The Long Beach Democratic Club will be hosting its first round of 2024 endorsement meetings on January 10th and 11th. Candidates will be allowed to speak during a Zoom candidates forum on January 10th (time to be determined), and balloting will take place in person at the Long Beach Professional Firefighters Hall (2201 Cherry Avenue, Signal Hill, CA 90755) from 6-8 p.m. on January 11th. Attendance at the candidates forum is not required in order to vote on endorsements. Eligibility for voting on endorsements is discussed below.

Full endorsement process

Information for club members

Who can vote on club endorsements?

Members of the Long Beach Democratic Club who have paid their annual dues and attended at least three meetings over the past year may vote. Attendance at the December 16th joint social counts as two meetings. If you have questions regarding your eligibility, you may email your questions to [email protected].

How will voting take place?

Members in good standing will receive a physical ballot to submit, and a member of the executive board will check your credentials as a voting member. Officers will also ask you to verbally confirm that you are a Democrat.

Are proxy votes allowed?

Proxy votes are allowed ONLY to accommodate disability, illness (including compromised immunity) or childcare needs. Please note the Long Beach Professional Firefighters Hall is accessible to disabled individuals. If you have any questions or require accommodation due to a disability, illness or childcare needs, please email the [email protected] at least 24 hours prior to the January 11th endorsement vote.

Will there be a consent slate?

If only one Democrat is eligible for endorsement, the candidate will be added to the consent slate. A member in good standing with the club (paid dues and having attended three meetings) has the ability to pull the affirmation vote, in which case the candidate will be included on the ballot the following day and must reach the 60% threshold in order to be endorsed.

Will I be able to see the filled candidate questionnaires?

Yes, a link to the filled candidate questionnaires will be provided to you prior to the candidates forum. Printed versions of the questionnaires will not be provided.

Information for candidates

When are candidate questionnaires due and where do I submit it?

For races being considering in January, candidate questionnaires are due end-of-day on January 5, 2024. Filled endorsement questionnaires should be sent to [email protected].

How do I obtain a candidate questionnaire?

Candidate questionnaires can be accessed below.

• Congressional candidates (Endorsements to be made on January 11th)
• State candidates (Endorsements to be made on January 11th)
• County-level candidates (Endorsements to be on January 11th
• City candidates (Endorsements to be made on January 11th)
• Community College Board candidates (endorsement to be made later this year)
• School Board candidates (Endorsements to be made on January 11th)
• Judicial candidates (Endorsements to be made on January 11th)

How will the candidates forum be conducted?

The candidates forum will be conducted via Zoom on Wednesday, January 10th. Each race will be taken up separately, with all candidates in that race speaking at that time. Each candidate will be provided 3 minutes for an opening statement, as well as 1 minute to respond to questions from the audience. Rebuttals are limited to one minute, and rebuttals to rebuttals are limited to 15 seconds after which no further rebuttal on the matter may be entertained. Candidates are not allowed to rebut discussion from club members, but may answer clarifying questions. More detail is included in the endorsement process document.

Do candidates need to fill out a questionnaire and is there an endorsement fee?

Yes - except with the presidential race, candidates will need to fill out ans submit a questionnaire as well as pay a $50 endorsement fee (equivalent to the club's annual dues) in order to be considered. The endorsement fee can be paid at our ActBlue page.

How will candidates be notified of endorsements?

Candidates will be emailed the following day indicating whether they were endorsed or not. Additionally, the club will publicize its endorsements through its social media channels.