LIBERTARIAN COMMITTEE OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
BYLAWS
(As amended April 5, 2023)
ARTICLE I. NAME
Pursuant to the Bylaws of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (LPPA), these Bylaws establish
the Lancaster County Libertarian Committee (which may be referred to as the Libertarian Party of
Lancaster County or LPLC) as an affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania.
ARTICLE II. PURPOSE AND ACTIVITIES
The purpose of the LPLC is to move public policy in a libertarian direction by conducting the
following types of activities in a manner consistent with the Statement of Principles of the National
Libertarian Party (LNC) and the Statement of Principles of The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania:
effectively and faithfully disseminate libertarian philosophy; participate in volunteer activities and
community outreach to lead by example through the ideas of libertarianism and voluntaryism;
nominate candidates for any local political district at least partially within Lancaster County; and
support local, county, state and national Libertarian Party candidates.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Individuals generally supporting the principles and purposes of the LPLC may become a member
of the LPLC in accordance with these Bylaws. Only members in good standing shall have a vote
in any LPLC proceeding.
Section 1 – Membership Requirements
A person shall be considered a member of the LPLC in good standing when all of the following
requirements are satisfied:
a. Making application to the LPLC.
b. Being a resident of Lancaster County or an adjacent county; however, an LPLC member may
not also be a member of any other county LPPA affiliate.
c. Establishing and maintaining good attendance and participation which requires either:
(1) attending a minimum of at least one business meeting per calendar month in three of the
most recent four months; OR
(2) attending a minimum of at least one business meeting per calendar quarter in three of
the most recent four quarters.
d. Being current on LPLC membership dues.
e. Understanding and verbally agreeing to the following statement: “I hereby certify that I do not
believe in or advocate either engaging in fraud or initiating the use of force as a means of
achieving political or social goals.”
f. Be registered to vote in Pennsylvania as a Libertarian.Section 2 –Membership Dues
Membership dues (if any) may be set by majority vote at a regular meeting of the membership.
Section 3 – Suspension of Membership
An individual’s membership may be suspended or terminated by a two-thirds vote at a regularly
scheduled meeting of the membership. A member may be suspended or terminated if membership
requirements have not been maintained or for cause: misrepresenting the principles of the Party;
endorsing or campaigning, in the name of the Party, for a candidate for public office in opposition
to one nominated by the Party; or for running for office purporting to have been nominated or
endorsed by the Party without having received such nomination or endorsement; or for other
reasonable cause. A suspended member shall be notified of suspension by the Secretary in writing,
including the reason(s).
ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATION
Section 1 – Officers
The officers of the LPLC shall be a Chair, a Vice-chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer. All officers
must be members in good standing of both the LPLC and the national LP, and all must be quite
familiar with these LPLC Bylaws. The Chair and Vice Chair should have a basic working
knowledge of Robert’s Rules sufficient to enable them to conduct a reasonably orderly meeting
which properly accomplishes official business. The Treasurer should be comfortable using a
computer spreadsheet. Officers shall be elected at an Annual Organization Meeting (AOM) of the
LPLC by a majority of all voting members attending (whether voting or not) and shall take office
immediately upon adjournment of the AOM.
Section 2 – Duties of the Chair
a. The Chair shall preside at all LPLC meetings and at all Executive Committee meetings. He/she
shall be the chief executive officer of the LPLC.
b. The Chair shall prepare a proposed agenda for all scheduled meetings.
c. The Chair shall ensure that all required meetings are scheduled or rescheduled as necessary
(whenever this has not been done by majority vote of the members) and held.
d. The Chair shall have authority to draw from the treasury a maximum of $50 without prior
approval to cover a bona fide LPLC expense with a deadline that cannot wait for a vote at the
next meeting. All such withdrawals must be specifically reported by the Chair or Treasurer at
the next meeting.
e. The Chair shall represent the LPLC at LPPA Board of Directors meetings, whenever the LPLC
is entitled to such representation.Section 3 – Duties of the Vice-chair
a. The Vice-chair shall assist the Chair and shall preside at meetings when requested by the Chair
and when the Chair is not present.
b. The Vice-chair shall serve as a representative for the LPLC at state board meetings in place of
the Chair, if the Chair cannot be present.
Section 4 – Duties of the Secretary
a. The Secretary shall take and keep minutes of all official meetings. S/he will post the minutes
on the LPLC website for review by members within five days of each meeting, and will
compile any corrections which may be noted for presentation and action at the next meeting. If
there are no corrections or objections prior to adjournment of the following meeting, the
minutes shall be considered approved as posted.
b. The LPLC Secretary shall timely submit the minutes for each meeting to the LPPA Secretary
in order to satisfy the quarterly activity report requirement.
c. The Secretary shall record as an addendum to the prior meeting’s minutes any actions taken by
the Executive Board between meetings, or at a caucus with other county committee(s). Any
such addendum must be read aloud at the following meeting and posted on the website.
d. The Secretary will assist the Chair in establishing and disseminating a written proposed agenda
prior to each scheduled meeting.
e. The Secretary shall send all required email notifications to members.
f. The Secretary shall preside at meetings when the Chair and Vice Chair are absent.
g. The Secretary shall coordinate closely with the chair of the Membership and Activities
Committee (MAC) so as to be completely current on all LPLC membership matters. The
Secretary shall perform the membership duties of the MAC at meetings when no MAC
representative is present. If/when the MAC chair is vacant, the Secretary shall automatically
assume all MAC membership responsibilities.
Section 5 – Duties of the Treasurer
a. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping track of all LPLC finances and for timely filing
required financial reports. S/he shall take care to accurately record all receipts and
expenditures, including the source or purpose of each and maintain a running balance. The
Treasurer shall keep organized, understandable records in a binder or ledger and/or computer
spreadsheet.
b. The Treasurer shall report the status of the LPLC treasury account at all scheduled meetings,
including the balance as of the previous report, receipts and expenditures since then, and the
current balance. When the Treasurer is unable to attend a meeting, s/he shall provide said
report to the Secretary for presentation at the meeting. Prior to or within three days followingeach meeting, the Treasurer shall post each report on the LPLC website for review by all
members.
c. The Treasurer shall establish and maintain a bank account.
d. The Treasurer shall not allow LPLC obligations to exceed available funds.
Section 6 – Executive Board
An Executive Board (EB) shall consist of the officers plus the chairs of any standing committees.
No member of the EB may ever cast more than one vote, regardless of positions held. A quorum
of the EB shall be either three of the officers or a majority of the EB which must include either the
chair or the Vice Chair. The EB shall be empowered to conduct any LPLC business which is too
urgent to be held for decision at the next scheduled meeting. EB decisions shall be made by
majority vote of the EB by telephone, email or face-to-face meeting. In matters of extreme
importance and urgency, the Chair is authorized to act alone if a bona fide effort to vote cannot be
completed in time. Any action taken by the EB or Chair must be recorded by the Secretary and
reported aloud at the following scheduled meeting.
Section 7 – Judicial Committee
Whenever AOM attendance exceeds fourteen LPLC members, a Judicial Committee (JC) shall be
elected (after the officers) by a majority of all voting members attending (whether voting or not)
and shall take office immediately upon adjournment of the AOM. It shall consist of three
members in good standing, none of whom may be an officer. The JC shall be responsible for
adjudicating any disputes which may arise regarding the application or interpretation of these
LPLC Bylaws, and shall be the final body of appeal for any such disputes. The JC shall elect its
own chair. A quorum of the JC shall be all three of its members.
ARTICLE V. OPERATIONS
Section 1 – Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, shall govern the LPLC in all cases
to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws or any special
rules of order of the LPLC.
Section 2 – Annual Organization Meeting
The LPLC shall hold an Annual Organization Meeting (AOM ) to elect or re-elect officers and
conduct such business as may properly come before it in compliance with its Bylaws and Rules.
Only members who have been members in good standing for all of the 120 days immediately prior
to the AOM may vote at an AOM, A quorum at an AOM shall be either five voting members or a
majority of the voting members who are attending the AOM, whichever is larger. Unless
sufficient unusual circumstances make another date more suitable, the AOM shall be held between
the fifteenth of March and the fifteenth of April of each year. At least thirty days in advance of the
scheduled date, notice of the date, time and location for the AOM shall be prominently posted on
the LPLC website. Also, all current members shall be notified by email. If amendment(s) to theConstitution or Bylaws are to be considered, the email will refer members to the LPLC website
where all proposed amendments will be published.
Section 3 – Regular Meetings
The LPLC shall hold regular meetings of the membership, nominally on a monthly basis, but not
more than seventy-five days apart. A quorum for a regular meeting shall be: either an Executive
Board quorum; or a majority of members in good standing, but not less than four members (even if
three happens to be a majority) and shall include at least one of the officers. Meetings are open to
non-members by invitation of a member. At least ten days in advance of the scheduled date, notice
of the date, time and location for each meeting shall be prominently posted on the LPLC website;
also, all current members shall be notified by email.
Section 4 – Nomination of Candidates
The LPLC shall be solely responsible for nominating candidates for county-wide or local offices
entirely within Lancaster County by majority vote at an AOM or a regular meeting. For an
electoral district partially contained within Lancaster County, nominations will be made in caucus
with the recognized county committee(s) of any adjacent county (or counties) in which the district
lies. The LPPA Board of Directors may represent any such counties which do not have recognized
committees. In order to be nominated by the LPLC, a candidate must be a member in good
standing of both the LPPA and the national LP, and also his or her voter registration must be
Libertarian, unless prohibited by law. Candidates for Special Elections, substitute candidates as
provided in the PA Election Code, and proxy candidates for petitioning purposes also may be
nominated .
Section 5 – Endorsements
In the absence of a Libertarian Party candidate, the LPLC may, by majority vote, decide to endorse
another candidate. In order to receive an LPLC endorsement, a candidate must be clearly and
decisively more supportive of libertarian principles than any other candidate in the same race.
Section 6 – FEC Compliance
It is the LPLC’s intent to comply with all Federal Election Commission requirements. The LPLC
shall not contribute to or expend funds on federal election activities without the prior written
approval of the LPPA Board of Directors. At such time as the LPLC has nominated a candidate or
candidates to be placed on a ballot and LPLC Bylaws have been determined by authorities not to
be in compliance with election law, the Executive Board is empowered to make the minimum
changes to this document that are required to comply with election law.
Section 7 – Vacancies
Appointments to fill vacancies at any position may be made by majority vote at any regularly
scheduled meeting. The term for positions that are normally elected at the AOM shall expire at
adjournment of the next AOM. Committee chairs shall continue in office until a successor is
appointed.Section 8 – Elections
Elections shall be by secret ballot. The AADV (Approve/Approve/Disapprove Voting) method
shall be employed. Each voter shall have the option to approve of either 0, 1 or 2 different
candidates, and to disapprove of either 0 or 1 candidate. An approval is scored as plus 1; a
disapproval is scored as minus 1. The candidate having the highest positive net score is the
winner. In the case of a tie, the candidate having the fewest disapprovals shall be elected. If a tie
still persists, a runoff ballot will be conducted between the tied candidates. If only the tied
candidates were on the ballot, the winner shall be randomly selected from those tied. In the event
that no candidate has a net score greater than zero, nominations must be re-opened, but no
previously nominated candidate may be re-nominated to appear on subsequent ballots for that
same position.
Section 9 – Removals
A member may be removed from any position by a two-thirds vote at a scheduled meeting for
reasons good and sufficient to those voting. However, the reason(s) must be stated and the
Secretary shall notify anyone removed in writing, including said reason(s).
Section 10 – Resolution of Disputes
When a Judicial Committee (JC) exists, any LPLC member in good standing who believes that an
action of the LPLC is inconsistent with these LPLC Bylaws may appeal that matter to the chair of
the JC if/when the dispute cannot otherwise be resolved. An appeal must be filed in writing within
ten days of the action or the action shall stand. The appeal must explain the circumstances
surrounding the action and cite the specific provisions which are alleged to have been violated.
The JC must schedule and hold a hearing within fourteen days of receipt of the written appeal.
The Secretary shall notify all LPLC members of the hearing at least ten days prior to its scheduled
date. The chair of the JC shall preside at the hearing and hear testimony from all involved parties.
The JC shall render its written majority opinion within four days of the conclusion of the hearing.
If the JC fails either to hold the hearing or to rule within the specified time limits, the appellant
shall prevail. When no functional Judicial Committee exists, disputes shall be resolved by
majority vote of the Executive Board employing these same rules and procedures.
ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES
Ad hoc committees may be established, staffed and disbanded as needed by majority vote at any
scheduled meeting. Standing committees and their duties are defined in this Article. These shall
be established whenever membership and interest permit. The chairs of standing committees must
be LPLC members in good standing, shall be elected by majority vote at any scheduled meeting
and shall hold office through good behavior. Each standing committee chair shall submit a brief
written activities report to the Secretary in advance of scheduled meetings. Said reports will be
included in the meeting minutes and the chairs will also report verbally during each meeting.
Committee chairs will recruit their committee members. Absolutely anyone may be a member of
one or multiple committees.Section 1 – Membership and Activities Committee (MAC)
a. The MAC chair shall ensure that an accurate, current and complete list is maintained of LPLC
members in good standing. The list shall include each member’s postal address, telephone
number(s) and email address. The number of members, as well as members gained or lost, will
be included in the MAC activities report for each scheduled meeting.
b. The MAC chair shall maintain communications with the appropriate LPPA contact(s) in order
to verify the LPPA membership (and renewal dates) for LPLC members.
c. The MAC chair shall ensure that lapsed LPLC members are contacted and encouraged to
restore their memberships.
d. The MAC chair shall ensure that any non-member attendees at meetings are welcomed and
introduced; their names and contact information should be captured as well.
e. The MAC chair shall ensure that non-members receive follow-up contact(s) (outside of
meetings) to encourage them to become libertarians and Libertarians.
f. The MAC will from time to time conceive and propose to the entire membership activities
which further the Article I objectives of the LPLC. The MAC will take a leadership role in
implementing such activities as are approved by a majority vote at a scheduled meeting.
Section 2 – Marketing and Media Relations Committee (MMRC)
a. The MMRC shall be responsible for guiding the LPLC regarding all public-facing activities
and communications so as to maximize effectiveness in achieving Article I objectives.
b. The MMRC will normally be responsible for writing news releases. All news releases and/or
other articles representing the LPLC, whatever the source, must be approved both by the LPLC
Chair and the MMRC chair prior to public release.
c. The MMRC will be responsible for providing and/or approving all public-facing LPLC website
content.
Section 3 – Technology Implementation and Advisory Committee (TIAC)
a. The TIAC shall establish and maintain the LPLC website in accordance with the needs and at
the direction of LPLC officers and the MMRC chair.
b. The TIAC will from time to time conceive and propose to the entire membership new uses of
modern technology and/or improved ways to utilize such technology in existing applications.
c. The TIAC will take a leadership role in implementing such uses as are approved by a majority
vote at a scheduled meeting.ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS
These Bylaws may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of all voting members in attendance at an
AOM, whether actually voting or not. No amendment shall be made that either removes or
modifies this sentence or imposes a hurdle either lower than a three-fifths vote or higher than a
three-fourths vote to amend these Bylaws. Any proposed amendment must be submitted in writing
to the Secretary at least forty days in advance of the AOM at which it will be considered. The
Secretary must post proposed amendments on the LPLC website in such a manner that they may
be reviewed by all current members for a period of at least thirty days prior to the AOM at which
they will be considered. Duly adopted amendments shall become an integral part of these Bylaws
immediately upon adjournment of the AOM during which they were adopted.