The following rules shall govern credentials challenges at County, Senatorial District, and State Conventions:
1. Any Democrat may challenge any Delegate or Alternate, or any group of Delegates and/or Alternates certified to any Convention, provided the challenger and the challenged parties reside in the same county (or senatorial district) whose Convention elected the challenged Delegate(s) or Alternate(s). In the case of the County or Senatorial District Convention, the challenger shall deliver the copy of the challenge to the County or Senatorial District Chair and to the challenged Delegate(s) or Alternate(s) at least 3 days before the date of the Convention. In the case of a State Convention, the challenger shall deliver a copy of the challenge to the State Chair and to the challenged Delegate(s) or Alternate(s) within 16 days after the date of the County and Senatorial District Conventions.
2. Delegations, Delegates, or Alternates may be challenged for allegations of violations of these Party Rules.
3. The challenge shall be in writing and shall include the name and address of the Delegate(s) or Alternate(s) challenged and the precise grounds on which the challenge is based.
4. The State Chair shall send all challenges to the Chair of the Temporary Credentials Committee of the State Convention and to the Delegates or Alternates who are challenged. This shall be done as soon as possible after the challenges are received at the State Party Headquarters.
5. The Chairs of the Permanent Committee on Credentials of County and Senatorial District Conventions and the Chair of the Temporary Credentials Committee of the State Convention shall convene their respective Committees at the site of the Convention in question at least 24 hours before the time when the Convention is to meet.
6. The Credentials Committee of any Convention shall consider any statements from the challenger, from the Delegates or Alternates being challenged, and from any other person who wishes to testify on the challenge. In hearing a challenge, the Credentials Committee may allot a period of time within which the challenger and the challenged shall be granted equal time to make their statements.
7. In the case of a challenge, the Credentials Committee shall report to the Convention the names of the Delegates or Alternates whom the Committee believes are entitled to participate in the Convention. A minority of 20% of the Committee may present a minority report on any challenge to the Convention. When a number of challenges are to be resolved, the Credentials Committee shall report on each in alphabetical or numerical order by county or by precinct in which the Delegates or Alternates being challenged reside.
8. The Convention shall vote separately on each challenge presented as part of the report of the Credentials Committee. The report of the Credentials Committee on each challenge must be approved by a majority vote of the Convention before a Delegate or Alternate being challenged may participate further in the Convention. No challenged Delegate or Alternate may vote on the report of the Credentials Committee which involves the Delegate’s or Alternate’s respective challenge.