Endorsement process

1. Identify a Chief Petitioner and have them email electoral@eastbaydsa.org
2. After filling out the form, the Electoral Committee will follow up within a few days with a petition form to collect signatures from EBDSA members in good standing, as well as a copy of the candidate questionnaire.
3. Once receiving the petition form, organize and talk to other EBDSA members to gather signatures for the completed endorsement form and return it to the Electoral Committee before the endorsement submission period ends.
• For elections at the state and federal level, 50 signatures in total and 10 from members who live in the district
• For elections at the local level (including special districts) located within Oakland and/or Berkeley, 25 signatures in total and 5 in-district
• For elections at the local level located outside Oakland and Berkeley, 15 signatures in total and 5 in-district
4. The Electoral Committee will review the questionnaires and invite selected candidates to a candidate forum. The Electoral Committee will have the responsibility to produce candidate and district reports on any candidate invited to a forum, which will be circulated to all members who have opted in to Electoral Committee emails in advance of a forum.
5. The Electoral Committee will hold a forum, which any member of East Bay DSA can attend. Candidates who appear will have the opportunity to make a short statement, after which a few minutes of questions from the audience will be taken. Once all candidates are done presenting, all candidates, campaign staff, and journalists will be asked to leave and a discussion will be held. At the end of the forum, or at the end of the last forum if multiple forums are held in the same month, a vote will be taken; any East Bay DSA member present who has attended a prior Electoral Committee meeting will be eligible to vote.
6. Candidates receiving a majority of votes cast will be recommended for endorsement by the Electoral Committee. Once the vote has been held, the Electoral Committee will make a formal report to the Steering Committee, including all the questionnaires completed by any candidate, all candidate and district reports, and all Electoral Committee recommendation vote results.
7. The Steering Committee will then agendize all candidates recommended by the Electoral Committee, and may by a majority vote decide to agendize any additional candidates who completed a questionnaire. The endorsements will then be voted on at the next voting General Meeting, and must be approved by a 60% majority of members voting at the General Meeting.
8. If the endorsement passes, the Electoral Committee with the Chief Petitioner will coordinate the formation of a working group from the signatories of the petition, chapter membership, point people in the branch/s applicable to the district and select Working Group leadership. The chairs and coordinators of the working group will be required to report back weekly to the Electoral Committee.

When a ballot measure is considered for endorsement, a district report and ballot measure report should be created and submitted to the Electoral Committee for consideration.