2021 Local Convention

Our chapter Convention is coming up soon! Before anything else, make sure you’ve signed up for DSA before the start of Convention to ensure your eligibility to vote and participate! Find more detailed information about all the roles we’ll be electing this year here!

Candidate Statements + Forum Agenda

Convention 2021 Agenda – Resolutions and Bylaw Amendments

Si necesita interpretación de idiomas para asistir a este evento, envíe un correo electrónico a hello@dsaneworleans.org para solicitarlo.

Here’s everything else you need to know ahead of it:

Important dates & deadlines

June 5th: Proposals Due AND Nominations for Chapter Leadership Due

  • Submit your bylaw amendments, political resolutions, and electoral endorsements to hello@dsaneworleans.org by May 29th (deadline has been extended!) @ 11:59 PM
  • Submit nominations for Chapter leadership and for chapter delegates to hello@dsaneworleans.org by June 5th @ 11:59 PM. No one may nominate themselves.

Saturday, June 12th @ 12 PM CST

  • State of the Chapter presentation
  • Annual Treasurer’s Report
  • Annual Membership Chair’s Report
  • Candidate Statements, online voting period begins
  • Register for the Call Here

June 12th – June 17th: Online Voting period

  • Online ballots will be in your email inbox beginning at 12 PM on June 12th. You will receive an email from “Opavote” with a ballot and instructions on how to vote. If you do not receive a ballot on June 12th at 12 PM, please email hello@dsaneworleans.org. We want to make sure that all members have the chance to vote in this election!
  • You will have until 12 PM on June 17th to complete your ballot.

Saturday, June 17th @ 12 PM: Election Closes

  • Winners will be announced to the membership via email and Slack. If you are not on the chapter Slack, email hello@dsaneworleans.org to be added.
  • At this time or before, a full agenda and Convention Packet will be distributed to the membership via email and via Slack and will include all proposals that will be considered by the membership on the June 26th Convention Meeting.

June 26th: Convention! Consideration of Proposals

  • Amendments Due in Advance of the Meeting. Amendments from the floor will only be considered if the “Rules” of the meeting are suspended, which requires a 2/3 vote.
  • Deliberate on and consider the proposals that have been submitted by the membership, as well as any amendments that have been submitted
  • Register for this call here.

If you have any questions, please let us know! We want to hear from you, and we want everyone to feel equipped and empowered to participate in this process. You can reach New Orleans DSA chapter leadership at hello@dsaneworleans.org

Elections & Candidate statements

The following positions are up for election this year:

  • Co-Chairs (2)
  • Secretary
  • Membership Chair
  • Treasurer
  • Treasurer Trustee
  • At-Large Council Members (2)
  • Convention Delegates (9) and Alternates (2)

You can read more about each position here. This information will be made available on the paper and online ballots as well. When nominations for each position have been submitted, we will post candidate statements here.

How to vote

This year, we will be voting online using software called OpaVote. This ensures that as many people are able to vote as possible and allows us to keep the voting period open for several days, from June 12th – June 17th.

You will receive your ballot via email right before the candidate forum starts on June 12th and you will receive periodic reminders to vote throughout the week.

We have prepared some information about using OpaVote, as well an explainer about our vote counting method. Additionally, for the Convention proposals, we will vote on Slack, as we do at our General Meetings. If you are not already on the chapter Slack, please email hello@dsaneworleans.org so we can get you added!

  1. How to use OpaVote
  2. Overview of the Borda counting method
  3. How to use Slack

If you have any questions, please email us!

Thanks & Solidarity,
The 2021 Convention Planning Working Group
New Orleans Democratic Socialists of America