Article I: Name

Section 110. Name.

This organization shall be known as the Minnesota High School DFL and may be abbreviated as MNHSDFL. It may also be colloquially named Minnesota High School Democrats, Minnesota High School Dems, or abbreviated as MNHSD. At the moment this document is adopted, the Minnesota High School DFL is not an official youth caucus of the Minnesota Young DFL or the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL).

Article II: Policy

Section 210. Mission Statement.

As a state organization chartered through the High School Democrats of America (HSDA), we work to affirm and promote Democratic values in Minnesota high schools and high school students. We work with the future Democratic Party leaders of America in order to provide them with opportunities that will last them a lifetime. 

 

An officially chartered federation of the High School Democrats of America, we offer students what is often their first exposure to Democratic politics. Engaging our classmates, we work in cooperation with their schools’ administrations to provide their peers with first-hand opportunities for activism.

Section 220. Organizational Functions.

Pursuant to Section 210 of the Bylaws of the High School Democrats of America, the Minnesota High School DFL shall:

1. Engage our fellow students to be active in the Democratic Party and the entirety of the American political system.

2. Actively support Democratic nominees in local, state, and national elections and shall conduct an active campaign in support of Democratic nominees.

3. Be forbidden from endorsing any candidate for office who has yet to win their respective primary election.

4. Make its principal mission the identification, training, and recruiting of Democratic activists in High School and the insertion of Democratic messaging into high school.

Article III: Organization

Section 310. State Organization.

The Minnesota High School DFL shall be composed of the Executive Board and other bodies and positions created at the discretion of the Co-Chairs.

Section 320. Local Organization.

The Minnesota High School DFL shall organize its membership into local and regional units, which will serve to perform the purpose of this organization in their respective jurisdictions. Local chapters will be subject to all the requirements of this document.

Section 330. Parent Organization.

The Minnesota High School DFL shall:

1. Operate as the official Minnesota state chapter of the High School Democrats of America; codes set forth by the High School Democrats of America Bylaws supersede those found in this document.

2. Maintain a relationship as a parent organization with all local chapters.

3. Function as an independent entity under High School Democrats of America, able to receive aid and support from the national organization while maintaining the right to make its own decisions.

Article IV: Membership

Section 410. General Membership.

1. Any self-identified Democrat in a Minnesota high school or any Democrat who is a Minnesota resident, being a high school student or younger or home-schooled, shall be eligible for active membership in this organization. Persons eligible shall remain eligible until two (2) months after their scheduled graduation from high school. 

2. The Executive Board shall lay out official processes to register for membership.

Section 420. Membership Guidelines.

All members of the Minnesota High School DFL shall be granted the following rights:

1. Members can vote in any statewide election after thirty (30) days of consecutive membership.

2. Members shall not be discriminated against based on gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, socioeconomic status, nationality, disability, or any other factor that could cause discrimination.

3. Members must not receive a membership test or oath, albeit they must declare support for the Democratic Party.

4. Members shall all have the opportunity to run for state office and the state Executive Board after thirty (30) days of membership.

Section 430. Membership Dues.

Dues shall be prohibited as a requirement for general membership.

Article V: Local Chapters

Section 510. Chartering Requirements.

In order for a chapter to be chartered with the Minnesota High School DFL, at least one of the State Co-Chairs must confirm that the chapter has at least three (3) members, all of whom are registered or plan to register as members of the Minnesota High School DFL.

Section 520. Chapter Types.

Chapters may be chartered as either:

1. A high school chapter centered at a school.

2. A community chapter centered within a community or locality.

3. A county chapter centered within a county.

Section 530. Chapter Requirements.

The following regulations apply to all local chapters:

1. Registered chapters must maintain close contact with the Minnesota High School DFL as is necessary to further the mission and goals of this organization.

2. Chapter members must be registered as members of the Minnesota High School DFL.

3. Registered chapters shall be required to guarantee all rights owed to their members by state and national bylaws.

4. Chapters are encouraged to have democratically-elected leadership within a year of the first meetings, albeit leadership elections aren’t required.

5. Chapters must contact the Executive Board to reconcile any internal issues that mandate the removal of a Chapter executive. Any further action beyond the Minnesota High School DFL authority is to be handled by the High School Democrats of America National Ethics Council. 

Section 540. Chapter Revocation.

Any chapter not in compliance with this document or shown to be violating the principles of the Minnesota High School DFL may have its chapter charter revoked or an ordered reformation by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board. 

1. Chapter or Charter Revocation

   1. Chapters whose charters have been revoked shall not be allowed to reform with a similar organization as a new chapter unless granted approval by a simple majority vote of the Executive Board.

2. Ordered Reformation

   1. The Executive Board shall have an overseeing responsibility until the Executive Board votes to end the ordered reformation. 

      1. All actions taken by the Executive Board shall be approved with a simple majority of the Board.

   2. Some or all Chapter Leadership of the chapter may be removed.

   3. The Executive Board shall choose to appoint a temporary (President/Chair Pro Tempore) Chair/President to reform the organization for six (6) months. At the conclusion of this temporary term, an election to elect their Executive Board (including Chair/President and Vice Chair/Vice President) must be held within the chapter.

Section 550. Chapter Privileges.

Local chapters that have been chartered shall have the privilege of participating in both the Minnesota High School DFL and the High School Democrats of America. All registered members of chartered local chapters shall be considered members of this organization. Each chartered chapter runs independently, has its own leadership, and is subject to all pertaining requirements of the Minnesota High School DFL Bylaws. As the Minnesota High School DFL is a state chapter of the High School Democrats of America, chartered under Section 510 of the High School Democrats of America Bylaws, all Minnesota High School DFL chapters and members operate under both organizations.

Article VI: Executive Board

Section 610. Role of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board shall see to the functioning and growth of this organization and its programs and shall endeavor to make this organization an instrument for positive change in communities around the state.

Section 620. Composition of the Executive Board.

The Executive Board of the Minnesota High School DFL shall comprise the elected offices of two (2) Co-Chairs and the appointed offices of Director of Communications, Director of Development, Director of Politics and Policy, and Director of Programs. Other positions on the Executive Board will be appointed and created at the discretion of the Co-Chairs.

Section 630. Tenure of Executive Board Members.

1. Elected members of the Executive Board shall serve for a term of no more than one year after their election, after which they shall either graduate, seek re-election, or discontinue their role. Appointed members of the Executive Board shall serve for a term of no more than one year after their appointment, after which they may seek appointment by the newly elected Co-Chairs or discontinue their role.

2. During years in which a presidential election takes place, the new board shall not be sworn in until after the Democratic National Convention. The board shall determine a date not exceeding 20 days after the Democratic National Convention. During years in which a presidential election does not take place, the preceding Executive Board shall set a date for the succeeding Executive Board to be sworn in no earlier than June and no later than July.

Section 640. Duties of the Executive Board.

1. The Executive Board shall comprise no more than ten (10) members.

2. The Executive Board shall be comprised of the following six (6) positions with their respective duties listed below, but not limited to:

   1. The two (2) Co-Chairpersons shall serve as the Chief Executives of the Minnesota High School DFL, set the agenda and chair all meetings of the Executive Board, serve as the official voice of this organization, and assist or fill in any other duties of the Executive Board. The State Co-Chairpersons must also execute and obey all rules and resolutions adopted by this organization.

   2. The Director of Communications shall handle general inquiries from the public, create and distribute publications, and oversee all forms of media owned and administered by the Minnesota High School DFL.

   3. The Director of Development shall assist local chapters in matters of resources, connections, development and activities, administer and maintain state membership records, and lead efforts in the expansion and outreach of membership and chapters.

   4. The Director of Politics and Policy shall work to find, support, and endorse legislation and policy within the state, assist and connect political campaigns and candidates with the organization, work with the Minnesota State DFL Party and DFL caucuses in the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate on opportunities for youth, and lead lobbying efforts at the state legislature and other government or non-governmental organizations. 

   5. The Director of Programs shall communicate with other non-governmental organizations to help find events and opportunities for youth, act as a liaison between organizations not affiliated with the DFL, plan and coordinate events initiated by the Minnesota High School DFL, and assist the High School Democrats of America in events and programs when requested and available. 

Section 650. Causes for Impeachment.

All members of the Executive Board are subject to impeachment and removal from office for failure to fulfill assigned duties or for violation of any law or rule of this organization, the Democratic Party, or for the commission of high crimes and misdemeanors or generally inappropriate conduct.

Section 660. Process for Impeachment and Removal.

1. Articles of impeachment may be filed by and brought against any individual member of the Executive Board. If the article is brought against a non-Chair member, at least one (1) Co-Chair must second the article for it to be considered. If the article is brought against one of the Co-Chairs, the other Co-Chair must agree or two (2) non-Chair members must second the article for it to be considered. 

2. Once an article of impeachment is considered, the Executive Board may petition to trigger the impeachment meeting. Subsequently, a meeting of the Executive Board shall be held, and the initial petitioners shall call upon another High School Democrats of America elected officer from another State or the National organization to preside over and oversee the proceedings. It shall be the duty of the presiding HSDA elected leader to ensure that the impeachment process is conducted fairly and that the following protocols are followed.

3. In the impeachment meeting, for which at least five (5) days of notice must be provided, the Executive Board members shall be given a fair opportunity to present evidence and discuss the option of impeachment. A three-fourths (3/4) majority of the Executive Board or two-thirds (2/3) majority if a Co-Chair is voting in the affirmative is required to remove the member. 

Section 670. Vacancies

1. If a non-Co-Chair member of the Executive Board resigns, is removed from office, or is otherwise incapable of serving, a Co-Chair shall present and administer the candidate applications by removing the name, grade, gender, and school of the applicant from all parts of their application. In doing so, that Co-Chair shall lose voting privileges during the confirmation process of the selection process. A majority of the Executive Board shall determine the confirmation of the appointee. 

2. If a State Co-Chair resigns, is removed from office, or is otherwise incapable of serving, the other Co-Chair may appoint any member of the Executive Board to the post. A majority of the Executive Board, excluding the appointee, shall determine the confirmation of the appointee. 

Section 680. Executive Board Meetings.

Executive Board meetings shall be held at a time and in a manner specified by the State Chair. The State Chair may call special meetings for any reason. All Executive Board Members must be notified of operational meetings at least three (3) days before the meeting, except under extraordinary circumstances. Members of the Executive Board must be present at three-fourths (¾) of the monthly meetings.

Article VII: Elections

Section 710. State Elections.

The Minnesota High School DFL shall conduct a statewide election each year. Measures shall be taken to ensure that each voter casts their vote once. The top two (2) candidates who received the most votes using an approval voting system shall be eligible for office. 

Section 720. Constituency.

All members of this organization, as per paragraph one (1) of Section 420, shall be given the right to cast one (1) vote in the state elections. All members wishing to cast their vote in the state election must prove their eligibility as deemed necessary by the election overseers.

Section 730. Secretary of Elections.

Elections will be conducted by a Co-Chair of the departing term. Members seeking candidacy are prohibited from becoming the Secretary of Elections. In the event that both Co-Chairs are non-seniors, elections shall be conducted by a Co-Chair not seeking re-election. In the event that both Co-Chairs are non-seniors and seeking re-election, a graduating member of the Executive Board or a High School Democrats of America member from another State shall become the Secretary of Elections.

Section 740. Candidacy.

All members of the Minnesota High School DFL shall be able to run for a position in the organization granted that they are in full compliance with all bylaws and regulations that apply to candidacy, they meet all the requirements mentioned in this document, and that they fill out all required candidacy forms. The deadline for candidacy shall be determined by the Secretary of Elections strictly between three (3) to five (5) days before the election. Candidates may not run in conjunction with one another as a ticket.

Section 750. Ballots. 

Ballots shall be designed in such a manner that they are easily understandable, all text is legible, and that they are fair to all candidates. Each member shall be given only one ballot to fill out their order of preference for each office and shall not be permitted to “write-in” or otherwise select a candidate that is not listed on the ballot.

Section 760. Certification of the Vote.

After all votes have been tallied, the Secretary of Elections shall hear all appeals from candidates and choose whether to investigate or dismiss appeals based on the facts of the appeal. After all appeals have been heard and all discrepancies, allegations, and irregularities have been investigated, the Secretary may decide to certify the results. Once certified, all results shall be final.

Section 770. Notice.

The membership of the Minnesota High School DFL shall be notified of the statewide election at least fourteen (14) days before the election is scheduled to occur and, at this time, shall be informed of all positions available and all steps necessary to become a candidate. Two (2) weeks prior to the election, all members must be notified of all candidates for each position and given a copy of their written statement. Voting instructions must also be included with this notification. 

Section 780. Recalls.

Any member of the Executive Board may be removed in a recall election. A recall election shall require the signatures of one-third (1/3) of all registered Minnesota High School DFL members or the approval of one-fifth (1/5) of all registered local chapters to begin. Removal shall require the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of all registered Minnesota High School DFL members. The Co-Chairs shall oversee all recalls, and all recall options shall be granted the same rights as candidates and governed by all regulations under Article VII.

Article VIII: Amendments

Section 810. Amendment Process.

This document may be amended by the consent of the 2 Co-Chairs with a simple majority vote of the Executive Board. Alternatively, this document may be amended with a two-thirds (2/3) supermajority vote of the Executive Board. Any member of the Executive Board may propose an amendment.

Section 820. Referendums.

This document may be amended by a referendum entertained by two (2) Executive Board members and passed by a two-thirds (2/3) supermajority vote of voting Minnesota High School DFL members. The Co-Chairs shall oversee all referendums, and all referendum options shall be granted the same rights as candidates and governed by all regulations under Article VII.

Section 830. Initiatives.

This document may be amended by an initiative passed by a two-thirds (2/3) supermajority vote of voting Minnesota High School DFL members. An initiative shall require the approval of three (3) local chapters or one-fifth (1/5) of all Minnesota High School DFL members. The Co-Chairs shall oversee all initiatives, and all initiative options shall be granted the same rights as candidates and governed by all regulations under Article VII. 

Article IX: Code of Conduct

Section 910. Code of Conduct.

The Executive Board shall publish a Code of Conduct to govern and regulate the professional behaviors of all Minnesota High School DFL members in a manner that will respect the integrity, dignity, and boundaries of all Minnesota High School DFL members. The Executive Board shall reserve the right to amend the Code of Conduct from time to time.