My Guide

for Ward-Wide Meetings

Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025

1:30 p.m.
Registration Opens
Informal Networking

2:00 p.m.
Call to Order

Mt. Pleasant Library
3160 16th Street NW
Washington DC

REGISTER TO ATTEND!

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Run to be a Precinct Representative ⋆ DEADLINE EXTENDED! ⋆ Election is Saturday, Nov. 15 ⋆

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Welcome to the

Ward 1 Democrats!

My Guide is your one-stop resource for Saturday’s ward-wide meeting. It explains what to do before you arrive, what will happen once the meeting begins, why each item is on the agenda, and how to follow along so you can participate confidently and effectively.

To conserve paper usage, all meeting material references are posted here for members. We will only have a few printed copies of documents available. We strongly encourage you to bring a fully charged laptop or tablet if you do not prefer to read documents on a mobile phone.

See you Saturday!

QUICK REFERENCES

WHAT TO EXPECT

  • CONFIRM Your Membership Eligibility

    Membership in this organization is open to anyone who is a registered Democrat in Ward One, Washington, D.C.  Here are some helpful resources you may need ahead of the meeting:

    KNOW your precinct

    • This helps during precinct caucuses. You can look it up beforehand by visiting DCBOE and using the confirm your registration link here.

    BRING your phone

    • This webpage replaces printed materials.

    REVIEW the Meeting Notice

    • Saturday’s meeting will cover only the topics listed in the official meeting notice, published on Oct. 16, 2025, which can viewed by clicking here.

    REVIEW the Minutes

    • Please review: The Minutes for the July 27, 2025, Ward-Wide Meeting by clicking here.

    REVIEW the By-Laws Amendments

    LEARN MORE about our Precinct Representatives

    We will be having caucuses and elections on Saturday for vacant precinct representatives on the Ward 1 Democratic Committee (or organization’s governing body).

    • Read about Precinct Representatives and see who represents your precinct by clicking here.

    • Click here to review a Map of Ward 1 Precincts and to find your local precinct!

    • Click hereto see the list of Precinct Representative Vacancies.

    • Click here to add your name to the ballot for the Precinct Representative Vacancy Elections.

    BRUSH UP on your procedure

  • Check-in

    • You will confirm you live in Ward 1 and are registered as a Democrat.

    • Volunteers will assist.

    Precinct packets

    • If your precinct has a vacancy, you may receive your caucus materials.

    Seating

    • Sit anywhere. Officers and volunteers will be available to help. If you have special accessibility needs, please let us know by emailing ViceChair@Ward1Democrats.org.

    What you’ll do during the meeting

    • Network and meet your fellow Democrats from across Ward 1

    • Hear reports briefing you on what the Ward 1 Democrats have been doing

    • Vote to approve the agenda, minutes from the previous meetings, and on three by-laws amendments

    • Participate in your precinct caucus (if applicable)

    • Join the discussion as we look to the 2026 DC primary

    • Hear announcements and next steps

  • This ward-wide meeting has four official goals:

    1. Approve the minutes from July 27

    2. Vote on proposed Bylaws amendments

    3. Fill vacant Precinct Representative seats

    4. Discuss the Ward One Democrats’ role in the 2026 D.C. primary election

    Because these items were listed in the meeting notice, no other business may be taken up today.

  • The meeting will follow this Order of Business (if adopted):

    • Call to Order

    • Approval of Minutes

    • Adoption of the Agenda

    • Officer Reports

    • Reports of the Bylaws Committee

    • Special Precinct Caucuses

    • Discussion on 2026 Primary Election

    • Announcements

    • Adjournment

  • Call to Order

    • The Chair opens the meeting.

    • The Vice Chair reads the Preamble.

    Approval of Minutes

    • Members may offer corrections.

    • If no corrections are offered, the minutes are approved.

    • VOTE: Adoption of the Agenda | TEXT

    Adoption of the Agenda

    The suggested agenda sets a timetable and includes rules needed for this meeting. It has two key parts: Order of Business & Rules of the Day.

    • Click here to read the Meeting Agenda: Order of Business & Rules of the Day

    Officer Reports

    • Officers offer brief updates and note volunteer opportunities.

    Reports of the By-laws Committee

    Three By-laws amendments will be considered. These proposals require a two-thirds vote and take effect immediately upon adoption. They are below:

    • VOTE: BY-LAWS AMENDMENT #1: Clerical Correction | TEXT

    • VOTE:‍ ‍BY-LAWS AMENDMENT #2: Authorization of Electronic Meetings | TEXT

    • VOTE: BY-LAWS AMENDMENT #3: Special Elections | TEXT

    If all three proposed amendment packages are adopted, here is how the by-laws will be changed:

    Special Precinct Caucuses

    Vacant precinct representative seats will be filled per voting precinct.

    • Click here to learn more about our Precinct Representatives

    • Click here to view a map of the Ward 1 Precincts

    Ward One Democrats’ Role in the 2026 Primary

    Members will discuss and may vote on a resolution that sets up how the organization will approach the 2026 primary.

    • VOTE: RESOLUTION: Resolved, That the Ward One Democrats support the establishment and implementation of an endorsement process, including a calendar of meetings, for races appearing on the June 16, 2026 Ward One primary ballot.

    Announcements & Adjournment

    • When we complete the agenda or when we make it to 4:00 p.m., the Chair will make some final announcements for everyone and the meeting will end!

  • These Rules of the Day are temporary rules adopted only for this specific ward-wide meeting to help the assembly move through a large amount of business efficiently. They do not change the bylaws or any long-term procedures; they simply streamline how certain items will be handled today.

    Below is the same rule set you already approved, now with added context so members understand why each rule exists and how it will be used during the meeting.

    Minutes

    • This rule explains how today’s meeting minutes will be approved. Because our next ward-wide meeting will not be held soon, the assembly is permitted to authorize the Ward One Democratic Committee to approve the minutes instead of waiting months. This ensures the minutes are finalized while details are still fresh.

    • Minutes from today’s meeting will be approved by the membership or by the Ward One Democratic Committee by January 2026.

    By-laws Committee Reports

    • We have several bylaw amendments and the full text is lengthy. Under Robert’s Rules, an assembly may agree not to read long documents aloud if members already have access to them. This saves significant time and prevents the meeting from being bogged down in procedural reading.

    • Reports are considered as read and will not be read aloud in full.

    Single Vote on Multi-Part Reports

    • Some Bylaws Committee reports contain multiple closely related recommendations. Robert’s Rules allows the chair to take a single vote on them when they are part of one unified package. This keeps the meeting from spending excessive time voting on each clause separately.

    • If a By-laws Committee report contains several related recommendations, they may be voted on together. A motion to divide the question is not in order.

    Precinct Caucus Ballot Rules

    The caucuses must run quickly and cleanly, and these rules ensure fairness, transparency, and clarity. They confirm who may appear on the ballot, how nominations work, and how ballots will be collected.

    These are standard practices for open, in-person caucuses:

    • Advance-submitted candidates appear on the ballot

    • Floor nominations and write-ins allowed

    • Voters must be present for nominations

    • No early or late ballots

    • Ballots are collected only when all voters indicate they have completed them

    • The meeting may continue other business while ballots are counted

  • If you have questions or need assistance:

    Volunteers and officers will also be on-site to assist throughout the meeting.

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WARD 1 DEMOCRATS!

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VIDEO TUTORIAL:

PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE