State Platform Process

Votes on the GPNY platform planks must be postmarked by Tuesday, February 28, 2006 to be counted.

Mail the ballot to Betty Wood, PO Box 153, Blodgett Mills, NY 13738.

Platform by County Hearing and State Committee Vote

Resolution adopted by Green Party of New York on September 18, 2004.

GOAL

To build the state party platform "from the ground up," using a process that is democratic, transparent and verifiable. The process below describes the first round of this process and will produce a draft state party platform for future discussion and review as a "work-in-progress."

PLATFORM FACILITATORS

The State Committee of the Green Party of New York State ("SC") will vote for five to seven SC members who will serve as a team of "platform facilitators" to facilitate the platform process, organize submitted platform planks, and tally votes. Facilitators will work with SC members to notify all counties about the platform process. Participating counties will be provided a copy of the New York State Greens 1998 Platform for use as a reference. The State Committee will provide up to $500 to the facilitators for photocopies and postage for required mailings.

PLATFORM HEARINGS

From October 2004 through February 2005 -- Counties that wish to participate will schedule meetings to hold platform hearings to draw up and vote on planks. Counties shall use one of three methods to call the meeting:

1) county enrollee meeting -- 5% of Green Party enrollees in the county can call a meeting of enrollees -- must contact all registered voters enrolled in the Green Party by mail 21 days in advance of the meeting; or

2) county committee meeting -- Green Party county committee members can call a meeting of the full county committee -- must convene the meeting using the procedures specified by that county committee's rules and policies for calling the meeting; or

3) county organization meeting -- Green Party county organization members can call a meeting of the full county organization -- must convene the meeting using the procedures specified by that county organization's rules and policies for calling the meeting.

February 28, 2005 -- Planks are due to the platform facilitators. During March facilitators will organize planks into a "master" draft platform which shows the origin of each plank; planks which are identical or very similar will be combined into one. The master draft platform will only include planks submitted by counties using the platform hearing process described above.

March 31, 2005 -- Facilitators will distribute the master draft platform to all participating counties and each state committee member by both email (if address available) and post office mail.

PLATFORM VOTE

The SC will discuss and vote on all the platform planks divided over the next three meetings (Spring, Fall and Winter of 2005). The facilitators will determine the order of planks for discussion. The Executive Committee will schedule adequate time early enough on each meeting agenda for discussion and vote, and notice of the agenda item will be included in the party agenda mailing to all SC members prior to each meeting. Voting procedures will follow the SC Rules and Policies. Voting and discussion may also occur between meetings by an online vote as permitted by the SC Rules and Policies.

Planks which have more than 67% "for" votes out of the total cast for that plank will be marked to remain in the platform and planks which have less than 34% "for" votes out of the total cast for that plank will be marked to be removed. Planks which have less than 67% "for" votes and more than 34% "for" votes will be noted as unapproved and subject to further discussion, and will be included as an Appendix to the master draft platform.

PLATFORM APPROVAL

Facilitators will organize the master draft platform minus planks marked for removal into a draft platform and the State Committee at its Spring 2006 meeting will vote on whether to accept it as the draft platform for the Green Party of New York. The master draft platform must be included by the Executive Committee in the required party agenda mailing to all SC members prior to this meeting.

The approved draft state party platform will be mailed to all participating counties and SC members.

Home | About the Green Party | Calendar | Email: steubengreens at ecobooks.com