— Endorsement Procedure

Check this document for any updates.

Candidate Campaign General Policy

When a Bloomington IN DSA member is a candidate campaigning for election, these are the campaign-related things they can do in the chapter without seeking endorsement:

1. The candidate can make these limited Campaign-related Discord posts:
   1. a post to announce their candidacy
   2. a reminder to vote for them before the primary
   3. a reminder to vote for them before the general election
   4. 1 volunteer callout post per month, to invite members to volunteer at campaign events
      1. The candidate must coordinate the volunteers using their own resources, and should not use Bloomington IN DSA’s Discord for coordinating volunteer activities
      2. Any volunteering by Bloomington IN DSA members is considered to be done outside of Bloomington IN DSA chapter activities, and will not be officially promoted by Bloomington IN DSA.
         
      3. If Bloomington IN DSA members happen to volunteer for the candidate’s campaign, the candidate cannot thank “Bloomington IN DSA for volunteering” or make it seem like the volunteering is an official Bloomington IN DSA chapter activity. (Because this could be misinterpreted as an endorsement).

2. The candidate can fill out the Questionnaire and do Q&A with members:
   1. The candidate fills out the Questionnaire
   2. The candidate can make up to 3 Discord posts announcing the time/date of the Q&A session, including a link to their Questionnaire response so members can review ahead of time.
   3. The candidate does a 1-hour Q&A session to talk with members and answer questions.
      1. It can be in-person, and/or virtual via the Discord Meetings channel
      2. The Q&A session will not be posted as a chapter event (to avoid the appearance of endorsement by the chapter)
   4. The candidate should also invite members to directly message with their questions, to avoid taking up the main Discord channels

3. Social Media
   1. The candidate can repost Bloomington IN DSA social media posts

4. Claims related to membership:
   1. The candidate can say that they are a democratic socialist and member of Bloomington IN DSA in their speaking engagements, social media, website, campaign communication, and printed materials.
   2. The candidate can link to the bloomingtondsa.org website website in their social media, website, campaign communication, and printed materials.

5. What the Candidate CANNOT do:
   1. The candidate cannot claim to be endorsed by Bloomington IN DSA or make any wording that hints at an endorsement.
   2. The candidate cannot use Bloomington IN DSA logos in their campaign social media, website, campaign communication, and printed materials.

If the candidate wants to seek endorsement, please refer to the Endorsement Procedure.

Endorsement Procedure

1. The candidate must become a DSA member before starting the endorsement process.

2. The candidate must get this petition signed by 3% of members in good standing, or minimum of 5 people, whichever is higher. The candidate cannot sign their own petition.
   1. The petition must be submitted at least 2 months before the election.
   2. Petitions must include language “By signing this, I commit to contributing an average of 4 hours/month to this campaign” .
   3. At least 2 members who sign the petition must also check a box with the following language “I commit to leading the working group and being the point person for the candidate”

3. Questionnaire: the candidate submits this questionnaire.
   1. Filling out and submitting the questionnaire can be started at any time, before the petition is submitted.

4. Once the petition has enough signatures, the candidate submits the petition to the Executive Committee.
   1. The petition must be submitted at least 2 months before the election.

5. The Executive Committee sends the candidate’s completed Questionnaire to all members in good standing to review, via direct email (not Action Network) and Discord, at least 2 weeks before the Candidate Interview at the Chapter Meeting.

6. At the same time the completed Questionnaire is sent for members to review, members are invited to submit questions to the candidate:
   1. A Discord channel or thread will be set up so members can submit questions.
      1. The candidate can reply directly in Discord.
   2. Members can submit questions via email to [email protected].
   3. The Executive Committee will collect the questions and answers in a Q&A document.
      1. The candidate is allowed to write answers in the Q&A document.

7. The Executive Committee will share the final Q&A Document with members in good standing via direct email (not Action Network) and Discord, at least 2 days before the Chapter Meeting when the candidate plans to do their Candidate Interview.

8. Meanwhile, 30 minutes of a Planning Meeting will be reserved for doing a review of the candidate’s social media and online history.
   1. The outcome may be nothing of note was found, or it may generate some questions.
   2. The outcome and any questions will be stated at the Candidate Interview.

9. Candidate Interview: this is up to 1 hour at a Chapter Meeting.
   1. First the candidate presents their platform.
   2. The outcome and any questions from the online history review will be stated.
   3. The questions submitted in person and the livestream chat will be presented, along with any questions in the Q&A document that haven’t already been answered by the candidate.
   4. All of the questions and answers will be collected in the Q&A document.

10. Endorsement Vote opens immediately after the Candidate Interview.
1. The vote link will be sent out to all members in good standing.
2. The link will be sent via email (not Action Network) or via text message if the member did not provide an email address. Online voting software may be used.
3. Voting will be open for 1 week.
4. A reminder may be posted on Discord before the vote ends.
5. A candidate must receive at least 60% of votes on a ranked “Single Transferable Vote” (STV) ballot — defeating any competing candidates as well as “No Endorsement”

11. After a candidate is endorsed:
1. The Candidate Working Group will be formed by the members who signed the petition.

12. Here is a list of what the chapter will provide the endorsed candidate:
1. Contribute volunteer effort:
   1. This includes the volunteer hours committed by the petition-signers.
   2. The petition-signers who volunteered to lead the Candidate Working Group are responsible for communicating with the candidate to pick volunteer dates, and organizing the other volunteers.
   3. The Candidate Working Group members are allowed to post about volunteer events on Discord to encourage other members to volunteer.
2. At each Chapter Meeting, the Candidate Working Group is allowed to promote their campaign volunteer events and give an update on their work, and invite other members to volunteer.
3. The Candidate or Candidate Working Group can make up to 3 announcements in Discord:
   1. 1 announcement for the candidate’s endorsement
   2. 1 announcement to encourage voting for the candidate in the primary
   3. 1 announcement to encourage voting for the candidate in the general election.
4. The Communications Director will post on social media (but not paid social media advertising):
   1. Between 1-3 posts on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms at times deemed strategic by the candidate’s campaign in coordination with Bloomington DSA.
5. Candidate Use of the Bloomington DSA logo, name, or any associated imagery:
   1. The candidate may repost or cross-post with Bloomington DSA social media posts.
   2. The candidate may say “endorsed by Bloomington DSA” in the candidate’s social media posts, at events, and on their own website, and on their own printed material.
   3. The candidate may use Bloomington DSA’s logo, name, or any other associated imagery with the specific approval of all materials by Bloomington DSA.
   4. Bloomington DSA retains the rights to the content it has produced for the campaign as well as any content produced by the candidate that features the Bloomington DSA logo, members, or other content produced in service of the campaign. The campaign may not re-use that content without the permission of Bloomington DSA.

13. What Bloomington IN DSA expects of a candidate who is endorsed and wins the election:
1. Continue membership with Bloomington IN DSA
2. Work to build a socialist caucus in the relevant body they are elected to, if multiple endorsed DSA members are elected to the same body.
3. Endorsed candidates shall attend Chapter Meetings at least quarterly.
   1. Once per quarter, the endorsed candidate will present about their experiences in office, any relevant upcoming issues where members can contribute public comments, and key votes taken in office.

14. What the chapter does not offer an endorsed candidate:
1. In-kind contributions, monetary donations, and use of the chapter’s ‘valued resources’ are not allowed by this current endorsement procedure.
2. The chapter cannot promote the candidate on a website that has a paid domain (this includes bloomingtondsa.org), or paid social media.
3. The chapter cannot pay for volunteer snacks or reimburse for gas.
4. The chapter cannot use our Action Network account or the entire membership list to send communications related to the candidate’s campaign.
5. This is based on the DSA National Chapter Electoral Compliance Memo.
6. The chapter will need to do compliance training to understand electoral campaign laws, before changing this.

Petition Form

Download the petition here.

Questionnaire

Please fill out this Google Form to submit your Questionnaire. Other formats will not be accepted.

Candidate Details:

1. Name:
2. Pronouns:
3. Seat Declaring Candidacy For:
1. If incumbent, please list how long you have held the seat for:
4. Campaign Related Email Address:
5. Link to Candidate Website (if exists):
6. Link to Official Office Website (if in office):
7. Please list all of the following if applicable:
1. Previous elected offices you have held and the years in office?
2. Any other elections in which you have run as a candidate, and in which years?
8. Occupation (how do you sell your labor to avoid poverty?):
9. Are you in a Union? If so, name and local?:
10. Are you a DSA Member? If so, how long have you been a member?:

Campaign

1. What endorsements have you received so far? What do you see as your path to victory?
2. Do you commit to not to take any campaign contributions from real estate developers, big landlords and corporate lobbyists? (Y/N)
3. Do you commit to rejecting any political endorsement or campaign contributions by labor groups whose mission is primarily to organize and represent police officers? (Y/N)
4. Will you endorse other candidates that Bloomington IN DSA democratically votes to endorse? (Y/N)

Socialism

1. Will you publicly identify as a democratic socialist in your campaign? (Y/N)
2. Will you urge supporters to join DSA to help build an alternative to politics as usual? (Y/N)
3. Will you critique the corporate influence in democratic politics in your campaign? (Y/N)
4. Describe your plan for engaging with multiracial, working-class communities and give working people the opportunity to weigh in on policy decisions and direction:
5. Describe a specific policy you want to implement, to build power for the working class:
6. What does Democratic Socialism mean to you:

Social Housing (BDSA 2025 Chapter Priority)

1. Do you support an immediate halt to encampment sweeps and fully funding a housing first approach to end homelessness? (Y/N)
2. Do you support the preservation of public housing and expansion by building thousands of additional public housing units over 10 years? (Y/N)
3. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to prevent capitalist speculation and profiteering of housing:
4. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to improve housing affordability:

Protecting Rights and Freedoms

1. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to rectify the legacy of white supremacy, provide reparations for Black and Indigenous communities, and dismantle the structures which enable it:
2. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to aid and protect people with disabilities:
3. What will you do to support LGBTQ+ rights and fight discrimination, violence, and oppression against LGBTQ+ people, especially as it relates to the trans community?

Support for Immigrants

1. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to support immigrants, both documented and undocumented, and their families:

Palestine Solidarity

1. Have you publicly called for an immediate ceasefire and arms embargo in response to the genocidal actions taken by the state of Israel? (Y/N)
2. Do you support Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) for companies complicit in the genocide in Palestine? (Y/N)
3. Do you oppose efforts that penalize/criminalize people that boycott Israel, and the use of force against protesters? (Y/N)
4. Do you pledge to refrain from any and all affiliation with the Israeli government or Zionist lobby groups? (Y/N)

Police & Incarceration

1. Do you support efforts to demilitarize police forces? (Y/N)
2. Do you oppose increases to the current police budget? (Y/N)
3. Do you oppose the jail expansion/new jail? (Y/N)
4. Describe a specific policy you want to implement that would expand public safety alternatives to police departments, such as unarmed traffic enforcement or restorative programs:
5. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to reduce mass incarceration:

Ending the Military-Industrial Complex

1. Do you oppose publicly-funded economic incentives for companies involved in military technology, surveillance, and defense contracts? (Y/N)
2. Will you work to cancel the city’s contracts with surveillance companies? (Y/N)
3. Describe a specific policy you want to implement to protect our citizens from surveillance, or to prevent public funding from going to the military-industrial complex: