Adopted at Annual Convention 26 April 2025
Article I. Name and Address
The name of this organization is the Libertarian Party of El Paso County, or “LPEPC.” The LPEPC is a Political Party Committee under the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act, C.R.S. 145 and the following, duly registered with the Colorado Secretary of State Office. The address of the LPEPC is:
Libertarian Party of El Paso County
13520 New Discovery Rd
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80908
Article II. Affiliation
The LPEPC is affiliated with and chartered by the Libertarian Party of Colorado, referred to in this document as the “State Party.”
Article III. Purpose
The purpose of the Party is to:
3.1. Promote the election of Libertarian Party candidates within El Paso County in the State of Colorado;
3.2. Promote and grow the membership and political power of the Libertarian Party;
3.3. Promote the passage of ballot initiatives, ordinances, or other measures that respect the precepts of libertarianism;
3.4. Oppose the passage of ballot initiatives, ordinances, or other measures that violate the precepts of libertarianism;
3.5. Provide and participate in forums, political information, and educational activities to disseminate and discuss libertarian ideals; and
3.6. Provide an environment in which members will be able to grow in their ability to understand, express, and lead others to libertarian ideals.
Article IV. Membership
4.1. All Members shall be residents of El Paso County or a neighboring county that is not affiliated with the Libertarian Party of Colorado.
4.1.1. A Regular Member is anyone meeting this residency requirement who is registered to vote in Colorado as affiliated with the Libertarian Party but does not pay LPEPC dues.
4.1.2. A Contributing Member is anyone meeting this residency requirement who is registered to vote in Colorado as affiliated with the Libertarian Party and pays LPEPC dues.
4.2. All Members shall be entitled to receive LPEPC newsletters, be a Libertarian candidate, and vote at conventions.
4.3. All Contributing Members shall affirm the Statement of Principles of the national Libertarian Party and disavow the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals
Article V. Board of Directors
5.1. The Board of Directors of the LPEPC, or “Board,” shall be composed of the following officers: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, plus the Chairs of the Standing Committees. The secretary and treasurer positions may be combined out of personnel necessity as determined by the Board. Other officer positions shall not be combined. The Standing Committees shall be Bylaws, Campaign, Outreach, Education, Communications, and Fundraising. Standing Committee chairs are appointed by officers. Non-officer directors may be combined but only count as one position and one vote. There shall be a total of no more than ten directors.
5.2. The Board shall have full powers to conduct all business of the LPEPC, including fundraising; creating, appointing, and dissolving ad hoc committees as needed; appointing chairs of Standing Committees; and the expenditure of funds belonging to the LPEPC. No expenditure of funds or official action of the LPEPC may be undertaken, except:
5.2.1. By a resolution at a scheduled meeting or convention and passed by majority vote; or
5.2.2. Between meetings and conventions, by a vote of the Board in person, by phone, email, or other means so long as a written or electronic record of the vote is made and collected by the Secretary and validated as accurate by a majority of the Board at the next meeting. The votes shall be formally collected by the Secretary and saved for a period of one year and made available to any member upon request.
5.2.2.1. These votes are only permissible if:
5.2.2.1.1. There is a time deadline involved that makes it impractical to wait until the next scheduled meeting; or
5.2.2.1.2. The matter being voted may require an expenditure of $100 or less.
5.2.2.2. An email vote shall be conducted within a voting period not to exceed forty-eight hours in duration, including all amendments. At the end of the voting period, the votes shall be tallied as final. A director may change their vote within the voting period.
5.3. Election of Officers
5.3.1. Officers shall be elected by members at the LPEPC Annual Convention, using the Standard Balloting Process, for terms beginning at the close of the annual convention and expiring at the close of the following annual convention.
5.3.1.1. All directors are required to be Contributing Members for the duration of their terms.
5.3.1.2. Contributing Members who wish to run for office must either notify the Secretary in writing of their intention no less than fourteen days prior to the annual convention at which the election will be held or bring documentation verifying their eligibility.
5.3.2. All terms of office of the Board expire at the close of the annual convention.
5.4. A director may be removed from the Board by a resolution passed by a two-thirds vote of the Board if:
5.4.1. The Director has failed to fulfill the responsibilities of their office; or
5.4.2. The Director has been shown to have initiated aggression or fraud against another person.
5.5. A director may resign at any time. Written notice shall be submitted by the director to the Secretary and the Chair by the next board meeting.
5.6. A vacant director position, excepting the Chair, may be filled for the remainder of the term by an appointee approved by a majority of the sitting Board using the Standard Balloting Process.
5.7. All directors shall be members for the ninety days immediately prior to election or appointment.
5.8. The Board shall annually appoint LPEPC representatives to the State Party Bylaws Committee and Platform Committee. These appointments shall be made no later than four months prior to the Annual State Party Convention.
5.9. Each director shall keep a continuity file outlining the duties, processes, contacts, and other informational details of their position in order to facilitate operational continuity and consistency.
Article VI. Duties of Officers
6.1. General Duties of Officers and Directors
6.1.1. All officers and directors of the LPEPC shall carry out their duties in a libertarian manner with as much personal responsibility as possible.
6.1.2. An officer or director may delegate their duties to another Member. However, such delegation shall be subject to oversight by the Board.
6.2. Chair Duties
6.2.1. The Chair shall take the leading role in determining the goals, direction, and plans for the LPEPC.
6.2.2. The Chair shall ensure that the regular activities of the LPEPC are conducted in a timely and responsible manner that brings credit to the LPEPC.
6.2.3. The Chair shall call and conduct all board meetings, conventions, and special business meetings.
6.2.4. The Chair shall act as a point of contact for interfacing to other Libertarian Party organizations, affiliates, and political campaigns, or other nonpartisan political groups and organizations, including the State Party.
6.2.5. The Chair shall arrange for compliance with all State Party requirements, to maintain State Party affiliation.
6.2.6. The Chair shall act as spokesperson for the LPEPC.
6.2.7. The Chair shall act as the LPEPC interface to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder.
6.3. Vice Chair Duties
6.3.1. The Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in their duties.
6.3.2. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in their absence or at such times as the Chair so designates, including the election of the Chair, as Acting Chair.
6.3.2.1 In case of permanent vacancy by the Chair, the Vice Chair assumes duties as Acting Chair until a convention can be called where the new Chair will be elected.
6.4. Secretary Duties
6.4.1. The Secretary shall prepare a written record of all meetings and conventions, which are to be made available to members upon written request.
6.4.2. The Secretary shall, with the assistance of the Outreach Director and Communications Director, ensure that the regular activities of the LPEPC are announced and reported prior to the next scheduled meeting.
6.4.3. The Secretary shall maintain and make available all official LPEPC records, including the state charter of the affiliate, the bylaws, the convention and meeting minutes, and contact information for the Board.
6.4.4. The Secretary shall be the custodian for all written votes and ballots to secure their integrity and prevent tampering.
6.5. Treasurer Duties
6.5.1. The Treasurer shall keep accurate records of all expenditures and revenues. Such records shall be both hard copy and digital.
6.5.2. The Treasurer shall prepare and submit TRACER reports as required by the State of Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act.
Article VII. Dues
7.1. Dues shall be assessed annually on a calendar year basis and may be prorated after May first.
7.2. Dues may be changed by passage of a resolution at a convention by a two thirds vote.
7.3. If there is a change in the dues amount, the change shall take effect for each person upon renewal of membership or upon paying for a new membership.
7.4. Dues may be paid by one person on behalf of another, subject to applicable laws and recorded accordingly by the Treasurer.
7.5. Contributing Members shall be notified of upcoming membership expiration no later than thirty days before said expiration. Such notification shall include the membership type, dues amount, and expiration/anniversary date.
7.6. Contributing Members are granted a grace period from year end until annual convention.
Article VIII. Meetings and Conventions
8.1. Conventions
8.1.1. The Party shall hold an annual convention for the purposes of electing the officers and conducting any other business prior to the State Party Annual Convention.
8.1.2. Special conventions may be called at any time by the Chair, or by a two-thirds vote of the sitting Board, or upon written request of twelve Contributing Members.
8.1.3. Notice of each convention shall include its exact time and place; Further, in the case of a special convention, a specific purpose must be noted. The Annual Convention shall be announced no later than fifteen days in advance to the members. Special conventions shall be announced no later than twelve days in advance to the members.
8.1.3.a. If a Convention schedule as specified in the announcement becomes impossible to achieve, a new time and place must be arranged as soon as possible; and
8.1.3.b. At least two members must call the convention to order at the original time and place and adjourn to the new time and place that day; or
8.1.3.c. At least two Members must call the convention to order at the original time and place and adjourn to the new time and place or to meet at the call of the chair. Notice of the continuation must be made as specified in 8.1.3., above.
8.1.4. Members shall be required to register their attendance and departure with the Secretary when attending any convention.
8.1.5. At all conventions, a quorum shall be forty percent of all members registered as attending the convention.
8.2. Meetings
8.2.1. The Board shall conduct meetings no less than quarterly in a location open to the public at a time and place announced no later than fourteen days in advance. Meetings shall be open to all members. More frequent meetings may be scheduled, so long as they are broadly announced no later than fourteen days in advance to the members.
8.2.2. Special meetings may be called at any time by the Chair, or by a two-thirds vote of the sitting Board. Special meetings shall be announced no later than seven days in advance.
8.2.3. Notice of each meeting shall include its exact time and place; Further, in the case of a special meeting, its purpose must be noted.
8.2.4. At all meetings, a quorum shall be a majority of the sitting Board. Attending ex officio board members may be counted in determining quorum.
8.2.5. Meeting “attendance” is defined in Standing Rules.
Article IX. Candidates and Initiatives
9.1. The LPEPC may nominate Libertarian candidates for district or county-wide elected partisan public office, and urge the passage or rejection of ballot initiatives and referendums that will or may appear on ballots in a given election anywhere in the county, or ordinances or other measures that are subject to vote by any of the governments within El Paso County. Only members residing within a specific district may vote on nominations of candidates, or endorsements of or opposition to ballot initiatives, ordinances, or other measures, for that district.
9.2. Nominations of Libertarian candidates for district or countywide elected partisan public offices shall be made using the Standard Balloting Process by the members at any meeting or convention. Where applicable, district caucuses shall be used and may require coordination with other county affiliates, subject to the provisions of the State Party Bylaws. Such nominations shall be made public by means of a press release arranged by the Chair or the Chair’s designee.
9.3. Endorsements of or oppositions to ballot initiatives, referendums, ordinances, unaffiliated or non-partisan candidates, or other measures will be made by majority vote at any meeting or convention. Such positions may be made public by means of a press release arranged by the Chair or the Chair’s designee and identified as being solely an LPEPC endorsement or opposition. If neither endorsed nor opposed, the LPEPC will have “no opinion” on that particular initiative or referendum.
9.4 In the case of a recall election, the LPEPC may nominate candidates for the recalled office only if the candidate has been registered Libertarian for at least twenty-four hours immediately prior to collecting petition signatures and registering as a candidate with the secretary of state or county clerk.
Article X. Prohibited Actions
10.1. The LPEPC shall not take any action that would result in an overdraft of the LPEPC bank account.
10.2. The LPEPC shall not engage in the borrowing of money at interest.
10.3. The LPEPC Members may donate money, items, or services for which the Board may vote to reimburse them at original face value at a later date. Receipts for all reimbursed expenses shall be submitted to the Treasurer.
10.4. The LPEPC shall not take any action that is inconsistent with the Bylaws of the State Party or the National Party.
10.5. No other actions are expressly forbidden; However, responsible libertarianism is expected to guide all LPEPC actions and positions.
10.6. The Libertarian Party and its affiliates will never release personal information to anyone else, except those within the party to meet party purposes, without the informed consent of the affected individuals.
10.7. Access to the Libertarian Party of El Paso County’s contact management system is denied to any person who has not signed an appropriate nondisclosure agreement and provided such document to the Secretary for filing.
Article XI. Amendments to Bylaws
11.1. These bylaws may be amended at a convention by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to the Board and published on the website no later than two weeks prior to the amendment’s adoption or rejection.
11.3. Each proposed amendment shall be limited to a single topic.
Article XII. Parliamentary Model
12.1. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition, shall guide the LPEPC in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws, the State Party Bylaws, any standing rules, and any special rules of order that LPEPC or its Board may adopt.
12.1.1. LPEPC assemblies shall be guided by the more flexible standards for small boards, as described in Roberts Rules of Order, in which they are not inconsistent with any standing rules and any special rules of order that LPEPC or its Board may adopt.
12.1.2. A parliamentary model is a guide. Hence, the degree of adherence thereto may be moderated with majority approval of the assembly with the understanding that members’ rights are at no time to be compromised.
Article XIII. Standard Balloting Process
13.1. Ranked Choice Voting, as defined in the Standing Rules, shall be the Standard Balloting Process for all votes regarding elections, nominations, or appointments for offices wholly within El Paso County done at annual convention
13.2. Other voting methods may be used if authorized by a two-thirds vote at any meeting or convention.
13.3. None of the Above or NOTA is required as a legitimate candidate for every vote regarding elections, nominations, or appointments. If NOTA wins the ballot, no failed candidates may appear on a second ballot. If NOTA wins the second ballot, then the position remains unfilled.
Article XIV. Severability
14.1. If any Article, Section, or Clause of these bylaws is to any extent determined to be invalid, illegal, or incapable of being enforced, such Article, Section, or Clause shall be excluded only to the extent of such invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability. All other Articles, Sections, and Clauses hereof shall remain in full force and effect. To this end the provisions of these bylaws are declared to be severable.
Adopted at Annual Convention 26 April 2025
Standing Rules of the Libertarian Party of El Paso County
as of 26 April 2025
Meeting Attendance
- Standard Attendance shall be in Person to vote on expenditures or official actions at meetings.
- Exceptions will be made for any Member to appear via telephone or other electronic means due to disability, injury, or illness if arranged with the Meeting host or Chairman ahead of the meeting to ensure the technology is available.
- Technology to appear by phone or other electronic means is the personal responsibility of the person wishing to attend remotely.
- In case of government edict, natural disaster, or other extreme emergency, all members can attend remotely, as long as the method is disclosed to the public & the public is welcome to see/hear and/or attend remotely as well.
Note: Standing Rules will, in future, be documented and numbered by the Policy Committee and approved by majority vote at a meeting of the Board.