Minutes

Massachusetts Green-Rainbow Party Candidate Development and Legal Committee

Sunday, 1/5/2003, 1:00 p.m.

Room 4-145, MIT

Attendees: James O’Keefe, Rick Grabowski, Rob Lewis, Scott Pherson

Facilitator: James O’Keefe

Review Agenda, Additions, Subtractions: Jamie proposed that the meeting consist of brainstorming a timeline of electoral activity over the next two years and reviewing the previous meeting’s notes.
Set date of the next meeting to Saturday, February 1^st, 1pm in Westminster. This will either be at the home of Rob Lewis or at the Westminster public library. Rob will determine this. We agreed to hold at least the next meeting in Westminster as well.
Developed a 12 (month) by 2 (year) grid to place likely events in the 2003/4 timeline.
Added electoral and other due dates and periods that included:

A) Likely dates for local, state, and federal election due dates.

B) Likely times for Green-Rainbow and other party conventions.

C) Key college/high school periods or events.

D) Key holiday and vacation periods.

Based on the information placed on the timeline in 3, added:

A) Months in which to write a draft and final 2003-2004 election cycle plan.

B) Likely months in which local chapters should begin identifying candidates for local, state and federal offices.

C) Likely months in which to hold our presidential nominating convention.

D) Likely months in which to hold campaign training sessions. Such sessions would focus on electoral campaigns, but we would stress the ability to use these skills for other types of campaigns. We decided to structure the training sessions as such:

i. Campaign Training Session A - A brief (1-2 hours) session that focuses on helping potential candidates determine whether they should run, for what office they should run and what type of campaign they should run. It would outline the requirements of the office and of the campaign to make sure that they candidate knows what she is getting into and can determine whether she has the support and requirements to run for the office. It would be setup so that various members of the committee can facilitate it and so that we can bring it to a number of events or groups/locals. Ideally, it might even be setup for non-Green-Rainbows to attend.

ii. Campaign Training Session B - A day-long session that outlines what is needed to plan and run the initial phase of a campaign. It focuses on helping candidates, campaign managers and Green-Rainbow activists develop a campaign plan, a message and fundraise. It would teach media relations and candidate interpersonal skills. It would talk about the later phases of a campaign so participants are aware of them.

iii. Campaign Training Session C - A day-long session that outlines organizing the rest of the campaign. It focuses on organizing volunteers, as well as door-to-door, voter id and get out the vote efforts. By the end of this session, participants should be comfortable trying to organize a campaign and get the campaign into motion.

E) Likely months to focus on voter registration and plan for such efforts.

F) Suggested due dates for developing summaries for and revisions to the MGP platform to focus on local and state issues.

Finally, we reviewed the timeline.
Due to a lack of time we did not review the previous meeting’s notes. This can be deferred to the next meeting so a wider number of people can review it.
Review meeting

Draft Timeline for 2003-2004 Green-Rainbow Electoral Activities

Items with a *** are actions that must be done by the Candidate Development Committee

Items with a ** are actions that should be done by the Membership Committee

Items with a * are actions that should be done by the Platform Committee

Items with a && are actions that should be done by adcom/statecom

Items with a & are actions that should be done by local party chapters

2003 – 1^st Half

	January	February	March
Dates/Events To Watch For		§ Town election cycle starts § Colleges back in session	§ Town elections § College Midterms (late)
Our Actions	§ Get 2004 state/federal elections schedule ***	§ Draft 2003/2004 election cycle plan written * § Draft voter registration plan written	§ Final voter registration plan written § Write Campaign Training Session A (CTS-A) * § Start identifying candidates for city offices &
	April	May	June
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ Town elections § College Midterms (early)	§ Town elections § City nomination papers generally available § College finals	§ Town elections § Gather signatures to get city candidates on ballot
Our Actions	§ Final 2003/2004 election cycle plan written * § Voter registration drive starts § G-RP convention (with a CTS-A) ?	§ Draft two 1-2 page summary platform. One for top local issues and one for top state issues. It must give Green solutions to these pressing problems * § G-RP convention (with a CTS-A) ? § Voter registration drive **	§ Draft Rules for nominating candidates for state/federal office *** § Final two 1-2 page summary platform. One for top local issues and one for top state issues. It must give Green solutions to these pressing problems * § Voter registration drive **

2003 – 2^nd Half

	July	August	September
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ Town elections § Gather signatures to get city candidates on ballot § Popular month for vacations	§ Town elections ends § City nomination papers due § Popular month for vacations	§ Preliminary city elections § Colleges start
Our Actions	§ Hold Campaign Training Session B and C (CTS-B/C) *** § Voter registration drive	§ Final Rules for nominating candidates for state/federal office *** § Voter registration drive	§ Start identifying candidates for federal offices & § Voter registration drive ends
	October	November	December
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ Preliminary city elections § Registration cut off to vote in city general elections § College Midterms (late)	§ City general elections (4^th) § College Midterms (early) § Main MCAS test held ? § Holidays start	§ College Finals § Holidays end
Our Actions	§ Hold Campaign Training Session B and C (CTS-B/C) * § Presidential nominating convention? */&& § Start identifying candidates for town and state offices &	§ Presidential nominating convention? ***/&&	§ Presidential nominating convention? ***/&& § File list of Presidential candidates to Sec. of State &&

2004 – 1^st Half

	January	February	March
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ State Rep/Senate candidates begin collecting CE contributions (1/1/04)	§ Nomination papers available for state and federal offices § Town election cycle starts § Colleges back in session	§ Presidential Primary and election of state and local committees (2^nd) § Town elections § College Midterms (late)
Our Actions	§ Hold Campaign Training Session B and C (CTS-B/C) ***	§ Revise voter registration plan **	§ Prepare for voter registration drive **
	April	May	June
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ Town elections § College Midterms (early)	§ Nomination papers due for state and federal offices § CE contributions due for state offices § Town elections § College finals	§ Green Party Nat. Convention ? § Town elections
Our Actions	§ Voter registration drive starts ** § G-RP convention (revise platform) ?	§ G-RP convention (revise platform) ? § Voter registration drive **	§ Hold Campaign Training Session B and C (CTS-B/C) * § G-RP convention (revise platform) ? § Voter registration drive

2004 – 2^nd Half

	July	August	September
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ Democratic Convention (starts on the 26^th) § Green Party Nat. Convention ? § Town elections § Popular month for vacations	§ Town elections ends § Popular month for vacations	§ Registration cut off to vote in general state/federal elections (17 days before primary?) § State/Federal (non-presidential) primary § Colleges start
Our Actions	§ Voter registration drive	§ Voter id drive starts § Voter registration drive	§ Voter registration drive ends
	October	November	December
Dates/Events To Watch For	§ Registration cut off to vote in general state/federal elections (17 days before primary?) § College Midterms (late)	§ State/federal general elections (2^nd) § College Midterms (early) § Main MCAS test held ? § Holidays start	§ College Finals § Holidays end
Our Actions	§ Finish voter id drive § GOTV drive starts week-10 days before election day § Start identifying candidates for town offices &	§ Hold Campaign Training Session B and C (CTS-B/C) * § Organize analysis sessions of 2004 campaigns *	§