2025 Chapter & Caucus Chartering

Charter today and join over 100 chartered chapters and caucuses across the state!

This page and corresponding attachments include everything needed to successfully submit a charter for renewal or new membership with the California Young Democrats. Review the deadlines and requirements carefully. Do not hesitate to ask questions or request assistance - contact CYD VP of Membership Codi Vierra at cydvpm@gmail.com.

Introduction

California Young Democrats (CYD) is a youth-led statewide organization composed of local chapters and statewide caucuses. Membership with CYD provides automatic membership to the Young Democrats of America (YDA). Through this local-to-national model, Young Democrats from all parts of the state and country join together to advance progressive ideals, support common goals, and elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

Each year CYD requires new and existing chapters to submit documents verifying the existence of their chapter, its size, and its current officer list. Caucus must submit every two years.

Whether your chapter has chartered for years immemorial to your current membership, or you are one person, invigorated by the Blue Wave that swept our country in recent years, willing to find nine other people who want to make a difference, this packet is here to help you become an official member of the California Young Democrats.

Welcome Message

The California Young Democrats represent the youth arm of the California Democratic Party. We are the voice of the activists, leaders, the realists and the dreamers. We are the tip of the spear in the fight for social and economic justice and we stand in solidarity in the intersectional struggle to bring equity and justice to all.

Thanks to the efforts of Young Democrats across the state, we were able to organize and advocate through (and despite) a continuing pandemic and economic recovery, and we were able to successfully #StopTheRepublicanRecall. Now, we aim to keep California blue and continue our push to get Young Democrats elected everywhere in our state.

It's my sincere pleasure to welcome new and returning chapters and caucuses to the California Young Democrats. It is because of you that our organization is stronger than ever. We have fought, we have resisted, and we have enacted change in California. Let's keep moving forward!

Chartering Summary and Checklist

This section seeks to provide all the information necessary to charter your chapter, in compliance with Article IV of the CYD Bylaws (article citations are to CYD Bylaws). Hyperlinks connect to Google Docs formatted specifically for this chartering application. Chapters and caucuses are required to submit documents using provided templates regardless of what format your chapter or caucus maintains their information. 

Chartering your chapter with the California Young Democrats is the process of officially allying with other local chapters throughout the state. Approved charters receive representation on the CYD Statewide Leadership Committee and access to CYD events, resources and information. 

Members are also qualified to vote for and run for office in CYD and its caucuses at the annual State Convention. Votes at the State Convention are allotted according to Chapter membership numbers, per Article VI.

Chapter or Caucus Membership and Officer List

  1. Make a copy of the Google Sheet titled “Membership and Officer List Template” (but please don’t type on the template document itself).

  2. Enter information for each required column for each member. Only members with complete information will be counted.

  3. Review your document: Avoid duplicates, remove aged-out members, and ensure that all members have complete information.

  4. Name your final file with the following schema: ChapterName_Membership. (i.e. “SacramentoCountyYoungDems_Membership”

  5. Note: This year we are not asking for a separate officer list. There is a column in the membership template for you to include your officer titles.

Chapter or Caucus Bylaws

  1. Format the document as a Microsoft Word or PDF file. Example: SampleBylaws.

  2. Name the final bylaws file similarly to your membership list - ChapterName_Bylaws. (i.e. UCSantaBarbara_Bylaws)

Letters of Support (for new Caucuses only)

  1. Submit the required letters of support from Chapter Presidents or CYD Statewide Officers via email to chartering@cayoungdems.com.

Submitting Key Documents

The above documents must be submitted electronically via Google Form by 11:59pm on the day of the deadline. Early submissions are encouraged. Any applicant who submits their Charter Application prior to the deadline during the Open Chartering Period may submit a single revision prior to the deadline.

Chapter Chartering Form

Caucus Chartering Form

Chartering Requirements & Documents

All information requested here is required, no exceptions. Please follow the requested formatting guidelines and consider submitting your chartering application early. 

Requirements to Charter Summary 

  1. Must list at least ten unique members, not members of other CYD chapters. 

  2. All members listed must be between 13 and 35 years of age. 

  3. All members must be a registered Democrat or intend to register when eligible. 

  4. All chartering documents and fees must be timely submitted in the proper format. 

Chapter Membership and Officer List 

Provide an electronic list of all members in Excel or Google Sheets format:

  • Include: (1) Last name, (2) first name, (3) date of birth, (4) full address, (5) phone number, and (6) email address. There is also a separate column to provide officer titles for those applicable.

  • College and high school chapters must include (7) predicted graduation year. 

  • Each piece of data must be entered in a distinct column and row. 

  • NB: Individuals may hold multiple CYD chapter memberships, but may only charter with one chapter. Ask your members to pick a home/primary chapter and only include their name in your chartering application if you are sure your chapter is the only one claiming that individual as a member.

Chapter Bylaws 

Submit a current copy of your chapter bylaws (must be in Word, Google Doc, or PDF format). You can view sample bylaws here.

Verification & Final Credentials Assignment

The process outlined below explains what happens after you submit your chapter’s application. Credentials are assigned to chapters based on their submitted Chapter Membership List. As described under Chartering Requirements, only complete entries (with all required fields), meeting minimum requirements are tallied. Following this tally, a verification process is conducted to ensure the accuracy of the reported memberships. 

Preliminary Reporting 

Within one week after the close of the chartering period, the Credentials Committee will distribute an Unverified Preliminary Credentials Report to all pending chapter Presidents and the current State Leadership Committee. 

The report will include: 

  1. The name and location of each pending chapter 

  2. The total number of unverified members each chapter submitted 

  3. Information missing for each chapter’s charter 

Pending Chapters are allowed until to submit a single revision of their Chapter Membership List by 11:59 pm on the noticed post-chartering deadline. Note this revision is intended to correct small errors or missed details. No new memberships may be added. Revisions submitted with more members listed then the original Chapter Membership List will be rejected. 

Following verification, the Credentials Committee will distribute a Recommended Credentials Report to all pending chapter Presidents and the current Statewide Leadership Committee.

At the CYD State Convention or first State Leadership Committee (if there is no CYD State Convention that year), the Credentials Committee will approve each chapter’s membership. In years where there is a CYD State Convention, delegate votes are assigned based on the approved memberships of each chapter. This is completed at the beginning of the meeting, before any other business, including CYD Officer elections.

Membership Verification 

CYD will conduct a review of each chapter’s reported membership. Chapter officers should advise their members of this process to expedite its completion. Each chapter must have at least 10 percent of their membership verified. 

A three-step verification process is conducted:

  1. A random sampling of members is contacted: 

    1. A random 10% email sample from each pending chapter (if necessary followed by) 

    2. A random 10% phone sample (no duplication of list 1, and if necessary followed by) 

    3. A second random 10% phone sample (no duplication of list 1 and list 2) 

  2. Affirmative respondents from each sample are added (for a maximum of 10% of total membership) and multiplied by ten to determine the total membership from which the number of delegates are allocated.

  3. Individuals who appear on more than one chapter’s chartering forms will be contacted and asked to select a single chapter to charter with. That individual will be removed from all other chapters’ Chartering Applications. 

  4. Ex: Chapter A submits a membership list with 100 members. CYD would e-mail a random 10% of the members. Then CYD would make up to two rounds of phone calls to 10% of the members each time, if necessary. If 3 people responded yes to each sample, they would be added together for a total of 9, and the chapter would receive delegates commensurate with 90 members. 

Penalties 

Generally at issue: chapters whose reported membership list generate multiple negative responses during the verification process will have their membership list referred to the Credentials Committee for further review, with potential penalties at the discretion of the Committee. However, in no case will penalties be considered for chapters with fewer than 5 percent of negative responses during the verification process. 

NOTE: No refund of membership fees will be granted for any entries removed through the verification process. 

Convention Delegates Allocations for Voting 

As outlined in Article VI, voting rights are allocated to chapters based on their verified membership totals as follows: 

1 delegate for the 10 to 25 members
1 additional delegate for each 25 members thereafter. 

EXAMPLES:
A chapter verified with 15 members receives (1) delegate vote
A chapter verified with 49 members receives (1) delegate vote
A chapter verified with 50 members receives (2) delegate votes
A chapter verified with 110 members receives (4) delegate votes
A chapter verified with 327 members receives (13) delegate votes

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A chapter is eligible to be a member of the CYD if all of the following apply: Ten unique people are members; each member is between 13 and 35 years of age; and each member is a registered Democrat, or intends to register when eligible. A chapter/club is considered “chartered” if it holds a current charter granted by the California Young Democrats as approved by the Rules Committee.

  • Approved credentials allow each chapter a single vote on the CYD Statewide Leadership Committee and delegate votes proportional to membership at the CYD State Convention.

  • Any group of ten or more individuals age 13-35 may apply to the California Young Democrats to become a chartered chapter/club. Chartered chapters are autonomous and may operate in any manner that is not inconsistent with the CYD Bylaws.

  • Item descriptionThe simple answer is NO. Per CYD Bylaws, you must submit the full name, birth date, home address, phone number, and email address (and a predicted graduation year for high school and college chapters) of every member. If information is missing, you will have the chance to make one limited revision. Contact members with missing or invalid information before submitting your Charter Application. If a member does not possess an email address, we recommend directing them to the nearest public library that offers free access to the Internet to obtain a free email address with Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo. Most schools offer their students free email addresses as well.

  • No refunds of the chartering fee are offered.

  • Your charter application must be RECEIVED no later than 11:59 pm on the day of the deadline.

  • Each individual may be a member of multiple chapters, however, chapters must charter with unique members. If a member is active with multiple chapters, you should contact that member to determine which chapter they will want to charter with. Individuals who appear on multiple chartering lists will be contacted and asked to identify one (1) chapter to charter with. That individual will then be removed from the other chapter lists. This will count against those chapters’ verification totals.