Bylaws

As amended at the Annual Meeting 2023

ARTICLE I Affiliates 

Section 1. Affiliate Autonomy

The LPF shall not initiate any political action in any existing affiliate’s political domain without the affiliate’s written permission aside from get out the vote, voter registration drives, fundraising, conducting LPF business meetings, and vetting and supporting multi-county or statewide candidates for office.

Section 2. New Affiliates

Organizations of LPF voters seeking to become affiliates shall conduct an organizational meeting in coordination with their LPF Regional Representative (or an LPF Director At-Large if vacant) to adopt initial affiliate governing documents and to elect the initial affiliate executive committee in accordance with the adopted governing documents.

  1. The proposed affiliate’s governing documents shall be subordinate to the LPF Constitution and Bylaws and shall be required to adopt the LPF Constitution and Bylaws by reference and meet all conditions of affiliation. The LPF sample affiliate constitution and bylaws may be used to meet this requirement.
  2. All LPF voters residing in the proposed affiliate’s jurisdiction shall be eligible to vote and participate in the organizational meeting.
  3. The elected organizational secretary shall submit a petition to affiliate with the LPF to the LPF Executive Committee on the standard form designated by the Executive Committee for this purpose to include: 
  • Executive committee members’ names, voter IDs, and contact information
  • Draft minutes of the organizational meeting and any subsequent meetings 
  • The adopted organizational governing documents
  • If the same organization was previously affiliated with the LPF at any point during the prior calendar year, the annual fiscal audit for the prior calendar year 
  1. Any organization petitioning to become an affiliate may conduct additional meetings to correct any deficiencies in the petition to affiliate and resubmit as needed.
  2. Any organization petitioning to become an affiliate may use the Libertarian Party of Florida name and branding with the permission of their LPF Regional Representative (or of the LPF Executive Committee if vacant) solely to communicate their intent to form a new affiliate of the LPF.

Section 3. Affirmation of Reaffiliation

Affiliates shall submit annually to the LPF Secretary an affirmation of reaffiliation as prescribed in the LPF Constitution to remain affiliated with the LPF no later than March 31 of each year if they were affiliated with the LPF at any point during the prior calendar year.

  1. The affirmation of reaffiliation shall be submitted to the LPF Secretary on the standard form designated by the Executive Committee for this purpose to include:
  • Executive committee members’ names, voter IDs, and contact information
  • The minutes of the affiliate’s most recent annual business meeting 
  • The approved annual fiscal audit for the immediately prior calendar year
  • The affiliate’s current governing documents
  • Any approved amendments to the affiliate’s governing documents not otherwise communicated to the LPF previously
  1. An affiliate may request that the LPF Executive Committee grant an extension to the reaffiliation deadline to complete the affirmation of reaffiliation and correct deficiencies therein. The LPF Executive Committee may grant one such extension by a ⅔ vote to the date of the next LPF Executive Committee regular business meeting.

Section 4. Conditions of Affiliation

  1. Affiliates shall prescribe in their governing documents a process to conduct an Annual Business Meeting to, at minimum, conduct regular executive committee elections as prescribed in the affiliate’s governing documents and to consider amendments to the affiliate’s governing documents.
  2. Affiliates shall guarantee all LPF members residing in the affiliate’s jurisdiction the right to participate in affiliate business as prescribed in the LPF Constitution Article II.
  3. Affiliates shall maintain a public and functioning website and shall publish their current governing documents and public notice of all business meetings to this public and functioning website.
  4. Affiliates can prescribe additional member rights, processes, elected or appointed positions, or any other policies beyond the minimum required by the LPF Constitution and Bylaws provided that no member or registered voter of any other political party may vote, be nominated for any elected or appointed position, or otherwise have authority to make decisions regarding the affiliate’s business. 
  5. No affiliate shall endorse, contribute money or in-kind donations to, or otherwise actively support the election of any candidate who is a member or registered voter of any other political party.  No affiliate shall endorse, contribute money or in-kind donations to, or otherwise actively support the election of any candidate who is not a registered LPF voter or member and is opposing a candidate who is a registered LPF voter or member.
  6. No affiliate shall endorse, contribute money or in-kind donations to, or otherwise actively support any partisan club, partisan political committee, or political party executive committee of any political party other than the LPF.
  7. Due to shared regulatory requirements affecting the LPF and all of its affiliates, an affiliate may only raise or expend funds for federal campaigns after coordination with the LPF for each such campaign.

ARTICLE II Membership 

Section 1. The privileges and duties of membership and delegate authority shall be prescribed in the Standing Rules. 

Section 2. Membership classifications, privileges, duties and donation structures shall be provided in the Standing Rules.

Section 3. Any member of the Libertarian Party of Florida, or member of the Executive Committee, may be suspended by two-third vote of the executive committee for violation of the Non-Aggression oath. Upon suspension of a member of the party or a member of the Executive Committee, the officer or member may appeal the suspension in writing within 30 days. If no appeal is made by the suspended officer or member, they shall be removed from office, and have their membership revoked, upon expiration of the 30 day appeal period. If an appeal is made, the executive committee shall review the appeal and vote upon removal at the next regularly scheduled executive committee meeting. 

A three-fourths vote will be required to remove the appealing suspended officer or member. Should the vote fail, the suspension will be lifted and membership and/or Executive Committee status shall be fully restored. Should the three-fourths vote pass, membership shall be revoked for a period of one year, at which time the member shall be eligible to reapply for membership as defined in Article 2 of the Constitution, or by majority vote of the delegation at the next annual meeting. 

After a member has been reinstated, should that individual’s membership be revoked as outlined above a second time, the revocation shall become permanent, and that individual will no longer be eligible for membership in the LPF. 

ARTICLE III Standing Committees and Ad Hoc Committees 

Section 1. Standing Committees 

  1. Standing Committees of the LPF shall include the following: 

Candidate Committee 

Communications Committee 

Membership Committee 

Platform Committee 

Rules Committee 

Fundraising Committee

Legislative Action Committee 

Affiliate Support Committee

Audit Committee

  1. Committees and Committee Chairs shall be nominated and appointed by the LPF Executive Committee. Each Committee shall consist of at least three members of the party (disregarding ex-officio members). Appointment terms shall last until regular business meeting after the Annual Business Meeting or until the committee member is removed or replaced, unless otherwise provided in the Constitution or Bylaws. Removal of persons on a committee shall need the approval of the Executive Committee. Actions of all Committees shall be reported on a regular basis to the Executive Committee. Special committees may be created by the Executive Committee and shall also follow these requirements unless otherwise provided upon their creation. The duties of all standing committees shall be stated in the Bylaws. Further clarification of duties may be added to the Standing Rules.
  2. Along with a Chair, all standing committees, unless otherwise provided in the Bylaws or Standing Rules shall have a Vice Chair. Along with performing the normal duties of the committee, the committee Vice Chair shall also act in place of the committee Chair, if the Chair is absent or cannot perform the duties of the Chair. 

There shall be a Vice Chair in all special or Ad Hoc committees, unless otherwise provided either in the bylaws, standing rules or by motion of the Executive committee. If the LPF Chair at the time of appointment or vacancy does not appoint a committee Vice Chair, the LPF committee(s) shall elect a Vice Chair from its members with a majority vote.

Section 2. Rules Committee 

  1. The Rules Committee shall be composed of the LPF Chair (ex-officio), LPF Vice Chair (ex-officio), LPF Secretary (ex-officio), and three (3) other members of the party not on the Executive Committee, elected by the delegates at the Annual Business Meeting to serve as regular members from the conclusion of the annual business meeting at which they are elected until the conclusion of the following annual business meeting. The member elected with the highest vote total shall become Rules Committee Chair. Vacancies on this committee occurring after the Annual Business Meeting shall be appointed by the LPF Chair with the approval of the Executive Committee. The Rules Committee shall be responsible for interpreting the LPF Constitution, ByLaws, and rules and regulations based on current law and may prepare and submit amendments to the Constitution and ByLaws, and Standing Rules for a vote by the membership at the Annual Business Meeting. 
  2. The Rules Committee may propose to the Executive Committee at a regular business meeting, to edit the Constitution and ByLaws for grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. Any edits done at a regular business meeting shall not change the current intention of the rule being edited. 
  3. The Rules Committee may propose changes to the standing rules to the Executive Committee at any regular business meeting.

Section 3. Platform Committee 

The Platform Committee shall present a combined document of proposed changes and additions to the Party Platform at the Annual Business Meeting. It shall perform its duties to present a document as outlined in Article V. 

Section 4. Membership Committee 

The Membership Committee shall include the LPF Secretary, who maintains the membership records, with assistance and guidance from this committee. The principal duties of the Membership Committee shall be responsible for increasing the membership in the LPF and for increasing the LPF voter registration. The Membership Committee is also responsible for recruiting members both for the Affiliate and for the LPF. 

Section 5. Communications Committee 

The Communications Committee is tasked with developing and implementing a plan or plans to facilitate two-way communications between the LPF and county affiliates, and the LPF and other interested parties. Plan(s) should be particularly focused on effective implementation of social media technology, in addition to using conventional channels of communication. The Communications Committee shall also function as the distribution channel for LPF press releases, and perform other communications tasks as the Executive Committee may delegate from time to time. 



Section 6. The Candidate Committee 

The principal duties of the Candidate Committee shall include but not be limited to identifying potential Libertarian Party candidates, to train vetted and approved Libertarian Party candidates for their respective races, and to identify and train campaign staff members to serve on the campaign staff for vetted and approved Libertarian Party candidates. 

Section 7. Fundraising Committee 

The Fundraising Committee shall be tasked with raising funds for the Libertarian Party of Florida. The committees duties shall include planning and conducting fundraising campaigns and growing the breadth and depth of the party’s donor base. 

Section 8. Legislative Action Committee 

The Legislative Action Committee shall be tasked with evaluating legislation and proposing action from the perspective of the Libertarian Party of Florida Platform and goals. The committee shall review proposed Florida House and Senate bills and proposed Florida Constitutional amendments and recommend to the Executive Committee whether to support or oppose each reviewed measure. The committee shall also review existing the Florida Statutes and Constitution to recommend amendments or repeal of existing laws. Upon request from county affiliates or LPF political candidates, the committee may also review proposed and current local ordinances and charters and provide advisory opinions. 

Section 9. Affiliate Support Committee 

  1. The Affiliate Support Committee shall be tasked with developing and maintaining documentation for starting and training county affiliates on statutory and rules compliance. The committee shall coordinate with the Rules Committee.
  2. The committee may be tasked with conducting training courses for county affiliates for best practices on running and growing county affiliates; soliciting, obtaining, and documenting feedback from county affiliates about their needs and about LPF performance; responding to informal inquiries from county affiliates, and assisting in creation of new affiliates in coordination with their Region Representative. The LPF Secretary may also direct the committee to provide assistance with reaffiliation procedures.

Section 10. The Audit Committee 

The committee shall be composed of the LPF Treasurer (ex officio), LPF Vice Chair (ex officio) and a minimum of three (3) other LPF members. The committee shall work to ensure the proper reporting of LPF contributions and expenditures, to provide oversight to the LPF Treasurer position, and to provide overall accounting and budgeting support to the LPF and LPF committees. Specific duties shall include, but are not limited to: (1) QuickBooks (and its successors) reconciliations, (2) quarterly profit and loss statements of LPF committees, (3) reviewing FL DOE and FEC reports, (4) assisting the Treasurer with selection of yearly auditor, and (5) creating and maintaining documentation on best practices.

ARTICLE IV Meetings & Conventions, Objects of Action 

Section 1. Annual Convention Dates 

  1. The Executive Committee shall set the date(s) of the Convention and Annual Business Meeting of the Libertarian Party of Florida and shall publish notice of the date at least (90) days before the start of the Annual Business Meeting.
  2. The Chair shall submit the name of at least one Executive Committee member to the LP following LP Bylaws to create the initial LPF delegation. The delegation shall be amended upon further selection of delegates according to the LP Bylaws and the LPF Constitution and Bylaws. This process allows the LPF Convention to be scheduled between the date the first delegate(s) are submitted and the last date to amend the delegation.

Section 2. Agenda 

  1. The Executive Committee shall set the agenda and business of the LPF Annual Business Meetings and conventions. 
  2. The order of business must include the adoption of agenda. The meeting may amend the agenda by majority vote. 
  3. The officers of the Party at the time of the commencement of the Annual Business Meeting shall be the officers of the Annual Business Meeting, and shall preside. Officers elected during the Annual Business Meeting shall take office immediately following the close of the Annual Business Meeting in which they were elected. To comply with Florida Statute 103.095(3), the Libertarian Party of Florida Executive Committee shall elect a Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary at the Annual Business Meeting immediately following the election of the officers by the assembled delegation. The will of the delegation shall be of the highest regard when the Executive Committee conducts the election of the officers, and the election shall be taken as a single vote on the slate of prevailing candidates elected by the delegation. 

Section 3. Delegates 

  1. Any person who is both an LPF registered voter and an LPF member at least sixty (60) days before the start of the Annual Business Meeting and who maintains that membership and registration through the Annual Business Meeting shall be eligible to be a delegate to that meeting. Delegate status may be denied or revoked by a 2/3 majority vote of the Executive Committee if a potential delegate has been found to have violated the non-aggression pledge. 
  2. Each delegate must sign the Libertarian Party of Florida Affirmation of Qualifications for Delegate form or other equivalent form approved by the LPF EC. 
  3. Credentials: The Secretary of the LPF, or his/her authorized representatives, shall be responsible for verifying the membership and voter registration requirements of each delegate. 

Section 4. Parliamentary Authority

Robert’s Rules of Order as most recently revised shall be the parliamentary authority for all matters not covered by Law, the Constitution, and Bylaws. 

Section 5. Annual Conventions 

  1. The duties of the Convention Committee are to plan the LPF convention, research hotels and catering, coordinate volunteers, propose a budget and prepare a schedule of events for the next two annual business meetings. 

The Executive Committee shall assume all responsibility for the Annual Business Meeting. Other responsibilities assumed by the Executive Committee, include, but are not limited to: the annual business of the Libertarian Party of Florida, the rental of accommodations to hold the annual business meeting, event marketing, printed materials, and equipment rental. These responsibilities may be delegated by the Executive Committee to the Convention Committee and other standing committees. 

The Convention Committee will present its final report to the new Executive Committee following the conclusion of the Annual Business Meeting, at which time the committee will expire.

  1. The committees shall report recommendations to the floor of the convention at the Annual Business Meeting in accordance with the Standing Rules. 
  2. Members of the LPF EC may be credentialed as ex officio delegates at any time. Chairpersons of Standing Committees may be credentialed as LPF delegates to the Libertarian Party convention at any time. Service in multiple roles does not entitle an individual to additional privilege.

LPF members qualified to be LPF convention delegates may request to be considered as delegates to the Libertarian Party convention. Their names shall be placed on a list on which the LPF convention assembly will vote.  Each LPF delegate will receive two ballots, and may cast them for any person on the list. The list will be sorted in order of the number of ballots received, then the order of request. If any delegate elects not to attend, then their name will be removed from the list and the names below them will move up one line. The number of delegate seats available will be filled from the top of the list, and the number of alternate seats available will be filled from immediately below the delegates. 

The Chairperson of the LPF shall be the Chairperson of the LPF delegation the Libertarian Party convention, and succession of that role shall follow the process for succession of the Chair in cases of absence. Delegates and alternates are encouraged to report self-cancellation at the earliest opportunity. In the case of a cancellation, the cancelled name will be removed from the list. Any delegate or alternate not cancelling and not attending the Libertarian Party convention without good and sufficient cause in the judgement of the Delegation Chairperson will be ineligible to be an LPF delegate for the next Libertarian Party convention. If there are insufficient qualified delegates and/or alternates to fill the delegation, the Delegation Chairperson will accept any LPF members who request to be LPF delegates in the order of their request and upon their being credentialed by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee.  

  1. The Platform Committee shall make recommendations for the platform and Statement of Principles. 
  2. The Rules Committee shall be the deliberative body in matters of dispute and its decisions may be appealed to the Executive Committee or the members at the Annual Business Meeting in assembly according to the Standing Rules. 
  3. The Chairperson or the Executive Committee may appoint such committees as are deemed necessary to conduct the business of the LPF and its meetings. 
  4. Amendments to the number and composition of Regions are adopted by a majority vote of delegates at an Annual Business Meeting prior to the election of Regional Representatives at that meeting. If no regional amendment is adopted, the Regions for the current Executive Committee will continue in effect for the new Executive Committee elected at that meeting. 

Section 6. Finance and Accounting 

  1. The fiscal year of the LPF shall begin on January 1 of each year. 
  2. The Treasurer shall be the chief finance officer. 
  3. The Executive Committee shall cause an efficient system of accounting and budgeting to be installed and maintained, including audit and legal necessities. 
  4. The party checking account must be established to require two signatures per check on all checks in excess of $2500. The Treasurer shall be responsible for signing checks in the normal course of business. There must be, at least, three (3) authorized signatures on the checking account. The signers shall be the Treasurer, Chair and other delegate elected director of the LPF-EF. When a check is issued to a signer, other authorized signer(s) must sign and/or co-sign this check. 
  5. The Executive Committee shall have the power to delegate the handling of funds. 
  6. It is essential for any growing organization to have good accounting practices. The following items shall be established as requirements for expenditure of Party funds. 
  7. Each Executive Committee member or Committee Chair, requesting, reimbursement for expenses, shall submit an expense report each month to the Chair for approval prior to being reimbursed by the Treasurer. Such a report shall list dates, items purchased, reasons, and shall be accompanied by receipts. These reports shall include only minor operating expenses unless the Executive Committee gave prior authorization. 
  8. No purchase shall be made or authorized by the LPF unless there are sufficient funds to recompense. 
  9. No one shall have the authority to contract for goods or services on behalf of the LPF without prior written approval of the Executive Committee. 
  10. It shall be the intent of the LPF to conduct its business affairs in a fair and honorable fashion. 
  11. G. The Libertarian Party of Florida recognizes FS 99.092 regarding qualifying fees and the provision that no qualifying fee shall be returned to the candidate unless the candidate withdraws his or her candidacy before the last date to qualify; with the exception that the Libertarian Party of Florida will reimburse to each candidate for political office the party assessment fee paid to the LPF by the state from that candidate’s qualifying fees. 

Section 7. Executive Committee Meetings 

Appointments to fill Executive Committee vacancies shall take effect upon the close of the Executive Committee meeting wherein the appointment is confirmed.

 ARTICLE V Adoption & Amendments 

Section 1. Adoption of the Bylaws will be consistent with the adoption of the Constitution.

 Section 2. Amendments may be made in the following manner: 

  1. When a proposed amendment is accepted by the Rules Committee and approved by majority of the voting members of greater than 50% of the county affiliates; or 
  2. When a proposed amendment is presented by the Rules Committee or from the floor at the Annual Business Meeting and is approved by a majority vote of the delegates.