Nuestra Misión

1. The name of this organization shall be called the New Hampshire Democratic Latino Caucus, hereafter called in this document the Latino Caucus. By Latino we mean people who identify as Latino/a/e and/or Hispanic in the United States.  While we strive to be an inclusive community that recognizes female, male, and non-binary members, we are defaulting to the plural noun "Latino" for the sake of brevity.

1. Our objective, or mission, is:  The New Hampshire Democratic Latino Caucus works to ensure that Latino community members are well-informed and participating actively in the civic and political process in our state. We work to assure and support the capacity of all members of the New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) to see the full humanity of all Latinos in New Hampshire. We partner with the NHDP to foster an inclusive political environment that advances policies that address the unique needs and aspirations of our community, and promotes Latino representation at all levels of government. 

Our vision is:  Latinos across New Hampshire are socially and politically informed, actively engaged, and leading at all levels of public office.

1. The functions of the Latino Caucus relate to influencing the NHDP, and activating the Latino Community of New Hampshire.

2. Functions relating to influencing the NHDP to embrace and support the Latino community, fully hear Latino voices and seek to understand Latino community needs, and create opportunity for Latino community members to thrive:

   • Develop the undertaking of political action within the New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) around issues that primarily affect members of the Latino community;

   • Seek, encourage, and support Democratic Nominees to public and party office who will publicly support and promote issues affecting the Latino community; and,

   • Take action to hold the party/elected officials accountable to their stated values and promises.

3. Functions relating to activating the Latino Community so we are seen, heard, and participating in crafting the future we want:

   • Promote civic engagement and active participation by members of the Latino community in local/state/federal politics and issues, including social and economic justice, civil liberties, and any other issues pertaining to the Latino community;

   • Recruit, encourage, and support Latino Democratic Nominees to seek public and party office; and,

   • Strengthen Latino community activism and representation within the NHDP.

Membership of the Latino Caucus shall consist of any registered New Hampshire Democrats that identify as members of the Latino community who have submitted a completed petition to the Clerk. The Latino Caucus must maintain 50 completed petitions one year after being recognized by the NHDP State Committee and each year thereafter.  The Latino Caucus shall never charge a membership fee, as we believe that socio-economic status should never be an obstacle to civic engagement.

The leadership team shall be comprised of the 5 co-equal Caucus Committee Chairs who share in the responsibility for leading the Latino Caucus.  Per NHDP requirements, Committee Chairs are also assigned the traditional standard officer labels of Co-Chairs, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large, however the responsibilities and functioning shall be as described here in Chapter 5, as well as in Chapters 6 and 7.

1. It shall be the duty of the Caucus Committee Chairs to collectively and collaboratively decide on matters of policy, to plan the affairs of the Latino Caucus, and to perform other duties that may be codetermined in order to fulfill the requirements specified in other sections of these bylaws and in accordance with the Constitution of the NHDP;

2. The Caucus Committee Chairs shall be on the State Committee of the NHDP, as long as the Latino Caucus is in compliance with Chapter 3, Article 1: Subsection P of the Constitution of the New Hampshire Democratic Party;

3. Caucus Committee Chairs shall meet on a regular basis as outlined below in these bylaws, Chapter 8: Meetings. Some items may include, but are not limited to:

   • The Caucus Committee Chairs shall report their activities, as reflected in their minutes, at the subsequent meeting of the Caucus Committee Chairs, as well as to the members at the next meeting of the Latino Caucus;

   • Any expense request greater than $500.00 shall be voted on by the Caucus Committee Chairs leadership team after the Fundraising Committee Chair / Treasurer provides documentation stating there is sufficient funds for said expense;

4. Election of 

   • An election must be held every odd year to elect/re-elect Caucus Committee Chairs. The election must be held in coordination with the NHDP midterm convention. 

   • The membership shall elect the Caucus Committee Chairs, who shall each serve a two (2) year term, beginning immediately following their election. 

   • Any registered New Hampshire Democrat that has an up to date and signed petition for the Latino Caucus is a voting member. 

   • Nominations for any Committee Chair office shall be made from the floor. Nominations shall be made by an eligible voter of the Latino Caucus.

   • The goal of the Latino Caucus elections is to have a mutually supportive process. Caucus Committee Chairs shall be elected by a majority of members present and eligible to vote at a meeting of the Latino Caucus.   

   • The Latino Caucus fully supports inclusion of allies in our work. However, the Caucus Committee Chairs should be representative of, and shall identify as members of, the Latino community.

5. In the eventuality of the vacancy of a Committee Chair, a member from that committee may be selected as ACTING Committee Chair until such time as a special election is called of the membership to fill said vacancy.  

   • A special election shall be held within 45 days of a Committee Chair vacancy and the replacement shall be elected by a majority of members present and eligible to vote at a meeting of the Latino Caucus.

   • The Member Engagement Committee Chair / Secretary shall provide the entire membership of the Latino Caucus a report on the vacancy of office and notify the membership of an election fourteen days from the election date.

6. Procedures to remove a Committee Chair

   • Procedures for removal of office shall begin when a Committee Chair has three consecutive, unexcused absences from any Membership or leadership team meeting. 

     1. After the third unexcused absence, one of the other Committee Chairs shall contact the officer asking for an explanation of the unexcused absences.

     2. At the next Caucus Committee Chairs meeting the group will discuss the response provided by the Committee Chair in question.  There need to have been at least four (4) attempts, with escalating intensity – for example, text message, email, telephone call, etc., over a minimum of 4 weeks.  

     3. If after multiple attempts there has been no response: 

        1. The committee will be asked for someone to volunteer to function in the role of ACTING Committee Chair.

        2. The Caucus Committee Chairs will continue their exploration of the reasons for the lack of response from the Committee Chair in question until they have determined the individual’s well-being, and confirmed the person no longer wishes to serve in that capacity.

        3. Once there is confirmation the person no longer wishes to serve as Committee Chair, the person’s withdrawal from office is accepted, and a special election can be called.

     4. If the given response is found lacking by the Caucus Committee Chairs:

        1. The Caucus Committee Chairs will appropriately and adequately explore the individual’s well-being.  They will dialogue with the Committee Chair in question until one of the following is clear: 

           1. The person is no longer able to fulfill their responsibilities of Committee Chair. The person’s withdrawal from office is accepted, and a special election can be called, or

           2. The person desires to continue in office, and the Caucus Committee Chairs work together to determine a corrective plan of action.

              1. If after a specified period of time the Committee Chair in question continues to fail to fulfill their responsibilities and refuses to withdraw from office, the Caucus Committee Chairs can decide to remove the person from office using a consensus decision process. A special election can then be called.

   • Procedures for removal of office shall begin when a Committee Chair shows evidential support of a candidate of another party or of a candidate within a Democratic primary in the capacity of their role within Latino Caucus. The Caucus Committee Chairs can raise the discussion for removal from office at their next meeting. The Caucus Committee Chairs can decide to remove the person from office using a consensus decision process;

   • After the removal of a Committee Chair, the Member Engagement Committee Chair / Secretary shall notify the Chair of the NHDP that a special election is to be held within forty-five days of the date of removal of office.  Date, time, and location of the special election shall be determined by the Caucus Committee Chairs.  If the Secretary has been removed from their office, one of the Co-Chairs shall notify the Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party;

   • The Secretary of the Caucus Committee Chairs leadership team shall provide the entire membership of the Latino Caucus a report on the removal of office and notify the membership of an election fourteen days from the election date;

   • Any special election to fill any vacancies on the Caucus Committee Chairs leadership team shall be filled by a majority vote held by the Membership of the Latino Caucus.

The Committee Chairs shall comprise the Caucus Committee Chairs leadership team.  

1. The goal of the Latino Caucus leadership team is to have a mutually supportive group of Committee Chairs who work collectively and collaboratively for the good of the Latino Caucus, and hold each other accountable in the exercise of their respective duties.

   • It shall be the shared duty of the Caucus Committee Chairs to call meetings and elections, as necessary; to facilitate and moderate the ongoing operations of the Latino Caucus; to recruit and search for prospective members to complete petitions; to collaborate with people/entities during any local, state and/or national elections; to work in partnership with the Treasurer to prepare and present an annual budget for approval by the membership; to ensure that any reports required by State or Federal law are prepared and filed; to support the Treasurer in facilitating fundraising; and to be voting members of the NHDP State Committee.

2. Committee Chairs will each lead a Committee described in Chapter 7.

3. Priority Action Committee Chair (Co-Chair)

   1. The Priority Action Committee Chair will co-lead the Latino Caucus with the other Committee Chairs, and will lead the work of the Priority Action Committee.

4. Candidate Recruitment & Endorsement Committee Chair (Co-Chair) 

   1. The Candidate Recruitment & Endorsement Committee Chair will co-lead the Latino Caucus with the other Committee Chairs, and will lead the work of the Candidate Recruitment & Endorsement Committee.

5. Programming & Activities Committee Chair (Member-at-Large)

   1. The Programming & Activities Committee Chair will co-lead the Latino Caucus with the other Committee Chairs, and will lead the work of the Programming & Activities Committee.

6. Member Engagement Committee Chair (Secretary)

   1. The Member Engagement Committee Chair will co-lead the Latino Caucus with the other Committee Chairs, and will lead the work of the Member Engagement Committee;

   2. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to maintain accurate records of all meetings of the Latino Caucus and the Caucus Committee Chairs in the form of meeting notes; to be responsible for collecting, updating, and maintaining the required completed petitions, and thus to keep the list of active Latino Caucus Democrats; to be responsible for the maintenance of records that will reflect the ongoing operations of the Latino Caucus and to ensure that such records are passed along to the appropriate elected successors; to post notices of meetings and events on social media, via electronic mail, and local news outlets, as well as notify the NHDP of meetings and events; distribute meeting notices at least fourteen days prior to the dated meeting; to sign in and verify eligibility, including party affiliation and residence, of voting members.

7. Fundraising Committee Chair (Treasurer)

   1. The Fundraising Committee Chair will co-lead the Latino Caucus with the other Committee Chairs, and will lead the work of the Fundraising Committee;

   2. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to be responsible for the custody of all funds of the Latino Caucus; to keep a full and accurate record of all receipts and disbursements; to deposit all currencies in the name of the Latino Caucus in a recognized financial institution; to disburse said funds as directed by the Caucus Committee Chairs; to give a full financial report at each Caucus Committee Chairs meeting and to provide documentation at any general membership meeting; to sign all checks, drafts, and orders for payment of money; shall, in coordination with the Caucus Committee Chairs, prepare and present an annual budget for approval by the membership; to prepare all reports to the State Department at the State of New Hampshire in accordance with all New Hampshire and Federal election laws.

Committees shall make reports at Membership and Caucus Committee Chair meetings.  

1. Ad Hoc Committees may be created as needed if there are at least 3 members available to support their functioning.  

2. Additional Standing Committees may be created if agreed and voted on by the membership, with a corresponding amendment to the By Laws, following the procedure described in Chapter 12. 

Priority Action Committee

• This committee shall maintain awareness of issues facing local, municipal, state, and federal legislative bodies and must keep the Membership and Caucus Committee Chairs informed on legislation potentially impacting the Latino community. The committee must provide updates on important legislative events, and events/items/issues impacting the current climate.  The committee shall propose priority actions that the Committee and Caucus Committee Chairs can take to support the Latino community.

Candidate Recruitment & Endorsement Committee

1. This committee shall make every possible effort to ensure good Democratic Latino candidates are elected to Federal, State, and Local office.

   1. This includes helping to recruit potential candidates and offering candidates support on how to run, how to fundraise, how to be successful once elected, etc. There is no guarantee of financial support. 

2. This committee shall be charged with overseeing the endorsement process for the Latino Caucus.  Only registered New Hampshire Democrats shall be considered for endorsement. 

   1. The Committee will create an Application for Endorsement form (approved by the Caucus Committee Chairs) and define the criteria for qualification.

   2. Electoral Candidates interested in Endorsement will complete the form.

   3. The Committee will review all applicants and eliminate those not qualified.

   4. The Committee will share the list of recommended candidates with the Latino Caucus members for any feedback of concerns with a defined time-frame.

   5. Qualified candidates will then be brought to a vote for endorsement by the Caucus Committee Chairs. 

   6. No candidate in a Democratic primary shall receive an endorsement from the Latino Caucus. 

Programming & Activities Committee

1. This committee shall be charged with coordinating and facilitating programming and activities responsive to Member-identified needs such as compiling and disseminating information/resources on “How to Run”, hosting listening sessions, scheduling guest speakers and educational workshops, providing training to the NHDP, and planning events in partnership with the Member Engagement and Fundraising Committees.

Member Engagement Committee

1. This committee shall be charged with members recruitment and engagement.

Fundraising Committee

1. This committee shall be charged with supporting the Members and Caucus Committee Chairs in the raising of funds for the Latino Caucus. 

1. A minimum of six (6) meetings of the entire Latino Caucus membership shall take place on a schedule that is determined by the Caucus Committee Chairs and at a facility that is ADA compliant within a calendar year.  Meetings shall be held in-person, or remotely online, or hybrid. 

2. Proper notification shall be made at least fourteen calendar days prior to the meeting with public notice on social media, via electronic mail, and in local news outlets.

3. At least one third of members including at least two Caucus Committee Chairs / officers shall constitute a quorum.

4. Caucus Committee Chairs meetings shall take place monthly to account for the duties outlined in Section 6. A simple majority of the Caucus Committee Chairs shall constitute a quorum.

5. Additional Committee and Caucus Committee Chairs meetings may be called by the Chairs or by a majority vote at any meeting, provided they follow guidelines set in Section 8, Subsection A.

6. Meetings are open to any registered New Hampshire Democrat that identifies with the Latino community or ally.

7. The Chairs can cancel a meeting, but must provide at least three hour’s notice to members and attendees. Meeting cancellations must be for valid reasons or in emergency situations.

1. The order of business at general meetings shall be determined by the Committee Chairs prior to the General Membership meeting.  There shall be opportunity for input by all members at multiple times: at the end of the prior General Membership meeting, during the period after agendas are sent out prior to the next meeting, as well as at the beginning of any General Business meeting.

2. Agendas for the Caucus Committee Chairs meetings shall consist of reports from all Committee Chairs listed in Section 6 and Section 7.  

3. Processes for decision-making by consensus shall be employed, beginning with Fist to Five Voting.   

4. Key decisions will assure multiple options for people to provide their input including  electronically/virtually as well as after/between meetings.  In order to execute or establish the decisions requiring a vote, feedback should be provided within a defined timeframe.

5. Meetings should aim to include an opportunity for team-building. Individual member updates may be included in New Business.

6. Additional meeting norms, practices and expectations can be found in the Latino Caucus Charter.

1. The Caucus Committee Chairs, led by the Treasurer, shall meet in coordination to propose an operating budget for the fiscal year to the general membership meeting that is nearest to the beginning of the fiscal year. The budget shall be voted on by eligible members at the meeting. 

2. The Latino Caucus budget and fiscal year shall operate from July 1–June 30.

3. On an annual basis, the Caucus Committee Chairs shall appoint at least two Latino Caucus members (who are not Committee Chairs) and one representative from the New Hampshire Democratic Party  to review the financial documents of the Latino Caucus in the form of an internal audit.

4. All appropriate financial reports and budgets will be filed and the financial information shared with the NHDP, including who the signatory(ies) are on the bank account.

1. The Latino Caucus will endorse duly nominated candidates, as long as they are registered Democrats in the State of New Hampshire. 

2. The Latino Caucus will not make endorsements nor recommendations in Democratic Primary elections nor in Nonpartisan elections where two or more Democratic candidates are involved. 

3. Candidates must apply to the Latino Caucus Candidate Endorsement program and go through the endorsement process listed in Chapter 7, Subsection B, above.

4. No Committee Chair / officer may endorse candidates other than Democrats, nor work against a Democratic Nominee(s) in a General Election. Doing so would cause removal from their position in the Caucus and if applicable the State Committee.

1. These bylaws will be regularly reviewed, at a minimum every two years, with an eye towards any needed updates or revisions.

2. These bylaws may be amended as needed by the following process:

   • Discussion at both a Membership meeting and a Caucus Committee Chairs meeting.

   • Consensus building process to arrive at a draft proposed amendment at a membership meeting.

   • Presenting the proposed amendment(s) in writing at least two weeks prior to a regularly called meeting of the Latino Caucus. The proposed amendment(s) shall be disseminated to the membership at least five (5) business days prior to the regularly scheduled meeting of the Latino Caucus.  The amendment(s) shall be read outloud to the membership and voted on at that meeting unless a provision is brought upon to delay the vote. 

   • A simple majority vote of those eligible to vote and in attendance is required for the adoption of the amendment(s).

1. Any provisions not covered in the bylaws of the Latino Caucus shall be covered by the Latino Caucus Charter, and use of Robert's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure as needed.

2. These bylaws, as adopted, shall be available and open to any duly qualified member of the Latino Caucus.

3. A copy of these bylaws and any subsequently adopted amendment(s) shall be supplied to the Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party.