North Carolina manual [serial] (Volume 1951) online

precinct upon all questions, nominations, or elections which may
come before the county convention. The chairman, or presiding
officer, and the secretary of the precinct meeting shall certify
to the county convention the names of the delegates and alter-
nates selected at the meeting.

Sec. 17. Each precinct shall be entitled to cast in the county
convention one vote for every 25 Democratic votes, and one vote
for fractions over 12 Democratic votes cast by the precinct for



Plan of Organization 14'J

Governor at the last preceding gubernational election: provided
that every precinct shall be entitled to cast at least one vote in
the county convention, and each precinct may appoint as many
delegates to said convention as it may see fit, not exceeding three
delegates and three alternates for each vote to which said pre-
cinct may be entitled in the county convention.

Sec. 18. At every precinct meeting, if requested, a vote shall
be taken on the different questions, nominations, and elections
anticipated to come before the county convention, and in that
event, the chairman or presiding officer and the secretai'y of the
precinct meeting shall certify to the county convention the vote
so cast, and the relative vote as fixed in the precinct meeting
shall not be changed in the county convention, except by two-
thirds vote of the entire unit of delegates desiring to change
its vote.

Sec. 19. In case there shall be a failure to hold a precinct
meeting in pursuance of the call of the chairman of the county
democratic executive committee, or if at any meeting there shall
be a failure to elect delegates to the county convention, in either
event, the precinct democratic executive committee shall appoint
the delegates and alternates from the Democratic voters of the
precinct.

Sec. 20. The chairman of the several precinct committees shall
compose the County Democratic Executive Committee, which shall
meet on the same day as the county convention first held in each
election year, the meeting to be held either before or after the
convention at an hour and place to be designated in the call
issued in pursuance of Section 13 hereof. At said meeting a
chairman of said county executive committee shall be elected.
Immediately after the election of the chairman, the committee
shall elect one or more, but not exceeding three, vice chairmen,
and also a secretary. If more than one vice chairman shall be
elected, the order of their succession shall be designated by title,
e.g., first vice chairman, second vice chairman, third vice chair-
man. Either the chairman or the first vice chairman shall be a
woman. The chairman, vice chairman or vice chairmen, or sec-
retary need not be members of the County Democratic Executive
Committee, but all of said officers shall be ex-officio members of
the committee, with the power to vote, however, at any organiza-



150 North Carolina Manual

tional meeting- of said County Democratic Executive Committee
said ex-officio members shall not have the power to vote. If for
any reason there should occur any vacancy in the chairmanship
of a county executive committee, by death, resignation, or re-
moval, or if such chairman should be incapacitated or should
fail or refuse to act, then the vice chairman or vice chairmen,
in their order of succession, and thereafter the secretary, shall,
in such order of succession, be vested with the full authority and
power of the chairman until such time as said county executive
committee has met and duly elected a successor to such chair-
man. A majority of said precinct chairmen, in person or by
proxy in the person of some active Democrat of the precinct in
which an absent chairman resides, shall constitute a quorum.
The county executive committee may appoint a central com-
mittee of five who shall act in its stead when the county execu-
tive committee is not in session.

Sec. 21. In case there shall be a failure to elect any precinct
executive committee prior to the day of the county convention,
the county democratic executive committee at its meeting held
on the day of the said convention shall appoint the committee
for such precinct.

Sec. 22. The county executive committee shall have power to
make any rules with regard to holding precinct meetings which
it may deem proper, not inconsistent with the rules prescribed
in this plan ; it shall be the duty of said committee to prepare
and furnish all forms and blanks needed in making the returns
from said precinct meetings, and any reported challenges and
appeals therefrom ; and it shall have the power to raise the funds
necessary to pay the expenses thereof.

Sec. 23. All county conventions shall be called to order by
the chairman of the executive committee of such county, and in
his absence, by the vice chairman or by one of the vice chairmen
in the order of succession set out in Section 20 hereof, and in
his or their absence, by any member of the county executive com-
mittee who may be present at the convention, and in case none
of the foregoing persons shall be present, then by any delegate
to the convention, and he shall preside until a permanent chair-
man is elected by the convention.



Plan of Organization 151

Sec. 24. The chairman shall provide the convention with a
sufficient number of secretaries or ready accountants, who shall
reduce the votes to decimals and tabulate the same, disregard-
ing- all fractions after the second or hundreth column.

Sec. 25. Nothing herein contained shall prevent the conven-
tion from making nominations by viva voce or acclamation where
a vote by township or precinct is not demanded by any Demo-
cratic elector present.

Sec. 26. The county democratic executive committee shall have
the power to make such other rules and regulations for the hold-
ing of county conventions not inconsistent hei'ewith, as may be
deemed necessary or expedient.

Sec. 27. Any chairman of a county executive committee who
announces his candidacy for an elective office in the primary
shall resign immediately as such chairman and the vacancy shall
be filled as heretofore provided; but any chairman who shall so
resign may be reelected to such chainnanship if and when a
vacancy occurs after the primary.

State Convention Rules

Sec. 28. The state convention shall be composed of delegates
appointed by the several county conventions. Each county in the
State shall be entitled to elect to the state convention one dele-
gate and one alternate for every 150 Democratic votes and one
delegate and one alternate for fractions over 75 Democratic votes
cast therein for Governor at the last preceding gubernatorial
election.

Sec. 29. A preliminary meeting of the delegates shall be held
by each congressional district on the morning of the state con-
vention, at rooms to be designated by the State Executive Com-
mittee, for the purpose of selecting the following committees and
officers of the convention :

1. One member of the committee on Resolutions and Plat-
form.

2. One member of the committee on Permanent Organization,
Rules, and Order of Business, which committee will nominate a
permanent president and secretary of the convention.

3. One vice president of the convention.

4. One district assistant secretary.



152 North Carolina Manual

5. One member of the committee on Credentials and Appeals.

6. Nine men and nine women as members of the State Demo-
cratic Executive Committee, with at least one member being se-
lected from each county.

7. Two members from each county for the congressional, ju-
dicial, and solicitorial district, democratic executive committees;
provided, however, in districts embracing less than five counties,
three members of each said committee shall be elected from each
county in said district.

8. One member for each county of the State Senatorial Execu-
tive Committee where the district embraces more than one county.

Sec. 30. Such delegates (or alternates of absent delegates) as
may be present at any democratic convention shall be allowed to
cast the whole vote to which their precinct or county may be
entitled.

Sec. 31. In all conventions provided for by this plan, after a
vote is cast, there shall be no change in such vote until the final
result of the ballot shall be announced by the chairman of said
convention.

Sec. 32. The chairman of the different county conventions shall
certify the list of delegates and alternates to the State Conven-
tion, and a certified list of said delegates and alternates to the
secretary of the State Executive Committee.

Sec. 33. The secretary of the State Democratic Executive Com-
mittee shall make up a I'oll of all delegates and alternates from
the several counties and transmit the same to the chairman of the
state convention.

Sec. 34. In all conventions a nomination may be made by any
majority, even though it be a fraction of a vote.

Sec. 35. In all state conventions it shall be the duty of the
delegates from the several counties to choose one of their number
chairman, whose name shall be reported to the president of such
convention, and whose duty it shall be to cast the vote of his
county as directed, and the vote as announced by him shall be
recorded unless some delegate from that county shall challenge its
accuracy, in which event it shall be the duty of the president of
the convention to cause the roll of delegates from that county to
be called, when the vote of such county shall be tabulated and re-
corded accoiding to the response of its delegates; but in no event



Plan of Organization 153

shall the vote of one county be challenged by a delegate from
another county.

Rotation of State Senators in Districts Composed of
More than One County

Sec. 36. That in all State Senatorial Districts composed of
more than one county, in which it has been the custom to concede
the right to nominate a senator to one county of the district, by a
plan of rotation or otherwise, and in which such plan was fol-
lowed in the Primary Election of 1936, the same shall remain in
full force and effect until terminated as herein provided.

The executive committees of the several counties composing
such Senatorial District may hereafter adopt a plan for the nomi-
nation of candidates for the State Senate by one or more counties
composing such district, but such plan shall not be effective until
the executive committee of each of the counties composing the dis-
trict shall, by a majority vote, approve such plan and file with
the chairman of the State Executive Committee a copy of the
resolution approving the same. The agreement in any senatorial
district composed of only two counties may be terminated by a
majority vote of the county executive committee of any one of the
counties and in districts of more than two counties by a majority
vote of each of the executive committees of at least two counties,
provided that notice of the termination of such agreement must
be filed with the chairman of the State Executive Committee at
least 120 days in advance of the date of the primary election at
which the candidates for the General Assembly are to be nomi-
nated. The chairman of the State Executive Committee shall
promptly notify the State Board of Elections of all such agree-
ments and of the termination thereof.

Nomination of Candidates for County and Township Offices and
for the General Assembly in Counties Not Under Primary Law

Sec. 37. In all counties in which the selection of candidates for
members of the General Assembly and county and township offices
is not provided for by the primary law, nominations shall be made
in the following manner:

(a) The county democratic executive committee shall meet and
set a time and place for holding a county convention for the nomi-



154 North Carolina Manual

nation of candidates for the aforesaid offices, and shall also set
the time and places for holding the necessary preliminary precinct
meetings, and thereupon the chairman of the county executive
committee shall issue a call for the precinct meetings and the
county convention, notice of which call shall be sent to the precinct
officials and published in such manner and form as shall be di-
rected by the said county executive committee.

(b) At the meeting held in each precinct in pursuance of said
notice, delegates and alternates to represent it in the county con-
vention shall be elected from the body of the Democratic voters of
the precinct; and said delegates or alternates, or such of them as
shall attend the county convention shall be entitled to vote the full
Democratic strength of their precinct in the nomination of candi-
dates and upon all questions which may come before said county
convention.

If there is a failure to hold a precinct meeting in pursuance
of said notice, or if said meeting shall fail to elect delegates to
represent it in said convention, the precinct executive committee
shall appoint delegates and alternates from the Democratic voters
of the precinct.

(c) Each precinct shall be entitled to cast in the county con-
vention one vote for every 25 Democratic votes, and one vote for
fractions over 12 Democratic votes cast by the precinct for Gov-
ernor at the last preceding gubernatorial election: provided that
every precinct shall be entitled to cast at least one vote in the
county convention, and each precinct may appoint as many dele-
gates to said convention as it may see fit, not exceeding three dele-
gates and three alternates for each vote to which said precinct
may be entitled in the county convention.

(d) The precinct meetings shall be presided over by the chair-
man of the precinct committee, but in his absence, the vice chair-
man of the committee shall preside, and in the absence of both
the chairman and vice chairman, any member of the committee
may preside.

(e) The county executive committee shall have power to make
any rules with regard to holding precinct meetings which it may
deem proper, not inconsistent with the rules prescribed in this
plan; it shall be the duty of said committee to prepare and furnish
all forms and blanks needed in making the returns from said pre-



Plan of Organization 155

cinct meetings, and any reported challenges and appeals therefrom.
Appointment of Democratic Members of County Board of Elections

Sec. 38. The chairman of the Democratic Executive Com-
mittee in each county shall, before submitting to the State Chair-
man recommendations as to Democratic members of the county
Board of Elections in such county, call a meeting of the democratic
executive committee of the county and submit such recommen-
dations for the approval of the executive committee, and only when
such recommendations are approved by a majority of the com-
inittee present, shall same be submitted to the State Chairman by
the county chairman. The time of such meeting of the respective
county executive committees for the purpose of passing on such
recommendations shall be fixed by the State Chairman.

Miscellaneous Provisions

Sec. 39. In the several counties of the State where primaries
are provided for by law, whether optional or mandatory, this plan
of organization shall nevertheless be followed in all matters not
inconsistent with such laws.

Sec. 40. In the nomination of candidates for municipal offices
to be voted for in any town or city election, where the same is not
controlled by charter or legislative enactment, a municipal demo-
cratic executive committee may be created for the purpose of facil-
itating the orderly selection of such candidates. The committee
shall be composed of five residents of the municipality, at least
two of whom shall be women, to be elected biennially at a meet-
ing of all members of the regular precinct executive committee
or committees who reside in the municipality, the meeting to be
called and presided over by the chairman of the county democratic
executive committee. It shall be the sole function of any municipal
democratic executive committee created under the provisions of
this section to supervise and direct the selection of candidates for
municipal offices and in so doing, the committee shall follow in
principle the procedure set out in Section 37 hereof, and to that
end, the committee may formulate such rules and regulations as
may be deemed necessary, practicable, and fair in applying in
principle the procedure set out in said Section 37. The committee
shall elect from its membership a chairman and vice chairman,
one of whom shall be a woman; and all vacancies in membership
shall be filled by the committee.



156 North Carolina Manual

Filling Vacancies Among Candidates and Selecting
Candidates in Special Elections

Sec. 41. In the event any person nominated as a candidate of
the democratic party for a state office shall die, resign, or for any
reason become ineligible or disqualified between the date of nomi-
nation and the ensuing general election, the vacancy caused there-
by shall be filled by the action of the state executive committee;
in the event of such vacancy in the case of a district office (ex-
cept in a state senatorial district operating under a rotation agree-
ment which concedes the candidate for senator or one of the can-
didates for senator to one county), the vacancy shall be filled by
the action of the executive committee for such district; and in
the event of such vacancy in the case of a county office, or the
house of representatives, or the state senate in a district composed
either of only one county or of two or more counties operating
under a rotation agreement which concedes the candidate for sena-
tor or any one of the candidates for senator to one county, in
either of said events, the vacancies shall be filled by action of the
county executive committee of the county wherein such vacancy
occurs; provided, that should a vacancy occur in any office after a
nomination has been made, or if a special election shall be ordered
to fill a vacancy either in the Congress of the United States or in
the General Assembly of North Carolina, in any or either of said
event or events, a nomination shall be made by the appropriate
committee in like manner as hereinbefore provided. Any nomina-
tion made under the provisions of this section shall be certified
immediately by the chairman and secretary of the nominating
committee to the board or boards of elections. State or county,
having the responsibility of printing and distributing the ballots
on which the name of the nominee shall appear.

Sec. 42. The right of appeal shall lie from any subordinate com-
mittee or convention to the committee or convention next superior
thereto, and in all county or state conventions appeals shall be
first referred to the committee on Credentials and Appeals, or a
special committee provided by the convention, and the findings and
reports of such committee had before action thereon by the con-
vention.

Sec. 43. It shall be the duty of the county executive committees
and their chairmen to make such reports and furnish such infor-



Plan of Organization 157

mation to the chairman of the State Democratic Executive Com-
mittee and chairman of the several district committees as the said
State and district chairmen may desire.

Sec. 43-A. The State Democratic Executive Committee shall ap-
point a committee of three whose duty it shall be to audit, not less
frequently than biennially, the financial accounts and balances of
the Committee.

Amendments to Plan of Organization

Sec. 44. The State Democratic Executive Committee shall, by a
majority vote of the full committee, have power to amend this
plan of organization.

The foregoing is the plan of organization of the Democratic
party of North Carolina as adopted by the State Democratic Exec-
utive Committee, at a meeting held in the City of Raleigh on the
5th day of March, 1918, together with all amendments thereto up
to and including a special meeting of said committee held in the
City of Raleigh on May 11, 1950.

B. EVERETT JORDAN,

Chairman.



COMMITTEES OF THE STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

(From list furnished by Secretary, State Democratic
Executive Committee)

State Democratic Executive Committee

1950

OFFICERS

Chairman Everett Jordan

Vice-Chairman Mrs. D. A. McCormick

Secretary H. Clifton Blue

Committees
First District

Beaufort S. M. Blount Washington

Beaufort Elizabeth Warren Washington

Camden Mrs. Annie Forbes Shawboro

Chowan T. C. B yrum Edenton

Currituck Mrs. Dudley Bagley ." Moyock

Dare R. Bruce Etheridge Manteo

Gates A. P. Godwin, Jr Gatesville

Hertford D. C. Barnes ; Murfreesboro

Hyde Mrs. S. M. Gibbs Swan Quarter

Martin Hugh Horton Williamston

Martin Mrs. E. S. Peele .- Williamston

Pasquotank Alton Aydlett Elizabeth City

Pasquotank Mrs. Treva Pendleton '. Elizabeth City

Perquimans Mrs. Jack Kanoy Hertford

Pitt Mrs. W. I. Bissette Grifton

Pitt Dr. Paul Jones Farmville

Tyrrell Mrs. Earl Cohoon Columbia

Washington Carl Bailey Plymouth

Second District

Bertie W. B. Hoggard Aulander

Bertie Mrs. C. W. Beasley Colerain

Edgecombe Harold A. Braswell Whitakers

Edgecombe Henry C. Bourne Tarboro

Edgecombe Mrs. J. W. Sexton Tarboro

Greene Earl Lang Walstonburg

Greene Geo. W. Edwards Snow Hill

Greene Mrs. E. A. Rasberry Snow Hill

Halifax - A.J. Jones, Jr Tillery

Halifax Mrs. Vernon Mohon Littleton

Lenoir Merriwether Lewis Kinstnn

Lenoir Mrs. Verde Noble Deep Run

Northampton H. L. Joyner Jackson

Northampton Mrs. R. J. White Conway

Warren John H. Kerr, Jr Warrenton

Warren Mrs. W. D. Rodgers Warrenton

Wilson Mrs. Everette Blake Wilson

Wilson Luke Lamb Wilson

Third District

Carteret C. G. Holland Beaufort

Carteret Mrs. Clayton Fulcher, Sr , . . Atlantic

Craven Norris C. Reed, Jr New Bern

Craven Miss Leonora Carawan Raleigh

Duplin Rivers D. Johnson, Sr Warsaw

158



State Committees, Democratic 159



Duplin Mrs. Guy V. Gooding Kenaiisville

Jones W. M. Whitalier ; Trenton

Jones Mrs. John D. Larkins, Jr Trenton

Onslow John D. Warlick Jacksonville

Onslow : .Mrs. E. W. Summersill Jacksonville

Pamlico T. B. Woodard Bayboro

Pamlico Mrs. Sadie Lupton Bayboro

Pender CUfton L. Moore Burgaw

Pender Mrs. Vivian Whitfield Burgaw

Sampson Henry Vann Clinton

Sampson Mrs. Jack Poole Clinton

Wayne J. Faison Thompson Goldsboro

Wajme Mrs. Hugh Dorteh Goldsboro

Fourth District

Chatham Walter D. Siler Siler City

Chatham Mrs. Margaret Sharpe Star Rt., Chapel Hill

Franklin Edward Griffin Louisburg

Franklin Mrs. Eva Person R-2, Louisburg

Johnston Adam Whitley Smithfield

Johnston Mrs. Norman Johnson R-2, Benson

Nash 0. B, Moss Spring Hope

Nash Miss Bessie Bunn Rocky Mount

Nash Ben H. Neville Whitakers

Randolph E. D. Cranford Asheboro

Randolph Mrs. S. J. Burrow, Jr Asheboro

Vance A. A. Bunn Henderson

Vance Mrs. B. A. Scott Henderson

Wake L. S. Brassfield Raleigh

Wake Sherwood Brockwell Raleigh

Wake Mrs. Wm. T. Hatch Raleigh

Wake Mrs. E. L. Sheron R-3, Raleigh

Fifth District

Caswell D. E. Scarborough Yancey ville

Caswell Mrs. John Woods Blanche

Forsyth Mrs. D. M. Winecoff Winston-Salem

Forsyth Miss Florence Nance Winston-Salem

Forsyth Jack Covington Rural Hall

Granville C. E. Lyon Creedmoor

Granville N. E. Cannady O.xford

Granville Mrs. D. G. Brummitt Oxford

Person F. D. Long Roxboro

Person Claude HaU Roxboro

Rockingham E. S. Powell Reidsville

Rockingham D. Floyd Osborne Leaksville

Rockingham Mrs. Lois Johnson Mayodan

Stokes E. M. Taylor Danbury

Stokes Miss Laura Ellington Sandy Ridge

Surry J. Pate Fulk Pilot Mountain

Surry William Allen Elkin

Surry... Mrs. J. R. Smith Mt. Airy

Sixth D.strict

Alamance A.M. Carroll Burlington

Alamance E. T. Sanders Burlington

Alamance Mrs. John Vernon, Sr Burlington

Alamance H. J. Rhodes Burlington

Durham R. T. Sanders Durham

Durham J. S. Stewart Durham

Durham S. E. Blane Durham

Durham Bascom T. Baynes Durham

Durham J. Leshe Atkins, Jr Durham

Guilford 0. A. Kirkman High Point

Guilford Mrs. Joe Dobson High Point

Guilford Niel Ward R-6, Greensboro



ino North Carolina Manual



Ciuilford \V. 0. Bowman Brown Summitt

( "luilford CM. Vanstory, Jr ( ireensboro

Ciuilford E. D. Broadhurst (ireensboro

(Juilford Mrs. Marion Y. Keith Greensboro

Orange R. O. Forrest Hillsboro

Orange Mrs. R. P. McClamroek Chapel Hill

Seventh District

Bladen James A. Bridger Bladenboro

Bladen Mrs. George Curry Clarkton

Bladen Mrs. E. F. McCullock Elizabeth town

Brunswick W. J. McLamb Shallotte

Brunswick Mrs. R. H. Holden Shallotte

Columbus \V. A. Thompson Hallsboro

Columbus Miss Sally Horton Whiteville