Research program to identify registered Green candidates and officeholders for non-partisan local office

The Green Party of the United States has approved a research program to train state Green Parties (and their volunteers) to

– identify registered Green Party members running for and serving in non-partisan elected office, in the 20+ voter registration-by-party-states across the U.S.; and

– administer a stipend program to support this research, utilizing funds present in a Special Project (approved by the Green Party National Committee) entitled “Identifying Green candidates and officeholders for non-partisan local office”

To qualify for a Stipend Research Plan stipend, please fill out the following three part questionnaire:

Part I: Candidate lists for non-partisan races 


• Which races in your state are nonpartisan over the upcoming two-year election cycle and when will they occur?
• Where can information be found about candidates running in nonpartisan races in your state, including on governmental websites, League of Women-sponsored sites and others?
• What are the filling deadlines for these  non-partisan elections, so that (i) it can be clear if and when Greens running in these races will officially be on the ballot, and (ii) when research should occur to identify registered Greens running in these races  (where possible, include links where available to election codes and/or other governmental documents that specify these filing dates)

Part II: Green voter registration list 


• Does your state Green Party already have the latest Green registration list? If not, how/when can it get it, and are there any costs involved?
• How will this Green voter registration list will be accessed by individuals doing this research?:
– An online document like a Google doc? An online database in a platform like Nationbuilder? A third party site from which the data is purchased? A .csv-shared document? Other?
• Does the Green voter registration list show when a person last registered ‘Green’, so it is clear for how long they have been registered Green?
• Can the Green voter registration list can be shared with the GPUS Elections Database Manager, in order to promote quality control and be used for follow up research by the Manager on behalf of the GPUS?

Part III: Project Timeline

• How will the research be conducted? Will there be more than one individual involved and if so, how will the work load be shared?
• What are the approximate number of hours estimated to complete this work?
• When will the research be expected to be completed?
• Would the person(s) doing the research be interested in participating in a video conference research training session with the GPUS Elections Database Manager?

Reporting procedure 


– When current Green nonpartisan candidates are identified, the following information should be reported via this form, or in an email to the Elections Database Manager

– How to identify past officeholders?

If a current officeholder is identified that is not already in the Elections Database (use the search bar on the right hand side bar to search their last name), after learning when they were elected to their current term, go back to past election results for that jurisdiction to see if they’d run before.  If so, then report similar information for past campaigns, including the election results.

If you don’t find election results for a current Green officeholder, they may have been appointed to fill a vacancy for that seat, or they may have joined the Green Party after being elected when not registered Green.  Report these occurrences via email to the Elections Database Manager, including the date of appointment or joining the Green Party and a link to the appointment where available.

Next Steps for the Research Plan Stipend

For each state party that responds to the questionnaire above, the Elections Database Manager shall (i) engage them with any follow-up questions as necessary, (ii) consult with the Finance Committee on a draft stipend plan, and then (iii) present it to the state party (with a goal of approximately $15/hour, to a total no more than $300 per state, or a lump sum approximating up to the same for similar work).

If and when the state party and the Manager agrees to a Stipend Research Plan under a timeline mutually agreed to, the state party officers shall agree to the plan in writing via an email.

Once the work is completed and submitted via the web form or email, the Elections Database Manager shall send documentation to the GPUS Treasurer that the work has been completed to the satisfaction of the Manager (according to the specifications of the Stipend Research Plan) and the Treasurer shall provide the compensation agreed to under the Plan.