Vetting Policy
Objective
For races that impact Montgomery County, decide which candidate and/or issues, if any, warrants MCTP support based on vetting criteria developed by the committee.
Structure of Vetting Committee
The MCTP Vetting Committee Chair is appointed by the MCTP President. The Chair appoints and guides team leads, where needed. Team leads develop committee members.
Selection of Vetting Committee
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Must agree with all MCTP core principles and must be a current dues-paid MCTP member, as outlined in the bylaws.
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Must commit to the time and reading requirements of the committee.
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Minimum of 3 team members/alternates required to vet a race.
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Cannot be a candidate or the spouse, child, parent or in-law campaign manager, treasurer, or other staff; this only applies to the individual race where there is a specific conflict.
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Must be registered voter in Montgomery County.
Endorsement Levels
The MCTP vetting committee may vet individuals who have filed, or expressed an intention to file, for a federal, state, local, or party elected position.
Each candidate will be graded by the committee individually, on a standard scoring system of Zero to 100 (100 being highest) and then averaged to determine the final score.
Those who refuse to interview incur an automatic 25 point deduction and if the questionnaire is not answered, that too is a 25 point deduction.
MCTP endorsement requires a minimum average grade of 80 on the above scoring system and agreement from at least 75% of the vetting committee to endorse.
Questionnaire Guidelines for Candidate
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Background
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Qualifications
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Character
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Knowledge
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Alignment with MCTP’s mission and core values
Endorsement Guidelines
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The vetting committee will present, at the next regular MCTP meeting, their assessment (see Endorse), with pros and cons.
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MCTP voting members will vote to make vetting committee results public or not, on each vetted race. Members must be present at the meeting to vote.
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For each race vetted, 60% or more of MCTP voting members in attendance must approve the communication of the vetting results to the public.
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Post-endorsement CHANGES will be done on a case-by-case basis by the Vetting Committee as new information becomes available and after MCTP voting members vote to make the update public.
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MCTP vetting results will be announced via e-mail blast, social media (Facebook, Twitter, Next Door, etc.), and the MCTP website by the MCTP President immediately after the membership vote.