Bylaws

South Carolina Workers Party Bylaws, as amended Saturday, 03/15/2025  

PREAMBLE 

The South Carolina Workers Party is committed to achieving the full empowerment of the working class in this state; to defending the right of all to life, liberty, and a fair and equitable share of the collective wealth.  

ARTICLE I: NAME 

The name of the party shall be the South Carolina Workers Party, hereinafter referred to as SCWP.  

ARTICLE II: MEMBERSHIP 

Individual membership shall be open to South Carolina residents who are registered voters in South Carolina and agree  to abide by these bylaws.  

ARTICLE III: STATE COMMITTEE (SC) 

A. Purpose 
The SC shall be the governing body of the SCWP between Conventions. It shall have full authority to issue policy  statements in the name of the SCWP, consonant with the decisions of the Conventions of SCWP; to initiate policy  statements consonant with the principles of the SCWP in matters not yet considered by the Convention, and to establish  standing and ad hoc committees of the SCWP. 

B. Membership and Qualifications 
The membership of the SC shall reflect the diversity of our respective membership and shall be consistent with the  principles set forth in the SCWP Platform. The SC shall consist of one member of each organized county elected by the  county conventions, as well as the Executive Committee (EC) Chair, the EC Vice-Chair, the EC First and Second Secretary,  and the EC Treasurer. SC members must reside, and be registered to vote within the State of South Carolina, and be a  delegate member of the SCWP for no less than one year. No person may be a member of the SC who is an officer or paid  staff of any other recognized political party in South Carolina. 

C. SC Meetings 
The SC shall meet no fewer than four times each year. A special meeting of the SC may be called by the EC Chair, or by a  majority of SC members. Two weeks’ notice of a SC meeting shall be given to all Members of the SC by physical or approved electronic means. The agenda of a SC meeting shall be set by the Chair or their designee. The Agenda of a SC  meeting shall be open to all members of the SC from the time notice of an upcoming meeting is sent. A quorum,  consisting of no fewer than three (3) or one third of its members, whichever is greater, shall be required to conduct  business at any meeting of the SC. Each member of the SC shall be entitled to one (1) vote.  

ARTICLE IV: STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (EC)

A. Composition 
The EC shall consist of the following officers: State Chair, State Vice-Chair, State Secretaries, State Treasurer. 

B. EC Meetngs 
The EC shall meet no less than once every month to conduct all necessary business of the SCWP as authorized by the  general membership and the SC, respectively.

C. EC Positions
Chair – The Chair is the highest elected party officer at the state level. Their responsibilities are as follows: Act as the  Chief Executive Officer and official public spokesperson of the SCWP, chair all meetings of the State Committee and  Executive Committee (or assign someone to do so in their place),  organize the day-to-day operations of the SC Workers Party at the state level, and coordinate with the respective county  chairs to facilitate their day-to-day operations. 
Vice Chair – The Vice Chair shall assume the responsibilities of the Chair, if they are unable to perform them.
Secretaries 1 & 2 – Secretary 1 shall respond to all correspondence to the State Party’s email, and PO Box, in tandem with the county Secretaries maintain an up-to-date membership list of the SCWP, in coordination with the party Chair report  required information to the State Election Commission. Secretary 2 shall assume the role of a mass communications  director for the party to including the development and maintenance a robust and active social media presence for the  party, maintaining the SCWP website and ensuring it is up-to-date.  

ARTICLE V: COUNTY DELEGATIONS 

The SCWP shall consist of all presently organized County Delegations within the South Carolina. 

A. Purpose 
County Delegations exist to orchestrate the day-to-day operations of the SC Workers Party at the County level.

B. Formation 
Members of the SCWP within a county shall form a county party delegation. Countes that fail to form councils by the day  of the state convention may do so at the State Convention. 

C. County Officers 
Each County Delegation shall elect from its ranks one (1) member as needed to serve in each of the following capacities: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer. Additional officers positions may be created as the need arises. All county  officers, except delegates, shall be reported to the county clerk of court and to the Secretary of State prior to the state  convention by a county officer.  

D. County Delegation Positions 
Chair – The Chair is the highest elected party officer at the county level. Their responsibilities include acting as Chair at  meetings of the County Delegation, and organizing the day-to-day operations of the County Delegation. 
Vice-Chair – The Vice-Chair assumes the duties of Chair in the absence of the Chair. 
Secretary – The County Secretary shall respond to all correspondence to the County Delegation’s email, record and  maintain all meeting minutes of the County Delegation and maintain an up to date membership list of the County  Delegation.  
Treasurer – The County Treasurer shall be responsible for managing the funds, and financial records of the County  Delegation and prepare and deliver quarterly financial reports to the County Chair at each County Delegation meeting, or at the request of any County Delegation.  

E. County Conventions 
Each county delegation shall hold its convention at a publicly announced place and time prior to March 31 in each  general election year and at least two weeks prior to the State Convention. Off-year conventions may be called by the  county chair prior to the State Organizing Convention with two weeks notice to the previous year’s county delegation  roster.  

F. County Delegation Meetings  
The County Delegation shall meet no less than four (4) times a year. Special meetings may be called by the county Chair or by a majority of registered members of the county delegation. 

ARTICLE VI: ELECTION OF PARTY OFFICERS  

A. Executive Committee  
The EC Officers shall be elected by majority vote of the general membership of the SCWP at the time of the Organizing  Convention in odd-numbered years. They shall have been votng delegates at the most recent nominating convention. EC Officers may be recalled by majority vote of the general membership at the biennial nominating convention.

B. County Delegations 
County Delegation Officers shall be elected by each respective county by majority vote at the time of the County  Convention. County Officers may be recalled by majority vote of the general membership of the respective County  Delegation. 

C. Terms in Office 
Party Officers shall serve two year terms and until their successors are elected. Party Officers shall be limited to three consecutive terms. Party officers shall be elected at conventions held in a non-general election year.  

ARTICLE VII: CONVENTIONS  

The SCWP convention shall be the highest decision-making body of the SCWP. The state convention shall be held prior to  May 15 each year at a publicly announced place and time designated by the EC, not less than ninety days in advance, to  all members of the SCWP. Resolutions and amendments to these Bylaws must be submitted in writing to the SC not less than 30 days prior to the convention date. Resolutions may be submitted by any Individual member of SCWP. The SC,  with the consent of the Convention, may present emergency resolutions to the Convention without prior notice. 

ARTICLE VIII: CANDIDATES 

 
A. Candidate Qualifications 
All candidates nominated by the SCWP shall be members in good standing of SCWP, with the exception of candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. All candidates shall pledge to uphold the platform and policies of the party at all times, and to advocate for laws that will benefit the working class of South Carolina. SCWP candidates shall  report to the appropriate party organization both during the campaign and, upon assuming office, shall have a duty to  consult regularly with constiuents and SCWP members. No candidate of the SCWP shall accept corporate money. 

B. Candidate Nomination 
All nominations for SCWP candidates shall be by convention. All members seeking the nomination of the SCWP must file the appropriate declarations and pledges in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations of the state of South  Carolina and shall provide a duplicate copy of those filings to the Chair of the SCWP within seventy-two (72) hours of  filing. Candidates for county and local offices in non-general election years may be nominated by the appropriate County  Delegation, subject to the concurrence of the State Committee.

ARTICLE IX: ELECTED OFFICIALS

A. Reporting Requirements  
Members in political office elected on the ticket of the SCWP are expected to submit reports of their actions in office to  the EC. In support of measures proposed by the SCWP, they shall give due consideration to resolutions approved by the SCWP. In all legislative bodies members are strongly encouraged, when their numbers warrant, to organize into a group  or caucus separate and apart from all other parties. In support of all measures definitively declared for in the plaƞorms  of the party, they are encouraged to caucus with any and all trustworthy colleagues, regardless of party affiliation.

B. Eligibility for Public Office  
No person shall be eligible, to the extent the law allows, as a candidate of the SCWP for any political or public office who  is not a member in good standing at the time of their nomination.

C. Appointment for a Non-Competitive office. 
Elected SCWP officials are expected to give due consideration, not only to professional qualifications of prospective  appointees or nominees, but equally to their ethical and ideological fitness to serve in a Workers Government.  Recommendations from the State Committee, County Delegations, and rank-and-file members alike are to be taken with  the seriousness owed them by the people they helped elect. SCWP office holders who make a habit of ignoring the party  platform and the will of the membership risk expulsion from the party, at the discretion of the membership.

D. Hiring of Campaign Workers and Vendors
Candidates running on the SCWP ticket shall submit the names of prospective campaign workers and vendors for the  approval of the appropriate party organization. If said party organizations shall disapprove of the proposed hire it may  submit its choice of appointment to the said candidates. In case of further disagreement, the party organization and the  candidates may appeal to the State Committee for mediation, but the candidates’ discretion must be respected when  choosing the persons representing their campaigns; but unlawful, unethical, or discriminatory employment practices on  the part of SCWP nominees will not be tolerated.