Bylaws of the Central Coast CA Democratic Socialists of America

Approved by membership 9/25/2020; approved by the NPC in the current form 10/9/2020;

amended 11/30/2025.

ARTICLE I. Name

The name of the Chapter will be the Central Coast CA Democratic Socialists of America (CCDSA), a Local Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). DSA is a not-for-profit corporation.

ARTICLE II. Purpose

The Central Coast chapter of Democratic Socialists of America (CCDSA) is committed to furthering a lasting transition toward a truly free and equitable society, free of exploitation based on class, race, gender or any other artificial distinctions used to divide our global humanity.

CCDSA rejects a capitalist economic order based solely on private profit, alienated labor, racism and sexism, gross inequalities of wealth and power, rampant environmental destruction, bigotry, and violence in defense of the status quo. We envision a humane social order based on democratic control of resources, production, and economic planning. 

We believe in equitable distribution, and safe, empowered close-knit communities.

We are committed to protecting robust personal rights and freedoms, including the right to free speech that embraces dissent, freedom of religion, freedom from religious oppression, freedom from state-sponsored violence, the right to participate meaningfully in democratic elections, the right to fair and equal treatment before the law, and a fundamental right to free movement.

To these ends, we are building a visible socialist presence on the California Central Coast that will advocate for platforms and policies consistent with this vision. We will endorse, support, and campaign for candidates in local, state, and national elections to achieve our goals and bring about an equitable future for everyone.

ARTICLE III. Membership

Section 1. Membership.

Members of the Central Coast CCDSA of DSA will be those individuals whose dues to national DSA are paid in full, who reside and/or work in Monterey and San Benito Counties. Individuals may not be members of the CCDSA without being members of national DSA. It will be the responsibility of members to approve policies and guidelines for the operation of the CCDSA, to elect delegates to the national convention, to vote on matters related to national policy, and to make recommendations on issues and other matters to the National Political Committee of DSA. 

A member may resign from the CCDSA and national DSA by contacting DSA’s national office.

Section 2. Removal of Members.

If a member in good standing is found to be in substantial disagreement with the principles or policies of national DSA, or if they are found to be consistently engaging in undemocratic, disruptive behavior, or if they are found to be under the discipline of any democratic centralist organization, the CCDSA may vote to expel them from the CCDSA of DSA. In order for such a finding to be made, another DSA member must formally refer written charges against the member in question to the CCDSA Executive Committee, which will set the date of a CCDSA meeting for deliberations on the charges. The member in question must receive a copy of the written charges and notice of the meeting a minimum of two (2) weeks before that meeting takes place. Expulsion of a member requires a two-thirds vote of the CCDSA meeting. An expelled member in good standing may appeal to the National Political Committee of DSA.

Section 3. Voluntary Donations.

As mandated by the national Constitution and Bylaws, the CCDSA may establish a pledge system of voluntary donations for its members. The payment of a CCDSA donation may not be a requirement for voting or for holding elected office.

Section 4.  Privacy Concerns.

The safety and privacy of members is the CCDSA’s first priority. Members’ personally identifiable information, such as names and addresses, shall be disseminated only on a need to know basis, and should never be posted in any public forum, nor shared among all other members.

ARTICLE IV. Central Coast DSA Meetings

Section 1. General Meeting.

The CCDSA will hold a minimum of one (1) General Meeting annually for purposes of electing officers. All DSA members residing in the CCDSA jurisdiction will be sent notice of, and an agenda for, the General Meeting. Notice may be sent by electronic means, but individuals who have not provided an email address must be sent a paper copy or contacted by phone or text. The General Meeting will elect CCDSA officers and may adopt an annual budget. In general, it is the highest legislative body of the CCDSA. The General Meeting may coincide with a Regular Meeting.

Section 2. Regular Meetings.

The CCDSA will hold Regular Meetings at least four (4) times annually, the time and place of which will be set in a schedule published and distributed by the CCDSA Executive Committee. The Regular Meetings will set CCDSA policy and work priorities, and they will include political education sessions.

The CCDSA Executive Committee will set the agenda for Regular Meetings. In general, the Regular Meeting is the operating legislative body of the CCDSA.

Section 3. Emergency Meetings.

The CCDSA Executive Committee may call an Emergency Meeting of the Chapter on five (5) days’ notice when an urgent and important matter requires deliberation.

Section 4. Quorum.

A quorum of 10 percent of the members (but not fewer than six (6) persons) is required for General, Regular, or Emergency Meetings to transact business.

ARTICLE V. Central Coast DSA Officers: Powers and Duties

Section 1. Officers and Terms.

The officers of the CCDSA will be Co-Chairs, General Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary of Culture & Community, collectively referred to as the “Executive Committee”. The term of office will be one year. Elections shall take place in June, at a date announced at least 30 days in advance and with a good faith effort to maximize involvement by all CCDSA members in good standing. The officers of the Executive Committee may not all be of the same identifying gender.

Section 2. Vacancies.

In the event of a vacancy in any CCDSA office, the CCDSA Executive Committee may appoint an acting replacement. A special election will be held for the vacant position within 30 days. No matter when the special election takes place, that officer’s term expires when the other officers’ terms expire. 

Section 3. Co-Chairs.

a. The Co-Chairs will be the primary organizing leadership of the CCDSA. They will be responsible for facilitating the smooth flow of CCDSA and Executive Committee meetings or will appoint a substitute to assume the powers and duties of the presiding officer as specified in Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised.  The Co-Chairs will be the official public spokespersons for the CCDSA and will initiate such actions and policies as the CCDSA’s general welfare may demand. 

b. The Co-Chairs will be responsible also for coordinating the day-to-day operations and political work of the CCDSA’s Branches and Committees.

c. The Co-Chairs will report to CCDSA Regular Meetings on the business of the Executive Committee Meetings, at which time a copy of the minutes of those meetings will be available for inspection.

Section 4. General Secretary.

a. The General Secretary will be responsible for answering all correspondence and queries of the CCDSA and for maintaining an up-to-date membership list of the CCDSA. They will ensure effective communication with national DSA. They will temporarily assume the responsibilities of the Co-Chair, if neither Co-Chair is able to do so.

b. The General Secretary will be responsible also for the taking of minutes of all CCDSA and Executive Committee Meetings and will have custody of these minutes, and the resolutions, reports and other official records of the CCDSA. They will transfer official records in good condition to their successor. Official records will include meeting minutes and member lists.

Section 5. Treasurer.

The Treasurer will be responsible for the funds and financial records of the CCDSA. All funds collected by the CCDSA will be turned over to the Treasurer, who will deposit them in a bank account under the name of the CCDSA. In cooperation with the Secretary, the Treasurer will be responsible for ensuring that membership dues are paid up-to-date. The Treasurer will prepare the annual CCDSA budget and deliver the CCDSA financial report to the General Meeting of the CCDSA, as well as periodic progress reports as requested by the Executive Committee of the CCDSA.

Section 6.  Secretary of Culture and Community.

The Secretary of Culture and Community is responsible for the internal and external communications of the organization. We define communication here in a dynamic sense, to include not just a narrow dissemination of messages from a fixed point, but more importantly the fostering of a strong network of our grassroots membership through culture and community. This includes primary organizational responsibility for all tools and technology related to this purpose, as well as the direction of initiatives toward this purpose. 

Section 7. Additional Duties.

The CCDSA Executive Committee may assign additional temporary duties to an officer of the CCDSA, so long as such assignments do not conflict with the designation of responsibilities outlined in these Bylaws. 

ARTICLE VI. Executive Committee

Section 1. Composition.

The CCDSA Executive Committee will be composed of the five (5) officers of the CCDSA and the chair(s) of any CCDSA Branches.

Section 2. Duties.

    a. The Executive Committee administers the affairs of the CCDSA and oversees the implementation of the decisions of the General and Regular Meetings; it may also propose policy to the General and Regular Meetings. It will have the power to receive reports of any Committee or Branch, and advise thereon, to call Emergency Meetings of the CCDSA, and to act on any matter that requires immediate and urgent action. The Executive Committee is the regular executive body of the CCDSA, and thus subordinate to its Legislative bodies, the General and Regular Meetings.

    b. The CCDSA Executive Committee will be responsible for establishing program activities for the CCDSA, for proposing guidelines and policies that will subsequently be voted on by members in good standing of DSA, and for acting on the organization’s behalf between CCDSA meetings.

Section 3. Meetings.

The meetings of the Executive Committee will be held at the call of one (1) of the Co-Chairs at such intervals as may be determined by a prior Executive Committee Meeting or by consultation with any three (3) members of the Executive Committee. All members of the Executive Committee must (ordinarily) be given four (4) days oral, written, or electronic notice of regular Executive Committee Meetings; a 24-hour notice may be given under special emergency circumstances.

Section 4. Quorum.

A quorum of a simple majority, including at least three (3) of the five (5) officers, is required for the transaction of Executive Committee business.

ARTICLE VII. Branches

Section 1. Definition.

A Branch is a subgroup of the CCDSA consisting of at least five (5) members in good standing with national DSA. Branches may be defined by geography or language. The chairs of Branches will hold membership on the CCDSA Executive Committee.

Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) chapters within the geographic area defined by a DSA CCDSA may affiliate as a branch of that CCDSA, in which case the local YDSA chapter may send a representative to the CCDSA Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VIII. Committees or Working Groups

Section 1. Duration.

The CCDSA will have Ad Hoc Committees or Working Groups, which will exist for a limited and explicit duration. Ad Hoc Committees may be established by a vote of members in good standing at a Regular Meeting of the CCDSA.

Section 2. Duties.

Chairs of Ad Hoc Committees will keep the Executive Committee and the Regular Meetings of the CCDSA informed on the activities of the Committee.

ARTICLE IX. Delegates to National, Regional, and State Bodies

Section 1. Eligibility to Vote.

CCDSA delegates and alternates to the National Convention, as well as to any regional or state organizations, will be elected by members in good standing of the CCDSA of DSA. 

Section 2. Schedule of Elections to National, Regional, or State Organizations. 

Elections for the National Convention delegation will be held on the schedule announced by the national organization. Elections to regional or state organizations will be held on the schedule announced by those organizations.

Section 3. Method of Voting.

Following Article V, Section 5 of national DSA’s Constitution, delegates to the National Convention must be elected by secret ballot.  And, “No election for delegates to the National Convention shall be held more than four months, or less than forty-five days, prior to the opening of the National Convention. No election for delegates shall be conducted before the apportionment of delegates.”

Following Article VI, Section 3, of national DSA’s Bylaws, CCDSAs “may determine their own method of election of delegates to the Convention except that a petition from 10% of a Local’ Chapters membership or a motion supported by 15% of those present and voting at the Local meeting which determines the method of election will require the use of the Hare system in that Local’s election of delegates to the National Convention.”

ARTICLE X. Prohibited Activity

Central Coast CCDSA will not engage in activity prohibited by the IRS guidelines established for 501(c)(4) organizations or similar rules established by the state of California. Nor will the CCDSA engage in any activity prohibited by resolutions adopted by DSA’s National Convention or DSA’s National Political Committee.

ARTICLE XI. Elections, Nominations, and Recall

Section 1. Nominations Committee.

A three (3)-person Nominations Committee will be established at least one (1) month prior to every election by vote of a Regular Meeting. It will solicit and receive nominations for the positions to be elected.

Section 2. Nominations Process.

Nominations for CCDSA officers and delegates to the National Convention will be opened at least 10 days before and closed at the meeting at which elections take place. The call for nominations will be announced to all members in good standing of Central Coast DSA as soon as nominations are open.

Section 3. Uncontested Positions.

If a position is uncontested, the nominee may be declared elected by acclamation.

Section 4. Elections.

The two Co-Chairs will be chosen via block voting system (plurality at large). Each voting member may vote for up to two candidates for Co-Chair. The two candidates receiving the most votes will receive the appointment.

The General Secretary, Treasurer, and Secretary of Culture and Community will be chosen by simple plurality vote (first-past-the-post).

Section 5. Recall.

Any officer of the CCDSA of DSA may be recalled for malfeasance or failure to fulfill their duties or obligations as an officer.  A referendum for recall of an officer may be called by a motion of no confidence put forward by five CCDSA members, and shall require a two-thirds vote with fourteen days notice.  The officer in question must receive written documentation of the specific reasons for the removal request and notice of the meeting a minimum of two weeks before the meeting takes place.  The accused officer will be given a chance to speak in their own defense at this meeting.  

ARTICLE XII. Amendments

Proposed amendments to these Bylaws must be made by written resolution, endorsed by five (5) members of the CCDSA of DSA and submitted to the Executive Committee at least one (1) month in advance of a General or Regular Meeting. The Executive Committee is required to provide the CCDSA membership with at least two (2) weeks’ written or electronic notice of the proposed amendments. The amendment must be approved by a majority vote of two (2) consecutive (Regular or General) CCDSA meetings.

ARTICLE XIII. Rules of the CCDSA

Section 1. Rules.

Agendas shall be distributed to active members at least seven days ahead of Chapter, Branch, or Working Group meetings.  Consensus decision-making is desirable where feasible. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised are the fallback rules of meetings of CCDSA bodies. This means that any member may at any time move that the meeting follow Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Section 2. Action Out of Order.

Any action taken by an officer or member of the CCDSA in contravention of these Bylaws is null and void.

Section 3. Harassment Policy.

The CCDSA will follow the Harassment Policy of national DSA. 

ARTICLE XIV.  Distribution of assets

Upon dissolution of the organization, any residual assets shall become property of the national organization of Democratic Socialists of America.