Organizing a New Affiliate

Thank you for your interest in starting a new Libertarian Party affiliate in your area.  We encourage people to get together and work for liberty in their communities in whatever configuration makes sense: as an informal advocacy group or as an official affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Michigan.  Recognized affiliate status allows groups to nominate candidates to run under the Libertarian Party name in the counties where they are organized, so it is beneficial to have “official” status.

To organize a new Affiliate:

  1. Go to http://www.michiganlp.org/Shared%20Documents/Bylaws%20Of%20The%20Libertarian%20Party.aspx and read Article IV, Sections 1 and 2 of the LPM Bylaws.  These provisions describe how an affiliate is chartered.

  2. Decide which counties it makes sense for you to include in your affiliate, and select a name for your affiliate that reflects the geographical area it covers.  Go to http://www.michiganlp.org/Affiliate%20Pages/Affiliates.aspx to get an idea of the sorts of names affiliates are using.

  3. Prepare a set of bylaws for your affiliate, and meet with your principal activists (who are registered members in good standing of the LPM or the national LP) to adopt those bylaws.  FYI, attached are the affiliate bylaws for the Libertarian Party of West Michigan.  Feel free to adapt/change them for your organization.  Note that one of the LPM Bylaws requirements is that the affiliate affirms the LP Statement of Principles, so it is important to include that in your Bylaws.

  4. Hold an organizational meeting of activists and members.  If you need a list of LPM members in your area, we can provide the list shortly before you need to use it so it is up to date. Contact Emily Salvette, chair@mi.lp.org for this list.  At your meeting, have the activist/members sign a short letter addressed to the Libertarian Party of Michigan Executive Committee that says "Pursuant to Article IV, Sections 1 and 2 of the Libertarian Party of Michigan Bylaws, we request recognition as the affiliate for the following Counties:  [insert names of counties].  Attached are the Bylaws we have adopted for our organization."  Type or print the names of those signing under their signatures, so the LPM Secretary can check the database to make sure they are dues-paying members of the LPM or national LP.

  5. Submit the letter and your Bylaws to the LPM Secretary, Julie Mack, at secretary@mi.lp.org  by no later than the Wednesday before a scheduled LEC meeting, and you will be on the agenda for approval at that meeting.

  6. For more information on operating your local affiliate, go to http://www.michiganlp.org/Shared%20Documents/Resources.aspx  Some of this resource material is dated, so don't depend upon the addresses being correct, but much of it is good advice.  

We would be happy to arrange a speaker from the Libertarian Executive Committee at one of your meeting.  Please contact the State Chair, chair@mi.lp.org, to arrange that or if you have other questions.

Thank you!

Sample affiliate bylaws are at this link.