Caucus Info: Thurs, Jan 8

Caucus Rules of Procedure

Rules of Procedure – Farmington Democratic Town Committee Caucus
Town of Farmington
Date: January, 8, 2026. Location: Farmington Community Center

I. Authority
This caucus shall be conducted in accordance with state election law, the Rules of the Democratic Party, the Bylaws of the Farmington Democratic Town Committee, and Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. In the event of a conflict, state election law and party rules shall control.

II. Chair and Secretary
The caucus shall be presided over by a Caucus Chair, who shall maintain order and rule on all procedural matters. A Caucus Secretary shall record nominations, votes, and results.

III. Eligibility Participation is limited to registered Democrats in the municipality who are properly checked in. Eligible participants may nominate, speak, and vote.

IV. Quorum
Those eligible party members present at the scheduled start time shall constitute a quorum.

V. Agenda
The caucus shall proceed in the following order: Call to Order; Adoption of Rules; Nominations; Voting; Announcement of Results; Adjournment.

VI. Seats to Be Filled
The caucus shall endorse candidates to fill 25 seats in District 1 and 25 seats in District 2. Nominations and voting shall be conducted separately by district. No voter may vote for more candidates than the number of seats available in the district for which the vote is being taken.

VII. Nominations
Nominations shall be taken from the floor and may be made by slate or by individual nomination. A second is not required. All floor nominations must be recognized. Nominations may be closed only by motion, second, and majority vote.

VIII. Voting
Voting shall be conducted by voice vote. If the result is unclear, the Chair may require a show of hands. Each voter may vote for no more than 25 candidates per district.

IX. Candidate Identification
When the number of nominees exceeds the number of available seats, the Chair may permit brief candidate introductions for identification purposes only, subject to reasonable time limits. Debate, advocacy for or against any nominee, and questions from the floor shall not be permitted.

X. Results
Candidates receiving a majority of votes, up to the number of available seats per district, shall be endorsed. Results shall be announced publicly.

XI. Challenges
Any participant may raise a Point of Order. The Chair’s ruling shall stand unless overturned by a majority vote.

XII. Conduct
All remarks shall be addressed to the Chair. Disruptive behavior is prohibited.

XIII. Adjournment
The caucus shall adjourn upon completion of its business by declaration of the Chair or by majority vote.

Adopted by the Democratic Caucus on ________

Caucus Chair Caucus Secretary

Recommended Nominees

In the interest of transparency, the Nominating Committee of the FDTC is sharing our list of recommended nominees for the Town Committee, along with a letter detailing our process. Please see both below:

Letter to Members of the Democratic Party of the Town of Farmington Regarding the
Recommended Slate

As the Nominating Committee for the Farmington Democratic Town Committee, our responsibility is to recruit, evaluate, and recommend members to the town committee and to appointed and elected boards. We take this role seriously and spent many hours reviewing applications, meeting with candidates, and discussing the merits of each individual. For the upcoming caucus, we want to briefly outline how we approached building the recommended
slate for the Farmington Democratic Town Committee.

We were fortunate to have strong interest and a deep pool of qualified candidates. In developing the slate, our goal was not only to fill seats, but to position the committee for continued success following historic municipal election cycle.

Our discussions focused on identifying individuals who:
• Demonstrate a commitment to public service and local civic engagement
• Understand that serving on boards and commissions requires an even-tempered, respectful, and inclusive
approach when interacting with the public
• Align with the core values of the Farmington Democratic Town Committee: accountability, community, and
transparency
• Are prepared to be active, reliable members of the committee—participating in meetings, supporting endorsed
slates, contributing financially when able, and volunteering during campaign season

We also considered balance across experience levels, institutional knowledge, and future leadership development, recognizing the importance of building a sustainable bench for upcoming cycles.

In several cases, we had more qualified candidates than available seats. These decisions were not a reflection of a lack of merit, but rather the practical limits of committee size and the need to recommend a cohesive slate at this time.

To support continued engagement and smooth transitions, the committee has established an honorary, non-voting membership category. This designation may be used both for new individuals seeking to become more familiar with the committee’s work and for current members who are preparing to transition out of full voting roles. Honorary members may participate in meetings and discussions, while recognizing the practical limits on voting membership.

We appreciate the time, thoughtfulness, and care that went into these conversations, and we are grateful to everyone who expressed interest in serving. The Nominating Committee was charged with making recommendations based on the needs of the committee as a whole and the long- term strength of the party. While not every qualified individual could be included on the slate at this time, these recommendations reflect the committee’s best judgment following a thorough and deliberative process.

— Nominating Committee
Farmington Democratic Town Committee

Rafeena Bacchus Lee
Mike Demicco
Liz Gemski
Matt Hutvagner
Mary Jane Parlow
Zalman Nakhimovsky
Bruce Polsky
John Vibert
Dave Wlodkowski

Recommended slate: