Political parties.

(1) Each political party of the state shall be represented by a state executive committee. County executive committees and other committees may be established in accordance with the rules of the state executive committee. A political party may provide for the selection of its national committee and its state and county executive committees in such manner as it deems proper. Unless otherwise provided by party rule, the county executive committee of each political party shall consist of at least two members, a man and a woman, from each precinct, who shall be called the precinct committeeman and committeewoman. For counties divided into 40 or more precincts, the state executive committee may adopt a district unit of representation for such county executive committees. Upon adoption of a district unit of representation, the state executive committee shall request the supervisor of elections of that county, with approval of the board of county commissioners, to provide for election districts as nearly equal in number of registered voters as possible. Each county committeeman or committeewoman shall be a resident of the precinct from which he or she is elected. Each state committeeman or committeewoman must be a member in good standing of the county executive committee for the county in which the state committeeman or committeewoman is a registered voter.

(2) The state executive committee of a political party may by resolution provide a method of election of national committeemen and national committeewomen and of nomination of presidential electors, if such party is entitled to a place on the ballot as otherwise provided for presidential electors, and may provide also for the election of delegates and alternates to national conventions.

(3) The state executive committee of each political party shall file with the Department of State the names and addresses of its chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, and members and shall file a copy of its constitution, bylaws, and rules and regulations with the Department of State. Each county executive committee shall file with the state executive committee and with the supervisor of elections the names and addresses of its officers and members.

(4) Any political party other than a minor political party may by rule provide for the membership of its state or county executive committee to be elected for 4-year terms at the primary election in each year a presidential election is held. The terms commence on the first day of the month following each presidential general election; but the names of candidates for political party offices may not be placed on the ballot at any other election. The results of such election are determined by a plurality of the votes cast. In such event, electors seeking to qualify for such office shall do so with the Department of State or supervisor of elections not earlier than noon of the 71st day, or later than noon of the 67th day, preceding the primary election. A qualifying office may accept and hold qualifying papers submitted not earlier than 14 days before the beginning of the qualifying period, to be processed and filed during the qualifying period. The outgoing chair of each county executive committee shall, within 30 days after the committee members take office, hold an organizational meeting of all newly elected members for the purpose of electing officers. The chair of each state executive committee shall, within 60 days after the committee members take office, hold an organizational meeting of all newly elected members for the purpose of electing officers.

(5) In the event no county committeeman or committeewoman is elected, or a vacancy occurs from any other cause in any county executive committee, the county chair shall call a meeting of the county executive committee by due notice to all members, and the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of those present at a meeting at which a quorum is present. Such vacancy shall be filled by a qualified member of the political party residing in the district where the vacancy occurred and for the unexpired portion of the term.

(6)(a) In addition to the members provided for in subsection (1), each county executive committee shall include all members of the Legislature who are residents of the county and members of their respective political party and who shall be known as at-large committeemen and committeewomen.

(b) Each state executive committee shall include, as at-large committeemen and committeewomen, all members of the United States Congress representing the State of Florida who are members of the political party, all statewide elected officials who are members of the party, 10 Florida registered voters who are members of the party as appointed by the Governor if the Governor is a member of the party, and the President of the Senate or the Minority Leader in the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, whichever is a member of the political party, and 20 members of the Legislature who are members of the political party. Ten of the legislators shall be appointed with the concurrence of the state chair of the respective party, as follows: five to be appointed by the President of the Senate; five by the Minority Leader in the Senate; five by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; and five by the Minority Leader in the House.

(c) When a political party allows any member of the state executive committee to have more than one vote per person, other than by proxy, in a matter coming before the state executive committee, the 20 members of the Legislature appointed under paragraph (b) shall not be appointed to the state executive committee and the following elected officials who are members of that political party shall be appointed and shall have the following votes:

1. Governor: a number equal to 15 percent of votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

2. Lieutenant Governor: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

3. Each member of the United States Senate representing the state: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

4. Attorney General: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

5. Chief Financial Officer: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

6. Commissioner of Agriculture: a number equal to 5 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

7. President of the Senate: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

8. Minority leader of the Senate: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

9. Speaker of the House of Representatives: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen;

10. Minority leader of the House of Representatives: a number equal to 10 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen; and

11. Each member of the United States House of Representatives representing the state: a number equal to 1 percent of the votes cast by state executive committeemen and committeewomen.

(d)1. The governing body of each state executive committee as defined by party rule shall include as at-large committeemen and committeewomen all statewide elected officials who are members of such political party; up to four members of the United States Congress representing the state who are members of such political party and who shall be appointed by the state chair on the basis of geographic representation; the permanent presiding officer selected by the members of each house of the Legislature who are members of such political party; and the minority leader selected by the members of each house of the Legislature who are members of such political party.

2. All members of the governing body shall have one vote per person.

(7) Members of the state executive committee or governing body may vote by proxy.

(8) The conducting of official business in connection with one’s public office constitutes good and sufficient reason for failure to attend county or state executive committee meetings or a meeting of the governing body.