February, 2025
RULES
SENATE DISTRICT 50
REPUBLICAN CONVENTION
March 1, 2025
1. PARLIAMENTARY RULES
The conduct of the business of this Convention shall be governed by the laws of
the State of Minnesota, the Constitution and Bylaws of the Republican Party of
Minnesota (“RPM”), the Constitution and Bylaws of the Third Congressional
District, the Bylaws of Senate District 50 (the “Senate District”), the Official Call or
the Rules adopted by the Convention, and by the current edition of Robert's
Rules of Order, in order of precedence.
2. ORDER OF BUSINESS
The Convention order of business shall be as outlined on the official Agenda.
3. AMENDMENT OR SUSPENSION
After adoption, these rules may be amended or suspended only by an affirmative
vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the registered Delegates and seated Alternates as
determined by the final report of the Credentials Committee.
4. ADDRESSING THE CONVENTION
a. A delegate wishing to speak shall rise, address the Convention Chair (the
“Chair”), and when recognized by the Chair, state their name and precinct
and the purpose for which they rise.
b. Debate on any motion or subject shall be limited to two (2) minutes to
each speaker. No person shall be allowed to speak more than twice on
the same subject.
c. At least two (2) speakers on each side of a question shall have the
opportunity to speak to an issue before a call for the question shall be in
order.
d. Each candidate for a contested office shall be allowed time to address the
Convention. Candidates for Senate District Co-Chair shall be allowed a
total of six (6) minutes each. Candidates for other offices will be allowed
a total of four (4) minutes each. This time limit applies to nominating and
seconding speeches and the candidate’s personal address to the
Convention. The Chair shall keep an accurate record of the time used by
each candidate.
e. The Chair, at their discretion, may recognize elected officials, Party
officers and others, and allow them the privilege of addressing the
Convention for a period not to exceed four (4) minutes each.Rules 2
5. CONVENTION ROLL AND QUORUM
a. Persons entitled to vote at the Convention are the registered Delegates
and seated Alternates who were elected as Delegates or Alternates at the
2024 precinct caucuses within Senate District 50 and who presently
reside within a precinct in the Senate District.
b. Filling of Vacancies: Following the preliminary report of the Credentials
Committee, the precinct Chairpersons shall fill vacancies in the precinct
delegations. If no precinct Chairperson is seated for a precinct, a majority
of seated delegates for the precinct shall designate a temporary precinct
Chairperson for the Convention. The precinct Chairperson(s) shall fill
delegate vacancies from the alternates elected from the precinct as
follows:
(1) From the elected Alternates of the precinct in the order, if any,
designated at the precinct caucus.
(2) Where no priority of Alternates was established at the caucus, the
precinct Chairpersons shall designate, for their precinct, the
alternates to be seated. No cross-seating of Alternates among
precincts shall be permitted.
(3) If the precinct Chairpersons cannot agree, or if neither
Chairperson is seated, a majority of seated Delegates from that
precinct shall choose the Alternates to be seated.
(4) If there is no majority opinion of the precinct’s registered
Delegates, or if no Delegates are present, the Senate District Co-
Chairs shall fill the vacancy from the elected Alternates from that
precinct, if any. If no Senate District Co-Chair is present, or if they
fail to agree, the next highest Senate District Officer (or if they be
equal officers, a majority vote of such equal officers) shall fill the
vacancy.
c. Seating of registered Alternates shall be permitted at any time if a seated
Delegate or seated Alternate is absent. However, upon the return of the
previously seated Delegate or the arrival of a properly registered
Alternate Delegate, said Delegate shall be seated.
d. A majority of the total number of Delegates registered shall constitute a
quorum for the purpose of convening the Convention; thereafter, a call for
a quorum shall be out of order. No action except adjournment shall be
transacted by the Convention without an affirmative vote of twenty-five
(25) percent of the registered Delegates and seated Alternates as
established by the final report of the Credentials Committee.
6. VOTING
a. All voting for contested offices and contested Delegate and Alternate
positions shall be by written secret ballot.Rules 3
b. Voting on all other questions shall be by voice vote. If the Chair is in
doubt on a vote, they may order a standing vote.
c. If requested by two or more Delegates, a standing vote shall be taken.
d. If the Chair is in doubt as to the result of a standing vote, they may order
a polling of the precincts. The votes shall be reported by the respective
precinct Chairpersons.
e. Each registered Delegate and seated Alternate shall have one full vote.
Such votes shall be weighted in accordance with State Party directives.
Unit rule voting is forbidden.
7. BALLOTING
The balloting for contested election of officers and for the nomination of State
Central Delegates and Alternates shall be conducted as follows:
a. Precinct Chairpersons shall receive ballots, from the tellers, to be
distributed to their registered Delegates and seated Alternates. If no
Chairperson is present, a Delegate shall be designated in the manner
provided in Rule 5b to receive and collect the ballots.
b. Ballots cast by precinct Delegates and seated Alternates shall be
collected by the respective precinct Chairpersons and turned over to the
tellers. The number of ballots allotted to and cast by each precinct shall
be verified by the tellers. Any discrepancies shall be announced to the
Convention before the ballots are co-mingled with those of the other
precincts.
c. If there is a dispute as to the number of ballots cast by a precinct, the
challenge shall be made before the ballots from that precinct are placed
with the other ballots for tabulation. Upon such a challenge the Chair
shall appoint a special judge and a special teller who shall count the
ballots cast by said precinct. The precinct shall be required to vote again
only if the count reveals more ballots cast than votes allotted to that
precinct.
d. The tellers shall report to the Chair the total number of votes cast for each
candidate for each position. The Chair shall announce the results to the
Convention.
e. Once balloting in a contested election has commenced by distribution of
ballots to the precincts and before announcement of the results of that
ballot to the convention, motions of no-endorsement, to table, to postpone
indefinitely, to adjourn, or the like shall be out of order.
f. Notwithstanding the above, upon adoption by the Convention, electronic
voting may be utilized, so long as any Delegate or seated Alternate is
provided the option to vote by written ballot.Rules 4
8. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF SENATE DISTRICT OFFICERS
The Senate District Officers to be elected by this Convention shall be two (2) Co-
Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer, Chair of Communications, four (4) Vice-Chairs from
House District 50A and four (4) Vice-Chairs from House District 50B, and two (2)
from either House District. All shall be elected by a vote of the full Convention.
Election of Senate District Officers shall proceed as follows:
a. Any person wishing to be considered for nomination to a Senate District
Officer position shall present themself to the Officer Nominating
Committee prior to the Convention, with any exception to this at the
discretion of the Officer Nominating Committee. The Officer Nominating
Committee may reconvene during the Convention to meet with those
officer candidates who have already appeared before and been
interviewed by the Committee, for the sole purpose of dealing with any
changes in those who have been nominated for office; and may give
additional reports to the Convention.
b. The Officer Nominating Committee shall present its nominations for the
offices to the Convention. Nominations from the floor shall not be in order.
The Officer Nominating Committee report may be amended by a majority
vote of the Delegates and seated Alternates, prior to the report being
adopted by the Convention.
c. If there is no contest for an office, there will be no nominating speeches
for that office, unless by motion passed at the Convention the
uncontested nominee is given the opportunity to address the Convention,
for two (2) minutes. The nominee will be voted on by acclamation.
d. The order of presentation of candidates for each contested Senate
District Office shall be determined by lot.
e. No person shall be elected to a Senate District Office unless they receive
a majority of votes cast on the ballot for that position. A ballot with more
names than the number of positions to be filled or containing the name(s)
of a person(s) not duly nominated shall be invalid. Blank ballots shall not
be counted.
9. ELECTION (NOMINATION) OF DELEGATES AND ALTERNATES TO THE
STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
Election (Nomination) of Delegates and Alternates shall be as follows:
a. Any person wishing to be considered for nomination as a State Central
Delegate shall present themself to the Officer Nominating Committee
prior to the Convention.
b. The Officer Nominating Committee shall present to the Convention its
nominations for Delegates to the State Central Committee, hereafter
called “ONC-Nominees”. Nominations from the floor shall not be in order.
c. Prior to taking a vote for State Central Delegates and Alternates, the
Convention may, by a motion and majority vote, choose to allow each
State Central Committee nominee to address the convention for one (1)Rules 5
minute.
d. For the 2025-27 State Central Committee, the Senate District is allotted
three (3) Delegate, three (3) first Alternate, three (3) second Alternate and
three (3) third Alternate positions, for a total of twelve (12) Delegates and
Alternates from the Third Congressional District.
(1) Any Senate District Co-Chair who resides in the Third
Congressional District shall be seated as State Central Delegates
from the Third Congressional District, for as long as they hold that
office. The ONC-nominees receiving the highest number of votes
shall be declared elected to the remaining open Delegate
position(s). The remainder of the ONC-nominees shall be
declared elected to positions as first, second and third Alternates
in highest vote order until the list of ONC-Nominees has been
exhausted. Ties will be broken by drawing lots or a coin toss.
(2) A ballot for ONC-Nominees, from the Third Congressional District,
must indicate votes for 50%, or less, of the total number of
nominees or positions to be filled, whichever is smaller, which will
be announced by the Convention Chair. A ballot with more names
than the number announced by the Convention Chair, or
containing the name of a person not duly nominated, shall be
invalid. Blank ballots shall not be counted.
(3) Upon completion of voting for ONC-Nominees and
notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs a. and b. of this Rule
9, nominations for any remaining unfilled Alternate positions may
be taken from the floor. A ballot must indicate votes for 50%, or
less, of the total number of nominees or positions remaining to be
filled, whichever is smaller, which will be announced by the
Convention Chair. A ballot with more names or containing the
name of a person not duly nominated shall be invalid. Blank
ballots shall not be counted. Once a sufficient number of
nominations from the floor has been made to fill such remaining
unfilled Alternate position(s), a motion to close nominations shall
be considered to be in order.
e. For the 2025-27 State Central Committee, the Senate District is allotted
one (1) Delegate, one (1) first Alternate, one (1) second Alternate, and
one (1) third Alternate position, for a total of four (4) Delegates and
Alternates from the Fifth Congressional District.
(1) Any Senate District Co-Chair who resides in the Fifth
Congressional District, shall be seated as the State Central
Delegate (and first Alternate, if needed) for as long as they hold
that office. Otherwise, the ONC-Nominee from the Fifth
Congressional District receiving the highest number of votes shall
be declared elected to the open Delegate position, if available.
The remainder of the ONC-Nominees shall be declared elected to
positions as first, second and third Alternates in highest order until
the list of ONC-nominees has been exhausted. Ties will be
broken by drawing lots or a coin toss.Rules 6
(2) A ballot for ONC-Nominees from the Fifth Congressional District
must indicate votes for 50%, or less, of the total number of
nominees or positions remaining to be filled, whichever is smaller,
which will be announced by the Convention Chair. A ballot with
more names or containing the name of a person not duly
nominated shall be invalid. Blank ballots shall not be counted.
(3) Upon completion of voting for ONC-Nominees and
notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs a. and b. of this Rule
9, nominations for any remaining unfilled Alternate positions may
be taken from the floor. A ballot must indicate votes for 50%, or
less, of the total number of nominees or positions remaining to be
filled, whichever is smaller, which will be announced by the
Convention Chair. A ballot with more names or containing the
name of a person not duly nominated shall be invalid. Blank
ballots shall not be counted. Once enough nominations from the
floor have been made to fill such remaining unfilled Alternate
position(s), a motion to close nominations shall be in order.
10. RESOLUTIONS
Commendatory resolutions shall be given in writing to the Convention Secretary
within one-half (1/2) hour after the adoption of these Rules. All other resolutions
shall be offered from the floor and only by suspension of these Rules.
11. TRANSMITTAL OF NAMES
The names of those persons elected as Senate District Officers and State
Central Delegates and Alternates shall be forwarded no later than three (3) days
after the Convention to the Third and Fifth District Republican Committee offices.
12. MISCELLANEOUS
a. Minority reports of Convention Committees may be presented if agreed to
by one-third (1/3) or more members of the Committee. Any member of
the Committee will be recognized by the Chair and allowed to comment
during discussion of the report, if they wish.
b. Registration shall close at the time stated in the call, provided that
registration has been open for at least one (1) hour. No Senate District
Delegates or Alternates may register thereafter.
c. No video or audio recording equipment may be activated in the Convention hall without the prior written permission of the Chair.