The Palatine Township Democratic Caucus will be held Dec. 1, 2020 at 7:15 p.m. To participate online, please register here to receive forms and links to the meeting. We also will have an in-person meeting at Room 1C at the Palatine Park District Community Center, 250 E. Wood St., Palatine. Please review below the Requirements and Prohibitions on Participation.

Requirements for Participation:

Individuals participating at the caucus:
1. Shall be registered under Article 4, 5, or 6 of the Election Code;
2. Shall be registered within Palatine Township.
3. Shall sign an affidavit that they are a registered voter and affiliated with the established political party holding the caucus;
4. Shall not take part in the proceedings of more than one established political party township caucus for the same election (the requirement also applies to township clerks);
5. Shall not sign a petition for nomination for an independent or new political party candidate for the same election;
6. Shall not become an independent candidate or a candidate of another established political party or a new political party for the same election.

Prohibitions on Participation:

No person may participate at a township caucus of an established political party if such person is or was at any time during the 12 months prior to the caucus:
1. An elected or appointed public official of another established political party;
2. An elected or appointed officer, director, precinct committeeperson, or representative of the township committeeperson of another established political party;
3. A judge of election appointed for another statewide established political party pursuant to Articles 13 or 14 of the Election Code;
4. A voter who voted in the primary election of another statewide established political party different from the party holding the caucus (e.g., a voter who cast a Republican ballot at the March 2020 General Primary Election cannot participate in a Democratic caucus in December 2020).

 CAUCUS RULES OF PROCEDURE

These rules have been adopted by the Central Committee.

1. The caucus will commence at 7:00 p.m. at the Palatine Park District Community Center, 250 E. Wood St., Palatine.
2. Caucus judges of election shall be appointed by a majority vote of the township central committee. No judge of the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, Circuit Court, or Associate Judge shall serve as a caucus judge of election. At the beginning of the caucus, qualified caucus participants shall determine by majority vote the duties of caucus judges of election.
3. Nominations for selection as a candidate shall be accepted from any qualified participant of the caucus.
4. The candidate or candidates selected for nomination shall be selected by voice vote or show of hands.
5. Candidates will be selected as a slate[ or as individual nominees for each office].
6. Written notice of intent to be a caucus nominee shall be required.
7. A participant in a caucus shall be entitled to only one vote for each office for which they are voting. A participant’s vote shall not be weighted to be equal to more than one vote.
8. The voters at the caucus shall not select for nomination more candidates than there are to be elected for each office.
9. In recognition of the COVID-9 pandemic, the following rules are adopted to protect the health, safety, and right to participate of voters in the caucus.
10. Voters may participate in the caucus in person (to the extent permitted by emergency rules promulgated by the Governor, which presently limit gatherings to 25 people), via Webex teleconference, or by proxy.
11. To avoid spreading the virus, voters are encouraged to participate by teleconference or proxy.
12. Voters are encouraged to register online. This will reduce the need to expose people to the virus. The registration form will contain a statement that the voter is eligible to participate in the caucus. 
13. A voter may participate by proxy. If a voter submits a proxy but attends the caucus either in person or by teleconference, the proxy will be disregarded.
14. Sign up at https://www.gpadems.org/gpad_democratic_caucus_dec_1 and you will receive instructions how to register.