Credentials Timeline 2023-2024

This timeline in based upon a August 17, 2024 convention date. It includes a timeline for all credentials-related dates, as well as the dates for the elections of various Convention officials as required in the GPUS Rules of the Presidential Nominating Convention. Once the 2024 Presidential Nominating Convention date is set, this calendar should be amended as necessary to reflect a different date.

Credentials Timeline 2023-2024 – Table of Contents (with further details for each action below)

(1) April to July 2023: Election of GPUS Credentials Committee for 2020 Presidential Nomination Convention (Steering Committee coordinates election)
(2) April to May 2023: Selection of Steering Committee Liaison to the Credentials Committee (Steering Committee internal decision)
(3) May 2023: Publish a “Call for Applications for Delegate Credentials (Credentials Committee generates outreach)
(4) May 2023 and/or August 2023: Hold a joint meeting between the Credentials Committee and Steering Committee (could be scheduled before or after new Steering Committee members are elected at 2023 ANM)
(5) Summer 2023: Publish a Call for Delegate Selection Plan (Credentials Committee generates outreach)
(6) Summer 2023: Credentials Committee workshop held at 2023 Annual National Meeting, on what state parties and caucuses need to do to fulfill the 2024 credentials process (Credentials Committee organizes)
(7) January 2024: Opening of period for State parties and caucuses to report their delegates (State Parties and Caucuses report to Credentials Committee)
(8) April 19, 2024 (PNC-120): Delegate Selection Plan submission deadline (State Parties and Caucuses report to Credentials Committee) 75 DAY EXTENSION GRANTED TO ALL STATES AND CAUCUSES
(9) June 18, 2024 (PNC-60) Election of Honorary Co-Chairs, as per Presidential Convention Rules (Steering Committee coordinates election by National Committee)
(10) June 18, 2024 (PNC-60) Election of Elections Administrator, as per Presidential Convention Rules (Steering Committee coordinates election by National Committee)
(11) June 18, 2024 (PNC-60) Election of Co-Facilitators for Report of the Credentials Committee adoption, as per Presidential Convention Rules (Steering Committee coordinates election by National Committee)
(12) July 3, 2024 (PNC-45) Deadline for State parties and caucuses report their delegates (State Parties and Caucuses report to Credentials Committee)
(13) Winter 2025: Publication of Credentials Committee Report (Credentials Committee generates)
(14) Summer 2025: Credentials Committee presentation at 2021 post-convention debriefing at Annual National Meeting (Credentials Committee presents)
(15) August 2025: End of Credentials Committee term

Credentials Timeline 2023-2024

(1) April to July 2023: Election of GPUS Credentials Committee for 2020 Presidential Nomination Convention

March 2023 – GPUS Secretary publishes Call for Nominations. The Credentials Committee shall consist of not more than fifteen members. The Call includes Mission of Committee and eligibility criteria. Nominations accepted. Nomination period closes. Steering Committee publishes election of Committee members for National Committee discussion and election. The 2019-2020 Credentials Committee shall prepare a Draft Call before disbanding.

April 2023 – National Committee elects Credentials Committee members. Secretary notifies GPUS Webmaster and/or whomever else is necessary of who was elected, so they can be added to the Credentials Committee email list.

April to May 2023: Credentials Committee holds first meeting; members of the 2019-2020 Credentials Committee are invited to attend to offer insights and answer questions about previous credentials process.

June 2023 – If not all 15 seats were filled in the April 2023 election, the steps in publishing a Call for Nominations from March 2023 shall be repeated, with as many seats open for election as there are vacancies.

July 2023 – National Committee elects additional Credentials Committee members.

Reference: Credentials Committee Rules, Policies and Procedures: Section 2-1 Committee Members

2-1.1 The Credentials Committee shall consist of not more than fifteen members.

2-1.2 No more than two members of the committee shall be from any one state. Members of the National Committee, in the election of the Credentials Committee, are urged to give preference to maximizing the number of states participating in the work of the Credentials Committee.

Reference: Credentials Committee Rules, Policies and Procedures: Election of Credentials Committee – Section 2-3 Election Procedure

2-3.2 Beginning in 2011 and for subsequent Presidential nominating cycles, elections for committee member shall be held in April of the year preceding the Presidential Nominating Convention. If all seats are not filled in the first election, a second election to fill the remaining seats shall be held three months later. If all seats are not filled by the second election, the committee shall proceed to function with as many members as have been elected, except that subsequent elections to fill vacancies may be conducted as herein provided.

(2) April to May 2023: Steering Committee chooses Steering Committee Liaison to the Credentials Committee.

The Steering Committee Liaison will ensure that the most up-to-date contact list for State Green Parties and Identity Caucuses is available for Credentials Committee use.

(3) May 2023: Credentials Committee publishes “Call for Applications for Delegate Credentials”

The Credentials Committee shall publish a Call for Applications for Delegate Credentials to the National Committee Votes List, and to official contacts for State Green Parties and Identity Caucuses.

Before then, the Credentials Committee from 2019-2020, working with the GPUS Webmaster, will have created a web-based form for the application to be filled out. In some cases the form will require information to be submitted in the form of links to that information on the website of the State Green Parties and Identity Caucus, and to a link to the section of a relevant state elections code. This will be discussed as the Credentials Committee presentation at the 2023 Annual National Meeting.

Reference: Convention Rules Section 4-3 Delegate Credential Applications – Timing and Receipt of Submission: http://gpus.org/convention-rules/#04-03.

4-3.1 The Credentials Committee shall publish a “Call for Applications for Delegate Credentials” not later than four weeks after the committee has been elected.

(4) Summer 2023: Credentials Committee publishes Call for Delegate Selection Plan

Credentials Committee shall publish a Call for Delegate Selection Plans to the National Committee Votes List, and to official contacts for State Green Parties and Identity Caucuses.

The Delegate Selection Plan must be submitted in the form of a link to that information on the website of the State Green Parties and Identity Caucus. This will be a administrative change from past practice. Why is a change being made?

Previously the Delegate Selection Plan was submitted as some kind of document, requiring the Credentials Committee to process and upload these documents onto the Credentials Committee website in order to create a link to use in the Credentials Committee Status Report page. Going forward, it will be the responsibility of the State Green Party or Identity Caucus to host the document on its own website and submit it in the form of a link to that website. This increases transparency of the process, by making the Delegate Selection Plan available on the website of the State Green Party or Identity Caucus; and it greatly reduces the Credentials Committee workload by not having to process over 50 such documents for all state parties and caucuses. This will be discussed further at the Credentials Committee presentation at the 2023 Annual National Meeting.

Reference: Convention Rules: Delegation Plans for Selection and Instruction of Delegates

2-7.1 Deadline for Submission of Delegate Plans
2-7.1(a) At least 120 days prior to the convening of each Presidential Nominating Convention, each state’s Green Party shall submit to the Credentials Committee, a Delegate Plan for selecting and instructing its delegation. The Credentials Committee shall post a copy of each Delegate Plan on its web site.
2-7.3 Change to Delegate Plans
2-7.3(a) After its Delegate Plan has been submitted to the Credential Committee, no change to the rules used by a state Green Party for selecting or instructing its delegation shall be binding unless the state Green Party submits within thirty days of such change to the Credentials Committee a supplementary report describing those amendments.

(5) Summer 2023: Credentials Committee presents workshop at 2023 Annual National Meeting on what state parties and caucuses need to do to fulfill the 2024 credentials process

The Credentials Committee will explain the timeline, the requirements and how to meet them of the 2023-2024 credentials process. This will include each state party or caucuses designating an agent or representative who will handle correspondence, and which documents need to be hosted on the state party and/or caucus web sites.

(6) May 2023 and/or August 2023: Joint meeting between Credentials Committee and Steering Committee

This meeting could be scheduled before or after new Steering Committee members are elected at 2023 Annual National Meeting.

(7) January, 2024: Opening of period for State parties and caucuses to report their delegates (State Parties and Caucuses report to Credentials Committee)

The period for State parties and caucuses to report their delegates to the Credentials Committee begins as early as State Green Parties and Identity Caucuses begin to select their delegates. Based upon past experience, no delegates have been selected before January of the election year.

Reporting of delegate selections shall be within 14 days of the selection.

Reference: Delegation Plans for Selection and Instruction of Delegates 2-8

Section 2-8 Reporting the Results of the Delegate Selection Process

2-8.1 Not later than 14 days following any action to fill seats on a state Green Party’s convention delegation, a state party shall file with the Credentials Committee the results of its delegate selection process, including vote totals and the proportion of support enjoyed by each candidate seeking the nomination of the party, as well as a list of delegates and alternates and an explanation of how each has been instructed to vote in the first round of voting in the convention’s Presidential Nominating process.

2-8.2 A state-by-state summary of delegate pledges shall be made public on the web site of the Credential Committee in a timely manner.

4-3.3 Delegate Credential Applications must be submitted prior to the application deadline, unless granted an extension by the Credential Committee. Accredited Caucuses or state Green Parties that anticipate submitting their Delegate Credential Application after the deadline are encouraged to seek an extension before the deadline and as early as possible.

4-3.4 The deadline for postmarking a credentials application to be considered prior to the convention shall be forty-five days prior to the convening of the Presidential Nominating Convention, and not later than thirty days later than the delegation has been named.

(8) April 19, 2024: Delegate Selection Plan submission deadline

At least 120 days before the Convention, State Parties and Identity Caucuses submit their Delegate Selection Plan to the Credentials Committee. This provides transparency of the delegate selection process.

75 DAY EXTENSION GRANTED TO ALL STATES AND CAUCUSES

Reference: Convention Rules: Delegation Plans for Selection and Instruction of Delegates 2-7

(9) June 18, 2024 (PNC-60) Presidential Convention Rules – Election of Honorary Co-Chairs

Reference: Convention Rules 5-2: Section 5-2 Honorary Co-Chairs

5-2.1 Gender-balanced, Honorary Co-Chairs shall be nominated by the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States, and submitted for confirmation by the Green National Committee at least 60 days prior to the Convention. If the Honorary Co-Chairs nominated by the Steering Committee are not approved, then the Steering Committee shall continue to submit nominations to the Green National Committee until they are approved.

(10) June 18, 2024 (PNC-60) Presidential Convention Rules – Election of Elections Administrator

Reference: Convention Rules 5-3: Section 5-3 Election Administrator

5-3.1 An Election Administrator shall be nominated by the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States, and submitted for confirmation by the Green National Committee at least 60 days prior to the Convention. If the Election Administrator nominated by the Steering Committee is not approved, then the Steering Committee shall continue to submit nominations to the Green National Committee until one is approved.

(11) June 18, 2024 (PNC-60) Presidential Convention Rules – Election of Co-Facilitators for Report of the Credentials Committee adoption

Reference: Convention Rules 5-7-3: Election of Co-Facilitators for Report of the Credentials Committee adoption

5-7-3 Gender-balanced Co-facilitators shall be nominated by the Steering Committee of the Green Party of the United States to co-facilitate the decision-making process for adopting the Report of the Credentials Committee, and submitted for confirmation by the Green National Committee at least 60 days prior to the Convention. If the Co-facilitators nominated by the Steering Committee are not approved, then the Steering Committee shall continue to submit nominations to the Green National Committee until Co facilitators are approved.

(12) July 3, 2024 (PNC-45) Deadline for State parties and caucuses to report their delegates (State Parties and Caucuses report to Credentials Committee)

The deadline for State Green Parties and Identity Caucuses to report their delegates will be July 3, 2024 – unless they are granted an extension as per below. In 2020, several state parties and caucuses did not select and report their delegates until the last two to three weeks before the Convention, creating a great deal of last-minute stress on the Credentials Committee. State parties and caucuses are strongly encouraged to schedule and report their delegate selections by the deadline – unless otherwise precluded from doing so by state law – and not seek an extension-by-design by scheduling their decision after the deadline.

(13) Winter 2025: Publication of Credentials Committee Report

Reference: Credentials Committee Rules, Policies and Procedures Article I. Credentials Committee

1-2.8 Within twelve months of adjournment of each Presidential Nominating Convention, filing a report to the National Committee, evaluating the credential process used and the lessons learned, and making recommendations to the National Committee on changes recommended for subsequent conventions.

(14) Summer 2025: Credentials Committee presents at post-convention debriefing

Reference: Proposal #697 Debriefing about GPUS Presidential Campaign

Be it resolved that the National Committee directs the Steering Committee to include in the agenda of the Annual National Meeting of each year after the presidential election, a debriefing session on the Green Party’s candidates and campaign, to include but not be limited to the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates, their campaign staff and volunteers, representatives of the GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee and Annual National Meeting Committees (to report on their roles during the process), Presidential Convention Honorary Co-chairs and the Convention Election Administrator (to report on their roles during the process) and other party members and individuals as may be relevant to ensure the breadth, depth and accuracy of such a debriefing/review.

(15) August 2025: End of Credentials Committee term

Reference: Credentials Committee Rules, Policies and Procedures Section 2-2 Term Length

2-2.1 Terms for committee members shall commence from the time of their election and continue until the release of the committee’s post-convention report, or twelve months after the convention, whichever comes sooner.