Federal Election Commission regulations; except political party committees, terminating candidate committees and the candidate's own committees as so defined.
2."PAC contribution" shall mean any financial contribution made in cash or in kind by any PAC.
3. "Candidate's committee" shall mean the candidate's own political committee and principal campaign committee as defined in the Florida Statutes and Florida Rules, and the candidate's own principal campaign committee and any of the candidate's own authorized committees as defined in the Federal Election Campaign Act and Federal Election Commission regulations.
Subdivision II.2.3. Endorsement Criteria
To be eligible to receive the Independence Party of Florida endorsement, a candidate for public office shall:
(a) demonstrate competency for public service,
(b) have read the constitutions of the United States and the State of Florida,
(c) agree to support and defend such constitutions as the foundation of governance by law,
(d) agree to abide by the principles of the Independence Party,
(e) agree to support three-fourths or more of the state party platform cornerstone planks and a majority of the supporting planks; and if elected, to give one's best efforts to enact the planks the candidate supports, as appropriate to one's office,
(f) state as an item of public record the differences the candidate has with any of the state party platform planks,
(g) agree to conduct issue-oriented campaigns and political dialogue with civility and decorum,
(h) agree to deliver to the Independence Party of Florida, without further request, copies of all of one's: campaign literature; fundraising literature; position papers; prepared policy statements; press releases; prepared speeches; questionnaires completed for political, media, and public interest organizations; legally required committee finance reports; and written text of one's campaign promises that are not otherwise documented in these items,
(i) agree to keep all of one's campaign promises, and
(j) agree that one's Independence Party of Florida endorsement is earned every day and further agree that if one violates the provisions of this article and such other endorsement provisions as may be provided in the bylaws, the Independence Party of Florida may, by proper action and with due process, revoke one's Independence Party of Florida endorsement and announce the findings of such process and such revocation to the public.
Each candidate's request for endorsement shall be made by letter to the chairperson of the state executive committee.
After receipt of a proper request for endorsement, the chairperson shall initiate a session of the state executive committee to consider the request.
The business of each such session shall include all requests for endorsement made by all candidates for the office in question.
Subdivision II.5.1. Candidates
Independence Party of Florida endorsement of a candidate for public office shall remain in effect until the election results for that office are officially certified by the appropriate government entity, except as provided in Sections II.2.2 and II.2.3 above.
Subdivision II.5.2. Elected Public Officials
The endorsement of an Independence Party of Florida elected public official shall remain in effect until:
(a) the official vacates the office for which the official is endorsed,
(b) the official becomes an announced candidate for reelection to that office,
(c) the official becomes an announced candidate for election to another public office,
(d) the official voluntarily relinquishes one's endorsement by written notification to the state party secretary,
(e) the endorsement is revoked by proper action and due process of the Independence Party of Florida.
Each Independence Party of Florida endorsed candidate and each Independence Party of Florida endorsed elected public official shall be subject to the specific endorsement criteria in effect on the day such person is granted the Independence Party of Florida endorsement; except that each such candidate or official may voluntary bind oneself, by written notification to the state party secretary to the current Independence Party of Florida endorsement criteria in their entirety. Such candidate or official that so binds one self shall not then be bound by any previous Independence Party of Florida endorsement criteria.
Under the supervision of the state standing committee on Budget, Planning and Development, all party funds net of approved party expenses shall be distributed, pro rata, to the campaign finance committees of endorsed candidates.
When calling for a vote by mail the chair of the convention or committee conducting the vote shall set the timeline for ballots to be returned. Reasonably sufficient time, however, shall be allowed so that voting members may consider their vote and consult with other members of the convention or committee regarding the consequences of the vote. Ballots may be cast by United States Postal Service, electronic mail, or facsimile. The chair conducting the vote shall also provide for the location(s) to which the ballots are to be returned and the ballot form which he or she will accept.
The chair of the convention or committee conducting a vote by mail shall exercise due diligence in authenticating the returned ballots. The chair of the convention or committee conducting a vote by mail shall also notify each member of the convention or committee of the voting results, including a report of each and every members vote, and any comments the voting members may wish to become part of the record for that vote.
Voting results and individual vote by mail ballots shall be a matter of public record. All physical and electronic ballots shall be retained until after the second succeeding meeting of the convention or committee conducting the vote.
Any voting member of the convention or committee conducting a vote under these provisions may challenge the authenticity of any vote(s). The convention or committee may uphold the challenge(s) and rescind a motion passed in a vote by mail by a majority vote at the next meeting of the convention or committee conducting the vote.
For all purposes under these bylaws, a member must, at a minimum, be registered to vote with Independence Party of Florida affiliation in the records of the County within which the member is eligible to vote.
In addition, one or more of the following indicators shall be used:
(a) attendance at official Independence Party of Florida meetings as documented in the meeting minutes or sign-in sheets,
(b) dates of financial contributions made to the Independence Party of Florida or its endorsed candidates,
(c) service as a Independence Party of Florida official at any level,
(d) service on the campaign committee of any Independence Party of Florida endorsed candidate, as attested to by the candidate or an official of the candidate's campaign committee,
(e) service on a State of Florida board, agency, or commission where the law requires partisan identification to so serve,
(f) the personal production of objectively verifiable results that directly benefit the Independence Party of Florida, such as petition signatures gathered, volunteer hours logged, party building activities organized, funds raised, rallies organized, house parties hosted, new members recruited, literature distributed, etc.
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