Bylaws › SECTION V
COUNTY CENTRAL COMMITTEE
1. Formation
A. The County Central Committee shall consist of registered Republican precinct committeemen and committeewomen, county chairman, county vice chairman, secretary, treasurer, state committeeman, state committeewoman, Republican State legislators residing in the county and Republican elected officials the county limited to county auditor, county treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, state attorney, county coroner and county commissioners. Those Republican legislators and Republican elected county officials shall be those duly elected in the general election immediately preceding this county organizational meeting or those persons filling vacancies of these positions as prescribed by the South Dakota codified Law or South Dakota Republican Party Bylaws. Each shall be entitled to vote at any County Central Committee meeting except as provided in Section V., Paragraph 2. D.
B. The County Central Committee shall meet at the county seat in January of each odd numbered year and proceed to form their Party organization by electing a county chairman and county vice-chairman, who shall be of the opposite sex, a secretary and a treasurer, a state committeeman and a state committeewoman, who shall hold their offices until their successors have been elected. The office of secretary and treasurer may be held by the same person.
C. A majority vote of the County Central Committee members present shall constitute an election, which shall be certified to the county auditor, Secretary of State and Republican State Headquarters.
2. Vacancies
A. In the event of a vacancy in the office of county chairman, the vice chairman shall assume that office for the remainder of the term.
B. The county chairman may appoint an assistant treasurer who would automatically assume the duties of the treasurer in the event of a vacancy and until the County Central Committee could meet to fill the vacancy.
C. “Vacancies occurring in any precinct or in any position the election to which is provided for in 12-5-14 by reason of death, resignation, or otherwise, and the 7 filling of such vacancies, shall also be certified. The county central committee shall have power to fill vacancies in its membership, or in the office of any other position the election to which is provided for in 12-5-14.” (SDCL 12-5-15).
D. With reference to SDCL 12-6-56 replacement of vacancies occurring by reason of death or withdrawal after a primary election, for state legislature or county races shall be filled in the following manners:
1. 12-6-56. Vacancies in party ticket to be filled by party committee. If a vacancy occurs by reason of death or withdrawal after a primary election, a party candidate for public office may be replaced by a new nominee if a meeting of the appropriate party central committee can be held and the results certified to the appropriate officials within the times prescribed by SDCL 12-8-6. Such a vacancy, if for presidential elector or statewide office shall be filled by the state party central committee. Such a vacancy if for other than presidential elector or statewide office, shall be filled by a vote of all interested county party central committee members. If any part of a county lies within the geographic boundaries of such office, the party county central committee shall be deemed interested, and the central committee members from within the county, residing in the affected district, may vote to fill the vacancy. In multi-county districts all county central committee members may vote to fill the vacancy.
2. 12-6-57. Meeting of party committee to fill vacancies--Manner of voting. The party State Central Committee chairman shall, upon learning of a vacancy for presidential elector or statewide office nominee, forthwith issue a call by mail for such central committee meeting to fill such vacancy, and designate the hour, date and place where such meeting shall be held. The call for a meeting of county party central committees interested, in multi-county legislative districts, to fill vacancies, shall be issued by the state party chairman, who shall notify all interested central committee members of the hour, date and place where such meeting shall be held. A call for a meeting of a single county district party central committee, to fill vacancies, shall be issued by such county central committee chairman upon learning of such vacancy. Vacancies filled by state central committee shall be by unit representation, each county casting the number of votes cast in that county at the last general election for the party’ s candidate for Governor; all other vacancies shall be filled by a majority vote of the party central committee or committees members present.
3. SDCL 12-6-56 and 12-8-6 requires vacancies be filled and proper notification be given to the Secretary of State/County Auditor no later than the second Tuesday in August at 5 p.m. or mailed by registered mail by that date and time prior to the election.
3. Precinct committeemen and committeewomen elected by plurality at primary and term of office: Of the people who properly filed a statement with the county auditor for the precinct committeeman and committeewoman, the person receiving the highest number of votes in the Republican primary election shall be declared elected precinct committeeman and committeewoman, respectively, and shall hold such position for two years.
4. County Executive Board: a county Executive Board consists of the county chairman, county vice-chairman, county secretary, county treasurer, State Central Committeeman, State Central Committeewoman, county finance chairman, and at least three (3) others appointed by the county chairman from the registered Republicans in the county. The County Executive Board conducts party business between regular meetings of the County Central Committee. The county chairman calls the meetings of the County Executive Board and presides over such meetings. The county secretary keeps the minutes. Three members of the Executive Board may call a meeting in writing.
5. Duties of Officers
A. The county chairman as head of the Republican Party in the county has the following duties:
1. Directs county Republican Party affairs as well as to conduct the political campaign in the county.
2. Attends and serves as voting member at meetings of the State Central Committee.
3. Carries out the annual plan of party goals and objectives of the State Chairman.
4. Seeks to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.
5. Appoints a county finance chairman who works with the State Finance Director as well as the county chairman.
6. Presides over meetings of the County Central Committee.
7. Directs the activities of the precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen.
8. Serves on County Executive Board.
B. Duties of the CountyVice Chairman:
The county vice chairman has the following duties:
1. Discharge all duties of the county chairman in his/her absence or disability.
2. Coordinate all Republican auxiliary activities in the county.
3. Other duties as county chairman may delegate.
4. Serve on County Executive Board.
5. Attends and serves as voting member at meetings of the State Central Committee.
6. Assist the chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.
C. Duties of County Secretary:
The county secretary has the following duties:
1. Arrange meeting places.
2. Mail meeting notices stating agenda, time and place for meetings of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.
3. Keep minutes of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.
4. Maintain all records of the County Central Committee.
5. Assist the chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.
D. Duties of County Treasurer:
The county treasurer has the following duties:
1. Pay all bills and serve as custodian of funds.
2. File financial reports as required by law.
3. Perform other duties as the county chairman may delegate.
4. Certify the names of the county officers to the County Auditor and the names of the county chairman, vice chairman, state central committeeman and state central committeewoman to the Secretary of State following the county organizational meeting.
5. File a list of county officers elected at the county organizational meeting and any vacancies subsequently filled to the Secretary of the Republican State Central Committee.
6. Serve on County Executive Board.
7. Assist the chairman to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.
If the offices of secretary and treasurer are held by the same person as provided in Section V1.B, that person shall perform the duties of both secretary and treasurer as described above.
E. Duties of the State Central Committeeman and Committeewoman:
1. Attend and serve as voting members at meetings of the State Central Committee and the County Executive Board.
2. Carry into effect the policies of the State Central Committee in cooperation with the county chairman. 10 F.
3. Prior to the regular meetings of the State Central Committee, they shall cooperate with the county chairman in arranging a county meeting to review the problems, programs, and prospects of the county, or they shall take other procedures to determine the situation so that they may report thereon at the following meeting of the State Central Committee.
4. Assist the county chairman to assure a full ticket for all the Republican offices in the county including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in raising funds, in conducting county political campaigns, and general party matters.
F. Duties of Precinct Committeemen and Committeewomen:
1. Under the supervision of the county chairman, they have the complete responsibility to conduct the political campaign in their precinct, such as compiling and updating voters lists; contacting voters; registering non-voters; and general voter contact activities.
2. Serve as voting member of the County Central Committee.
6. The County Central Committee shall meet each quarter on call of the county chairman. The county chairman may call a special meeting at any time. If the county chairman fails to call the required quarterly meeting or the required statutory meeting, the State Committeeman or State Committeewoman has the power to call the meeting.
Five days notice must be given for any meeting.