CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY

SENATOR JOHN BURTON (RET.), CHAIRMAN

ADEM ELECTION MEETINGS

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2011 | SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2011

1. What is the purpose of the ADEM Election meetings?

In each of the 80 Assembly Districts, a biennial meeting to elect ADDs (Assembly District Delegates) and
E-Board representatives shall be held on the Saturday or Sunday of the second weekend immediately
prior to the second Monday in January in odd-numbered years. The purpose will be to elect California
Democratic State Central Committee members to attend the California Democratic Party state conventions
for 2011 and 2012. Six (6) women and six (6) men shall be elected from each of the 80 Assembly
Districts in the State of California.

2. Who will find the location and give notice for the ADEM Election Meeting?

Responsibility for “convening” the meeting goes to the current E-board Representative. The outgoing E-
board Rep or the CDP Chair must designate a different convener by November 15, 2010, if the current E-
board Representative is a candidate.

Notice should be sent to all registered Democrats in the district. Notice must be posted by December 3,
2010, and include date, time, location and purpose of the meeting. It also should have rules for the
election and filing deadline for candidates. Notice should be through press release sent to local paper,
email notice to list serves and the CDP website.

3. Who may participate?

Participants, for the purpose of these guidelines, are simply persons who may attend and vote for ADDs
and E-Board representatives.

A person may participate in the ADEM if he/she:

A. Is a Democrat residing in and registered to vote in the Assembly District (by the
October 18, 2010 deadline, unless the person turned 18 or was naturalized after
deadline, and is registered or registers onsite);

B. Pays a $5 donation to defray the cost of the ADEM or signs a form declaring that to pay
the fee would constitute an economic hardship;

C. Signs in on a form (to be provided by the CDP) indicating his or her willingness to
assume an organizational responsibility for one or more precincts within the district or
to assume another specified organizational responsibility for the Party. The form will
note that the person signing agrees that their contact information will be shared by the
CDP with other chartered Democratic organizations. An indication by a person signing
the form that they are not willing to take such responsibility shall not be grounds for
disqualifying that person from participating in the ADEM.

4. Who may run for Assembly District Delegate to the Democratic State Central Committee?

The qualifications for running for Assembly District Delegate to the Democratic State Central Committee
are the same as those for participating in the Election Meeting, with one important caveat: candidates
must submit their names to the CDP at least 30 calendar days prior to the Election Meeting.
NOTE: The deadline to file to run as a 2011-2012 Assembly District Delegate is
Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 12:00 Noon.

Candidates should confirm receipt of filing prior to the deadline. The CDP will not be responsible for failed,
delayed, unreadable, or corrupted filings whether by hardcopy delivery or electronic filings such as faxes
or emails or the editing of candidate statements.

5. Are voters required to stay for the entire Election Meeting?

Participants who do not wish to attend the full length of the ADEM may sign-in, vote, and leave, provided
that each voter:

A. Completes the sign-in sheet by the closing of registration at their ADEM site on
Saturday January 8 or Sunday, January 9, 2011 (or alternative date/time if a variance
has been granted);

B. Requests their ballots (one for delegate voting, one for Executive Board Representative
voting) from the Convener, or their representative; and

C. Deposits the delegate ballot in the ballot box.

As soon as an ADEM site is set up (by 10 a.m. but no later than 3 p.m.) and the process begins with
registering and handing out ballots, a participant can vote and leave.

6. Are ballots secret or open?

Voting at an ADEM is by secret ballot. Regular ballots should not contain any markings indicating the
identity of the voter.

7. Are delegate candidates who are not in attendance at the election meeting eligible to be
elected?

Yes. A Candidate is allowed (but is not required to have) one surrogate speaker (must have
letter/permission slip with candidate's signature or the Meeting Chair determines he/she is a
legitimate surrogate speaker), can give a speech up to 1 minute max on behalf of candidate.

8. Can people register to vote at the election meeting?

In general, NO. Only voters registered as Democrats to vote in the Assembly District as of the close of
registration 15 days prior to the just-conducted November state general election are eligible to participate
in the ADEM. However, there is an exception for persons who became eligible to register to vote after
October 18, 2010, the close of registration for that election (usually either because of turning 18 or
becoming a naturalized citizen). These new voters may register on the spot, and become an eligible
participant, by filling out a voter registration card. Any county or Secretary of State card can be used by
any voter. Be sure to put VR cards in the regular mail to the county within three days.

9. What if there is a tie?

If there is a tie then there should be a coin toss and the participants should witness the toss. If there is
more that a two-way tie, then the convener should call the CDP office for guidance.

For more information on the ADEM elections:

Go to www.cadem.org/ADEM. If you have specific questions, please email emma@cadem.org.

1401 21st Street, Suite 200 | Sacramento, CA 95811-5221 | 916.442.5707  FAX 442.5715