Bylaws

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 PREAMBLE

We, the members of the Constitution Party of Illinois, gratefully acknowledge the sovereignty of the Lord God, as Creator, Preserver and Ruler of the universe and the sovereign state of Illinois.  That we may govern with wisdom and true justice, we do appeal to Him for aid, comfort, guidance and the protection of His Divine Providence. 

ARTICLE I

NAME

 As specified in the Articles of Incorporation, the name of this organization is the “Constitution Party of Illinois,” hereinafter referred to as the “Party.”  No person, group of persons, or organization shall use the name, address, or emblem of the Party in any manner, unless the State Chairman grants permission. 

ARTICLE II

PURPOSE

We, the members of the Party do associate ourselves to develop an informed, energetic and effective political organization to support the principles, goals and platform of this Party as may be adopted from time to time by its State Central Committee and Conventions and to secure the election of all duly nominated candidates and electors thereof and to promote the knowledge and understanding of the Constitution of these United States of America and the Constitution of the sovereign State of Illinois.

ARTICLE III

POLICY

1.      Board of Directors - The following Party officers and Regional Chairmen (Totaling 10 members) shall constitute the board of directors for the purposes of acting on behalf of the Constitution Party of Illinois Corporation:

a.       Chairman – Shall act as the President of the Board.

b.      1^st Vice Chairman – Shall act as Vice-President of the Board.

c.       Secretary – Shall act as Secretary of the Board and Agent of the Corporation.

d.      Treasurer – Shall act as Treasurer of the Board

e.       Regional Chairmen – Shall act as members-at-large of the Board

                                                  i.      Chicago Region

                                                ii.      Northern Region

                                              iii.      West Central Region

                                              iv.      East Central Region

                                                v.      Metro East Region

                                              vi.      Southern Region

2.      Bylaws - These bylaws are subject (must conform) to State and Federal Election Codes, the Articles of Incorporation, and the General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986.  Where there is conflict the applicable state and federal laws take precedence.

3.      Parliamentary Authority

a.       The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Party in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Party may adopt.

b.      A copy of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall be provided to each newly elected member of the Board of Directors.

4.      Voting

a.       Voting for the election of officers, Party nominations or endorsements and adopting or amending the Bylaws or Platform shall be by secret ballot.

b.      Other votes shall be by show of hand unless any member of the Committee shall call for secret ballot.

c.       A person holding multiple offices shall not be entitled to more than one vote.

d.      Votes that end in equal numbers shall be decided by vote of the presiding officer of that meeting.

e.       Absentee Voting

                                                  i.      It is the fundamental principle of parliamentary law that the right to vote is limited to the members of an organization who are actually present at the time the vote is taken in a legal meeting.

                                                ii.      Any voting member who wants to vote in absentia shall designate his vote in written form which shall be dated, signed and delivered to the Secretary for recording during the time designated to establish a quorum.  Absentee votes will NOT be accepted after this time.

                                              iii.      Proxies must be approved by three fourths of the members present during the time designated to establish a quorum. 

f.       Proxy Voting

                                                  i.      A Proxy is a power of attorney given by one person to another to vote in his stead; the term also designates the person who holds the power of attorney.  Proxy voting is not permitted in ordinary deliberative assemblies unless the laws of the state in which the organization is incorporated require it, or the charter or these bylaws provide for it.  Ordinarily it should neither be allowed nor required, because proxy voting is incompatible with the essential characteristics of a deliberative assembly in which membership is individual, personal, and nontransferable.

                                                ii.      A voting member who wants to vote by proxy shall designate his proxy in written form which shall be dated, signed and delivered to the Secretary for recording during the time designated to establish a quorum.  Proxies will NOT be accepted after this time.

                                              iii.      At the time of establishing a quorum, it must be determined whether a proxy will be allowed for all business during a particular session, or only allowed to pertain to one specific item of business.

                                              iv.      Proxies must be approved by three fourths of the members present during the time designated to establish a quorum.

                                                v.      Because the Chairman is only allowed to vote in cases of a tie, the Chairman is allowed to be a Proxy solely for the purpose of establishing a quorum.

g.      Conference Call/Email Voting.

                                                  i.      Due to the enormity in size of the state of Illinois, it may become necessary to conduct business via telephone conference call or email.

                                                ii.      Only the Executive Committee will be permitted to conduct business via Conference call or email.

                                              iii.      Only in cases where a secret ballot is NOT required will it be permissible to vote via conference call or email.

                                              iv.      When conducting business by conference call:

1.      The secretary (or person designated to record the minutes) must take a roll call and record the members present in order to ascertain that a quorum has been established

2.      When a vote is called for, the member must state their name and their vote and the recorder shall record the vote.

                                                v.      When conducting business by email:

1.      All members must be included in the “To” section of every email specifically related to the business to be considered at hand.

2.      Each email must include the item of business in the subject line.

3.      Each member must respond to the initial message to establish a quorum and to ensure that all members have had an opportunity to discuss the business at hand.

4.      Conducting business by email is only permissible if ALL members have adequate access to email.

5.      If there is a failure to meet the all the requirements stated in this section regarding conducting business by email, it shall NOT be permissible.

6.      Email voting should be used rarely and for non-controversial issues.

ARTICLE IV

MEMBERSHIP

 1.      Eligibility - Membership of the Party shall consist of all persons who are eligible to vote under the Laws of the State of Illinois, who have paid such dues as are prescribed by the State Committee and whose application has been accepted by the Party.  The State or Executive Committee may, by resolution, impose such other requirements as it may from time to time deem appropriate for membership in the Party.

2.      Types - There are 6 types of membership:

3.      Dues - The cost of membership (dues) shall be set annually for the following year by the Executive Board in ratifying the Membership Application during their final session of the year.

 4.      Discipline

a.      Because the Constitution Party of Illinois expects a high standard of conduct, suspension or in extreme cases, expulsion may be considered for noncompliance or nonsupport of the Party goals or any part of the Party platform, or any violation of these bylaws.  Further, suspension or in extreme cases, expulsion may be considered for any illegal activity, misdemeanor or public scandal.

b.      Membership will be suspended for failure to renew annual dues within 30 days of the due date.

c.       Discipline will be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, chapter 20.

ARTICLE V

COUNTY COMMITTEES

1.      Officially organized County Committees meeting the criteria established by the State Committee and Illinois statutes shall be formally recognized as the official County Committee of the party, but there shall not be more than one official committee for each county.

2.      A county committee shall be considered fully organized if there is a chairman, treasurer and a bank account.

3.      Officially organized counties may adopt their own rules and bylaws, subject to approval by the State Committee.  In the absence of such bylaws, these bylaws shall govern.

4.      The Chairman and other officers of each officially organized County Committee shall be elected in accordance with the rules and bylaws of their respective county organizations and Illinois statutes. 

ARTICLE VI

REGIONAL ORGANIZATION

1.      Because the state of Illinois is such a geographically large state, it has been divided into 6 regions:

1. Chicago Region
2. Northern Region
3. West Central Region
4. East Central Region
5. Metro East Region
6. Southern Region

2.      The Leadership for the region will consist of a chairman and a co-chairman that shall not be from the same county. 

3.      The Regional Chairman and Co-chairman shall be elected by the county delegation of their respective regions at a regional caucus held during the State Convention that is held every two years.  A vacancy in the office of the regional chairman and co-chairman would be filled by appointment by the State Central Committee Chairman. 

4.      Regional leadership is established for organizational purposes only and will not maintain a budget. The Regional Chairman will submit to the state committee requests for regional funding.

5.      Regional leadership should become familiar with the legislative districts in their regions in order to mobilize the counties in their jurisdiction in support of candidates across the region and will act as a liaison between the various counties in the region.  The chairman and co-chairman will assist in scheduling, organizing and staffing county functions and events. 

6.      A regional meeting will to be conducted at least twice a year in order to provide an environment for the county chairmen to meet, network and provide assistance to one another. 

ARTICLE VII

STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Section A:  Membership

1.      The membership of the State Central Committee shall be composed of the following:

a.       Officers

                                                  i.      State Central Committee Chairman

                                                ii.      State Central Committee 1^st Vice Chairman

                                              iii.      State Central Committee 2^nd Vice Chairman

                                              iv.      State Central Committee Secretary

                                                v.      State Central Committee Membership Secretary

                                              vi.      State Central Committee Treasurer

b.      Regional Chairmen

c.      The County Central Committee Chairman plus one additional delegate of each county that is officially organized.  (The State Chairman may appoint one (1) member in good standing from any county that is not organized.) 

2.      All members of the State Central Committee must be members of the party in good standing. 

3.      Membership in the State Central Committee may be revoked upon the vote of three-fourths of the members present in person at any duly convened meeting of the State Central Committee. 

4.      A simple majority of the members of the State Central Committee shall be considered a quorum. 

Section B:  Election and Terms

1.      The Chairman, 1^st Vice Chairman, 2^nd Vice Chairman, Secretary, Membership Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by the State Convention and  serve for a term of two (2) years or until such time that a successor is elected.

2.   Regional Chairman and co-chairman shall be elected by their regional caucus during the State Convention.  All Chairmen will serve for a term of two (2) years or until such time that a successor is elected.

Section C:  Executive Committee

1.     The Executive Committee is an instrument of the State Central Committee and shall have authority to conduct all lawful business on behalf of the State Central Committee in areas where the State Central Committee shall specifically authorize, shall have such powers and duties as are otherwise prescribed in these bylaws and shall be available for advice and consent to the State Central Committee Chairman. 

2.      The Executive Committee shall consist of the following:

a.       State Central Committee Chairman

b.      State Central Committee 1^st Vice Chairman

c.       State Central Committee 2^nd Vice Chairman

d.      State Central Committee Secretary

e.       State Central Committee Membership Secretary

f.       State Central Committee Treasurer

g.      Immediate past State Central Committee Chairman

h.      Regional Chairmen

i.        Candidates for the constitutional offices, who were on the ballot in either of the two (2) immediately preceding general (i.e. even year) elections (Provided they are members in good standing). 

3.      A simple majority of the members of the Executive Committee shall be considered a quorum.

Section D:  Vacancies

 1.      A vacancy in the office of State Central Committee Chairman shall be filled by the State Central Committee 1^st Vice Chairman who shall serve until the next State Convention.

2.      A vacancy in the office of State Central Committee 1^st Vice Chairman shall be filled by the State Central Committee 2^nd Vice-Chairman and shall serve the remaining unexpired term of the vacating State 1^st Vice Chairman. 

3.      A vacancy in the office of State Central Committee 2^nd Vice Chairman shall be filled by appointment by the State Central Committee Chairman and shall serve the remaining unexpired term of the vacating 2^nd Vice Chairman. 

4.      If both the offices of the State Central Committee Chairman and State Central Committee 1^st Vice Chairman become vacant at the same time, a meeting of the State Committee shall be called by the next ranking office to elect successors. 

5.      A vacancy in the office of State Central Committee Secretary shall be filled by appointment by the State Central Committee Chairman and shall serve the unexpired term of the vacating Secretary. 

6.      A vacancy in the office of State Central Committee Membership Secretary shall be filled by appointment by the State Central Committee Chairman and shall serve the unexpired term of the vacating Membership Secretary. 

7.      A vacancy in the office of State Treasurer shall be filled by appointment by the State Central Committee Chairman and shall serve the unexpired term of the vacating Treasurer. 

Section E: Duties

 1.      State Central Committee

a.       The State Central Committee shall be responsible for the control and management of all the affairs, properties and funds of the Party consistent with the Articles of Incorporation, these bylaws and any resolutions which may be adopted in Convention.

b.      The State Central Committee shall formulate and provide for the execution of such policies, plans and measures as it may deem conducive to the best interest of the Party, and in conformity with these bylaws.

c.       The State Central Committee shall call all regular and special State Conventions and make arrangements therefore, including the basis of representation, the time and place.

d.      The State Central Committee shall meet at least two (2) times per year.

                                                  i.      In years when a State Convention is called, one meeting shall be immediately before or concurrent with the State Convention and the other meeting shall be as may be called by the State Central Committee at its last meeting or in the absence thereof, by the Executive Committee or the State Central Committee Chairman.

                                                ii.      Notice of State Central Committee meeting and State Conventions shall be at least thirty (30) days prior to such meeting

                                              iii.      Notification shall be deemed sufficient if sent by regular mail to the last known address.

e.       The State Central Committee may promulgate rules, not inconsistent with these bylaws; to regulate any of the functions or activities provided for herein or as may be necessary to comply with State and/or Federal election laws.

 2.      Executive Committee

a.       The Executive Committee shall, in addition to the duties otherwise prescribed herein, meet at least quarterly to make proposals for submission to the State Central Committee and/or the State Convention and to fulfill any other duties that may come before it.  The meetings may be conducted by telephone conference calls.

b.      All appointments of the State Central Committee Chairman shall be subject to approval of the Executive Committee unless that power is specifically granted to another body in these bylaws.

c.       The Executive Committee shall be empowered to meet and act on an emergency basis, do anything that the State Central Committee is empowered to do, provided that any such emergency action by the Executive Committee may be revoked upon the three-fifths majority vote of the State Central Committee at the next duly convened State Central Committee meeting.

d.      In the absence of an election committee, the Executive Committee shall act as a nominating committee and submit candidates for the offices of the Party to the Convention or to the State Central Committee as may be applicable.

 3.      State Central Committee Chairman

a.       The State Central Committee Chairman shall be the chief executive officer of the Party and Chairman of the State Committee.

b.      The State Central Committee Chairman shall issue the call of all general meetings of the Party and the State Central Committee and shall preside, if present, at all such meetings and at Executive Committee meetings.

c.       The State Central Committee Chairman shall observe and enforce the by-laws and rules of the Party.

d.      The State Central Committee Chairman shall appoint necessary staff members and all standing and special committees.

e.       The State Central Committee Chairman shall be ex officio member of all committees.

f.       The State Central Committee Chairman shall act as necessary to promote the functions of the Party.

 4.      State Central Committee 1^st Vice Chairman

a.       The 1^st Vice Chairman shall become the State Chairman in the event of a vacancy in that office.

b.      The 1st Vice Chairman shall act as the ranking officer in the event of absence of the State Central Committee Chairman at any State Party function.

c.       The 1^st Vice Chairman shall perform other duties the State Chairman may prescribe.

 5.      State Central Committee 2^nd Vice Chairman

a.       The 2^nd Vice Chairman shall become the 1^st Vice Chairman in the event of a vacancy in that office.

b.      The 2^nd Vice Chairman shall act as the ranking officer in the event of the absence of both the Chairman and the 1stVice Chair at any State Party function.

c.       The 2^nd Vice Chairman shall take charge over the regional chairman and assist them in performing their duties and provide a report of regional activity to the executive committee.

d.      The 2^nd Vice Chairman shall perform other duties the State Chairman may prescribe.

 6.      State Central Committee Secretary

a.       The Secretary shall be the chief clerical officer of the Party.

b.      The Secretary shall record all proceedings of the State Committee and the State Convention, which shall be the property of the committee.

c.       The Secretary shall perform other duties the State Chairman may prescribe.

 7.      State Central Committee Membership Secretary

a.       The Membership Secretary shall be the chief membership officer of the Party.

b.      The Membership Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining an accurate account of the membership of the Party.

c.       The Membership Secretary shall act as State Central Committee Secretary in the absence of the State Central Committee Secretary.

d.      The Membership Secretary shall perform other duties the State Central Committee Secretary may prescribe with the approval of the Chairman.

 8.      State Central Committee Treasurer

a.       The Treasurer shall keep the financial records for the party.

b.      The Treasurer shall be responsible for fulfilling federal, state, and local tax and financial disclosure requirements, if applicable.

c.       The Treasurer shall, at the direction of the State Central Committee Chairman, issue all checks in payment of Party obligations.

d.      The Treasurer shall act as the Chairman of the Finance Committee.

e.       A second person, who can also sign checks when necessary in the absence of the treasurer, shall be appointed by the State Central Committee Chairman.

 9.      Other

a.       Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian will ensure that all State Central Committee meetings and State Conventions are conducted according to the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure specified in Article III, Paragraph 3 (Parliamentary Authority) of these bylaws.

b.      Legal Advisor

                                                  i.      The legal advisor shall be a member of the Illinois State Bar Association.

                                                ii.      The legal advisor shall be licensed to practice law in the state of Illinois

                                              iii.      The legal advisor shall advise the State Central Committee Chairman on issues of a legal or regulatory nature.

                                              iv.      The legal advisor shall assist the Party Candidates in representation in times of ballot access.

Section F: Standing Committees

1.      Bylaws Committee – It shall be the responsibility of the Bylaws Committee to maintain the bylaws and ensure that the Constitution Party of Illinois operates within the confines of all regulations governing the party.  The Bylaws committee will present any proposed changes to the party bylaws during the State Convention held every two years.

2.      Platform Committee - It is the platform of the Constitution Party of Illinois that will attract the people who are looking for a party that puts “Principle over Politics.”  The Platform committee shall be responsible for maintaining the Constitution Party of Illinois’ Platform.  The Platform must conform to the platform of the National Party, but will specifically relate to those issues that directly affect the citizens of Illinois. The Platform committee will present any proposed changes to the party platform during the State Convention held every two years. 

3.      Public Relations (PR) Committee – The PR Committee shall be responsible for filtering all official correspondence to the public.  Templates regarding current issues will be created that can be used by party members to personalize and send to “Letters to the editor” and “op-eds.” Further, the PR committee will be responsible for contacting and being the liaison with all media outlets.  It shall be their responsibility to market the Constitution Party of Illinois to generate support, membership and candidates.  The Party’s website will also fall under this committee as it will be this committee’s responsibility to ensure the content of the web is commensurate with Party Policies and Official positions. 

4.      Events Committee – The Events Committee shall be responsible for planning and implementing public events such as conventions, rallies, debates and fund raisers.  This committee will work closely with the PR Committee to ensure all events are advertised and gets widest possible publicity. 

5.      Finance Committee – The Finance Committee is responsible for managing and maintaining the budget. The treasurer will be the chairman of the committee.  This committee will be responsible for submitting all reports required by state and federal regulations. 

6.      Election Committee - It will be the job of the Election Committee to become intimately familiar with the state and county election codes in order to help the party and candidates navigate the Illinois political landscape.  It will be the election committee’s responsibility to qualify candidates for endorsement by the Constitution Party and to act as the nominating committee of the party. 

7.      Membership Committee – This committee is led by the Membership Secretary and tracks all membership issues to include maintaining the records of all memberships, creating and distributing membership packets.  This committee will be responsible for creating membership drives. 

8.      Training Committee - We are the Constitution Party of Illinois.  Who better to teach on the issues of the Constitution, than the Constitution Party?  The first responsibility of this committee will be to teach Party members the constitution.  The Constitution Party of Illinois will sponsor community training commensurate with the stated purposes in Article II.  The training and support of candidates will come through this committee. 

9.      Political Action Committee (PAC) – The Political Action Committee is responsible for sending the word out regarding certain legislation and other issues that we as concerned citizens need to take action on.  It is understood that other political parties have lobbyists; from this committee would come our lobbyists.  Another important aspect of this committee will be to create alliances with other political action organizations and committees with like minded goals.

ARTICLE VIII

STATE CONVENTION

1.      The Party shall hold a biennial Convention in connection with each general (i.e. even year) election to conduct such business as may properly come before it at a time and place to be determined at the preceding Convention or as otherwise herein provided.  The Call for the State Convention shall be issued by the State Chairman.

2.      Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the proceedings of the State Convention and the rulings of the Chairman of the State Convention shall be the decision on the question before the body.  The Chairman shall appoint a Parliamentarian for the Convention for deciding questions of parliamentary procedure. 

3.      While the Constitution Party is in a “New Party” status, the state convention will be held at least 15 days prior to the first day of gathering signatures for the purpose of allowing time for petitions to be published with the names of those elected at the convention. 

4.      Special rules and procedures governing the convention will be adopted, that do not conflict with these bylaws and state and federal regulations. 

5.      Nominees for office within the Party will submit their names to the election committee for screening and the election committee will be responsible for publishing the ballot.  Because of the screening process, no nominations from the floor will be accepted to be voted upon. 

6.      The affirmative vote of the majority of the delegates present and voting at the State Convention shall be the act of the Convention. 

7.      The State Chairman shall preside at the beginning of the State Convention where, after calling the convention to order, his first order of business shall be overseeing the nomination and election of a State Conventions Chairman. 

8.      Newly elected Party Officers shall begin their duties immediately following the State Convention. 

9.      Every member in good standing of the Party, as of thirty days before the Convention, and remaining in good standing throughout the Convention, shall be entitled to be a delegate at the State Convention by attending in person, provided that the State Committee may prescribe registration fees to be registered as a delegate. 

ARTICLE IX

SELECTION OF DELEGATES

TO NATIONAL CONVENTIONS

1.      This article shall only stand as long as the Constitution Party of Illinois remains in a “New Party” status. As soon as the Constitution Party of Illinois becomes an established party and holds a primary, delegates shall be elected according to state and federal election codes.

2.      Delegates to national conventions of the Party shall be elected by the State Convention held in the year of the National Convention, if held prior thereto or if not, by the State Committee at the meeting last preceding the National Convention.   The State Chairman may appoint additional delegates following such State Convention or State Committee Meeting.

3.      Electors for candidates in the Presidential election shall be chosen by the State Chairman, subject to confirmation by majority vote of the Executive Committee.  If the Chairman or any successive officer shall fail to act, the next ranking officer shall fulfill the responsibility. 

ARTICLE X

NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE

1.      Nominations - Only the State Committee shall have the power to officially nominate candidates for State and Federal elective offices (which includes all statewide offices, State Senate, and Illinois and U.S. House of Representatives) under the Constitution Party of Illinois label which nominations shall be submitted to the Convention, for its approval by majority vote.

2.      Only those who have been members in good standing for 90 days prior to the State Convention are entitled to seek the nomination of the Constitution Party of Illinois.  A three fourths majority vote at the convention can override the 90 day restriction. 

3.      Candidates for November general elections who are nominated by the State Committee shall be approved or confirmed at the State Convention and shall be entitled to be listed as the candidate for the Constitution Party on the Ballot Access Petition (otherwise known as Nomination Paper). 

4.      Candidates for county and local office shall be nominated by recognized county committees in good standing.  In the absence of a recognized county committee, the State Committee shall have the power to nominate candidates for county and local office.  The State Committee shall have the power to nominate candidates for special elections and nominate substitute candidates as provided in the Illinois Election Code. 

5.      As to any elective offices for which candidates have not been nominated at the State Convention, candidates may be nominated by the State Committee subsequent to the State Convention by the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the State Committee.  The State Committee, acting pursuant to a vote of three-fourths of all of its members, may withdraw the nomination or endorsement given previously to any candidate, and may take all actions which it deems necessary to effectuate such withdrawal, including publicity and legal action.  No candidate who has not been nominated by either the State Convention or the State Committee shall be permitted to use the name Constitution on the Nomination Paper or otherwise in such a way that would imply affiliation with the Constitution Party, in any election materials. 

ARTICLE XI

INITIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE PARTY

Due to the necessities of organization, the State Chairman shall have broad powers to appoint members to the State, Regional and County Committees and act in the interest of the Party to comply with the laws of the United States, the laws of the State of Illinois and these bylaws.  County chairmen shall be appointed, based upon the Regional Chairman’s recommendation.  At such time as these broad powers are no longer needed, they shall be rescinded by majority vote of the State Committee. 

ARTICLE XII

AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

1.      Original bylaws – the original bylaws were adopted at the first organizational meeting of the Constitution Party of Illinois on January 30, 2004. 

2.      Ratification - These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the State Committee by a two-thirds vote or by a majority vote of the State Convention. 

3.      Procedure:

a.       Any member or members in good standing may propose amendments to these bylaws by submitting proposals, in writing, to the Bylaws Committee.  Further, any resolutions to change the bylaws presented to the State Committee will be referred to the Bylaws committee.

b.      The Bylaws Committee shall convene for the purpose of considering and evaluating any proposed bylaws change(s) and then provide its recommendation to the State Committee for ratification at its next duly called meeting.

c.       The Bylaws Committee shall ensure that the proposed changes conform to the Articles of Incorporation, the General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986, and the Illinois Election Code.

4.      Certification – These bylaws, as ratified at the State Convention of July 26, 2008 and signed by the Party Officers acting on behalf of the Constitution Party of Illinois, shall nullify all previous bylaws.

5.      Filing – The Secretary of the Constitution Party of Illinois must submit a copy of any changes in these bylaws to the Secretary of the State within 10 days of ratification.