Tag: Transhuman Club

Transhuman Club Launch – U.S. Transhumanist Party Virtual Enlightenment Salon – July 3, 2022

Transhuman Club Launch – U.S. Transhumanist Party Virtual Enlightenment Salon – July 3, 2022

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Gennady Stolyarov II
Art Ramon Garcia, Jr.
Jason Geringer
David Shumaker
Anthony Nielsen

On July 3, 2022, this special Virtual Enlightenment Salon introduced the website of the Transhuman Club – the non-political affiliate organization of the U.S. Transhumanist Party.

The Transhuman Club website includes embedded Virtual Enlightenment Salon videos, a forum, a member education section, member login functionality and member-only features, as well as transhumanist-themed art and animations throughout.

USTP Legislative Director Jason Geringer designed the Transhuman Club website, and he provided a walkthrough that demonstrated its key features.

All members of the United States Transhumanist Party receive automatic, free membership in the Transhuman Club. However, anyone who joins the Transhuman Club directly may choose or not choose to be a member of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Transhuman Club website is intended to be a hub of member collaboration, networking, and elevated enjoyment in a refined futuristic setting. We aim to educate, motivate, and entertain. Welcome to the club!

Join the U.S. Transhumanist Party for free, no matter where you reside.

Results of U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutional Reform Vote #2

Results of U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutional Reform Vote #2

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Gennady Stolyarov II

The U.S. Transhumanist Party (USTP) conducted its sixteenth vote of the members and the second vote on the non-platform provisions of its Constitution between December 23 and December 30, 2020. Official ballot options can be found here.

Detailed results of the voting have been tabulated here.

As a result, the following new or amended sections of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitution were adopted within Articles I, III, VII, and VIII.

Nearly all of the proposed new provisions received a majority of support from the voting members. The members also determined that the Chairman would have the discretion to call an election for the office of Chairman at any time with two months of advance notice, without any member threshold needing to be reached to trigger that decision. Furthermore, regarding the name for activities that would disqualify a potential candidate pursuant to Article VII, Section I, Subsection (v), after 10 rounds of instant runoffs, the term “highly unacceptable” emerged as the one most favored by the members. The majority members did not believe that a previous criminal history of vandalism should automatically disqualify a potential candidate. Accordingly, any future candidates with a history of vandalism will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and in consideration of the other eligibility criteria adopted by the USTP members. The remainder of the proposed candidate eligibility criteria were adopted by majority votes of the USTP members.

Note that only the newly added or amended provisions of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutions are listed below.

Article I, Section II. Statements of Historical Fact

Historical Fact 9.  [Added on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020] Johannon Ben Zion ceased to be affiliated with the United States Transhumanist Party as of June 8, 2020. After that date, Arin Vahanian became the Vice-Chairman of the United States Transhumanist Party.

Article III. Officers

Section I [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: As of January 1, 2021, the following individuals shall hold roles as Officers in the United States Transhumanist Party.

  1. Chairman: Gennady Stolyarov II
  2. Vice-Chairman: Arin Vahanian
  3. Secretary: Pavel Ilin
  4. Vice-Secretary: Caeus H. Antony
  5. Director of Foreign Relations: B.J. Murphy
  6. Director of Scholarship: Dan Elton
  7. Director of Community Resilience: Alexandria Black
  8. Director of Marketing: Charlie Kam
  9. Director of Longevity Outreach: Daniel Yeluashvili
  10. Director of Applied Innovation: David Shumaker
  11. Director of Publication: Brent Logan Reitze
  12. Director of Sentient Rights Advocacy: Tom Ross
  13. Legislative Director: Justin Waters
  14. Director of Visual Art: (Art Ramon) Garcia, Jr.
  15. Director of Energy Issues: John J. Kerecz

The list of Officers above and the effective date of this list is subject to automatic updates without further member votes in the event of a change in the individual holding any Officer position, provided that such a change occurs in accordance with the processes outlined in the provisions of this Article III.

Section II [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: New Officer positions may be created, and vacancies in Officer positions may be filled in the event of a departure of any Officer. Any individual may apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant.  Any appointment of an Officer to a new or vacant position shall be effective upon a two-thirds affirmative vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days, and with the subsequent approval of the Chairman.

Section III [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: While any individual may apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant, the United States Transhumanist Party shall only appoint an individual to an Officer position if that individual has demonstrated at least one of the following qualifications:

(i) A United States Transhumanist Party Officer position attained on or before January 1, 2021; or

(ii) At least four consecutive years of active presence within the broader transhumanist movement, with each year of such active presence capable of being verified by means of clear evidence of the individual’s writings, videos, audio recordings, projects, scientific research, artistic work, meeting or conference attendance, or other objectively demonstrable contributions to the advancement of transhumanism; or

(iii) At least six months of reliable service to the United States Transhumanist Party in an intermediate role which does not carry Officer status but may involve responsibility in organizing projects, events, or outreach. Such intermediate roles may be created at the discretion of the United States Transhumanist Party Officers and are not subject to the requirement in Subsection (ii) above.

Section IV [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: For any new applicant to an Officer position, existing Officers will assemble and interview the applicant. The interview may take place prior to or subsequent to the confirmation vote for the applicant, depending on whether any existing Officer would consider the interview to provide additional information needed for the purposes of making a decision regarding the applicant.

In the process of the interview, the applicant and the existing Officers will develop an agreement that will encompass the necessary duties and suggested roles of the position, how to perform the duties and roles of that position, and any information relevant to that position. The agreement may be documented either in writing or by means of a recorded discussion at the interview.

Section V [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: Beginning in February 2021, Officers shall establish a public page of goals for the United States Transhumanist Party to accomplish within reasonable timeframes specified for each goal. As each goal is achieved, or as the timeframe for that goal elapses or is in need of revision, the Officers shall update the public page of goals to reflect such developments.

Section VII [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: The Chairman shall be the chief Officer of the United States Transhumanist Party and shall preside at all meetings of the organization, or else appoint a substitute for any meeting where the Chairman is absent. The Chairman shall have the chief executive authority within the United States Transhumanist Party and shall be responsible for the principal decision-making and organizational activities of the United States Transhumanist Party, including the maintenance of the United States Transhumanist Party Platform, the periodic organization of elections and votes on provisions of the Platform, and the development of discussion and outreach events involving the general public. The Chairman shall have the authority to decide any matter affecting the course, conduct, and official positions of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Chairman shall have the authority, but not the obligation, to proclaim and determine the structure of any meeting, convention, assembly, or other forum for conducting the business of the United States Transhumanist Party at any time at the Chairman’s discretion. The Chairman may delegate any aspect of the Chairman’s responsibility to another Officer or Member of the United States Transhumanist Party at the Chairman’s discretion via a written delegation of authority. Such a written delegation of authority may be revocable at any time.

The Chairman shall appoint committees that are deemed necessary for the organization. Vacancies that occur for Vice-Chairman, Secretary, or Directors may be filled by appointment of the Chairman, preferably following a two-thirds vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days.

Section VIII [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: The Vice-Chairman shall temporarily assume the duties of the Chairman in the event of the Chairman’s absence and the absence of a contrary delegation of authority from the Chairman. In the event of the resignation of the Chairman, the Chairman may designate a successor. In the absence of a designation of a successor by a departing Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and each of the Directors who desires the role of Chairman shall each select a random number, and then a random-number generator shall be utilized to select the next Chairman among the willing Officers, such that the Officer whose number is chosen shall become the Chairman.

Section XI [Amended on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: By majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may place on probation an Officer who fails to fulfill the duties of his or her office as specified in the documents developed by the United States Transhumanist Party to describe such duties. The probation period shall last as long as the Officers deem appropriate by majority vote, and shall include a written contract with deadlines and criteria for the fulfillment of duties. In the event that the terms of the probation period and/or contract are violated, the subject Officer may be removed from office by a majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman. An Officer may also be removed from office if a majority vote, with the approval of the Chairman, determines that the subject Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive and would therefore not be able to abide by the terms of any probation period. If an Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive for a period of three consecutive months, then that Officer shall be deemed to have vacated his or her position, unless the Officer affirmatively indicates a desire to remain in that position via a written communication to the Chairman.

The Chairman may take measures at the Chairman’s sole discretion to restrict, contain, sanction, or discipline any Officer considered to be acting in an intentionally hostile manner toward the United States Transhumanist Party. Any Officer discovered to be engaged in criminal activity, planning an internal coup, or spreading false allegations about other Officers to third parties or to the public, may, at the sole discretion of the Chairman, be immediately restricted from any or some portion of that Officer’s role within the United States Transhumanist Party upon discovery of such actions. A restriction is not an expulsion and is subject to subsequent evaluation by the remaining Officers. Upon subsequent evaluation, such restricted Officer may be removed from his or her Officer role and/or expelled from the United States Transhumanist Party by means of a majority vote of the other Officers, if those other Officers determine it proper to do so.

Section XII [Added on January 1, 2021, pursuant to a vote of the members on December 23-30, 2020]: The Chairman may, at the Chairman’s discretion, call for an election to the position of Chairman with at least two months of advance notice. To be eligible to run in such an election, any candidate for the position of Chairman requires the approval of two-thirds of existing United States Transhumanist Party Officers who occupy their positions at the time the election is first announced.

Article VII. Candidates

Section I [Adopted by a vote of the members during December 23-30, 2020]: In order to be eligible to become endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party as a candidate for any local, state, or federal political office, an individual must satisfy the following criteria.

(i) The individual satisfies the minimum qualifications pursuant to applicable law for holding the office for which the individual seeks to run.

(ii) The individual has never committed any violent crime. A violent crime includes physical injury or destruction inflicted upon any person. A violent crime also includes physical damage or destruction inflicted upon property. As used in this subsection, the term “violent crime” includes but is not necessarily limited to the following: murder, manslaughter, rape, human trafficking, domestic violence, robbery, assault, battery, looting, arson, and rioting.

(iii) The individual has never committed any financial crime which had any victim, including but not limited to fraud, embezzlement, theft, cybercrime, or financing of violent or criminal groups.

(iv) The individual has never engaged in documented acts of cyberbullying, cyber-harassment, or intentional spreading of false accusations against another individual online.

(v) The individual has never engaged in acts understood to be of a highly unacceptable nature within every contemporary agricultural, industrial, or post-industrial society. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party shall maintain an internal list identifying such highly unacceptable practices, engaging in which or advocating which would be considered an automatic disqualification for holding any office within or receiving any endorsement from the United States Transhumanist Party.

(vi) The individual has never engaged in acts which are understood by the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party to have been undertaken by that individual primarily for the purposes of generating shock value or for transgression for the sake of transgression.

(vii) The individual must agree to participate in any process designated by the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party for the determination of whether or not that individual may be endorsed as a candidate and to respect the outcome of that process, no matter whether or not that individual is ultimately endorsed as a candidate.

(viii) The individual must agree to work collaboratively with the United States Transhumanist Party during the campaign season and not to disparage the United States Transhumanist Party as well as not to work contrary to the interests and goals of the United States Transhumanist Party during that time.

(ix) The individual must never have disparaged the United States Transhumanist Party or any of its current Officers in good standing within any written publication or public video or audio recording. This criterion does not, however, preclude constructive criticism, and a reasonable-person test shall be used to differentiate constructive criticism from disparagement.

(x) The individual must commit to running for office as a candidate endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party until the conclusion of the election in which the individual seeks to be a candidate.

(xi) The individual must have never reneged on a prior commitment to run for office as a candidate endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party until the conclusion of the election in which the individual sought to be a candidate.

(xii) The individual must never have falsely alleged any electoral malfeasance on the part of the United States Transhumanist Party.

(xiii) The individual must never have undertaken or threatened to undertake any legal action or make any formal complaint to an external entity against the United States Transhumanist Party or any Officer thereof in good standing.

(xiv) The individual must express agreement with the Core Ideals of the United States Transhumanist Party as described in Article I, Section I, of this Constitution.

(xv) The policy positions of the individual should have significant areas of alignment with the United States Transhumanist Party Platform as described in Article VI of this Constitution.

(xvi) The individual must agree, in that individual’s public statements, to either (a) specifically and openly express support for transhumanism and/or life extension; or (b) specifically and openly reference the endorsement of that individual by the United States Transhumanist Party.

Section II [Adopted by a vote of the members during December 23-30, 2020]: Prior to convening a vote of the members regarding whether or not the United States Transhumanist Party should endorse a candidate for any office, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party shall interview the candidate in order to determine the candidate’s compliance and likelihood of continued compliance with the criteria in Section I of Article VII and the desirability of enabling that candidate to seek the approval of the members of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may utilize any additional criteria, including the Officers’ individual assessments of the candidate’s character, personality, and reliability, in order to determine whether or not to render the candidate eligible to appear on a ballot for consideration by the members.

Article VIII. Additional Initiatives

Section I [Adopted by a vote of the members during December 23-30, 2020]: The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may, at their discretion, form a non-political affiliate organization or organizations which would maintain the same leadership structure and Officers as the United States Transhumanist Party but which would not be a political party or parties and would not be involved in any campaigns for elected office. All members of the United States Transhumanist Party would become members of the non-political affiliate organization or organizations unless they individually opt out of such membership. However, additional members may in the future join the non-political affiliate organization or organizations without choosing to join the United States Transhumanist Party. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party will otherwise have complete discretion to determine the name, activities, and focus of the non-political affiliate organization or organizations.

Official Ballot Options for U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutional Reform Vote #2

Official Ballot Options for U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutional Reform Vote #2

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The 7-day electronic voting period on the second set of proposed reforms to the Constitution of the U.S. Transhumanist Party will occur from 12:01 a.m. U.S. Pacific Time on December 23, 2020, to 12:01 a.m. U.S. Pacific Time on December 30, 2020. All members of the U.S. Transhumanist Party (USTP) who have applied before 12:01 a.m. on December 23, 2020, will be eligible to vote, as long as they have expressed agreement with the three Core Ideals of the USTP or have otherwise been rendered eligible to vote at the discretion of the Chairman.

All members who are eligible to vote will be sent a link to an electronic submission form whereby they will be able to cast their ballot.

When you are voting, it is strongly recommended that you keep this page of official ballot options and the submission form open simultaneously in different windows so that you can reference the relevant options as you vote on them. Due to space limitations, the submission form does not list the entire text of all the options.

It is also recommended that you set aside at least thirty minutes to consider and vote on all of the options and read their text closely, as some of the options contain minor variations upon other options. 

For some questions, electronic voting is conducted by a ranked-preference method on individual sections where more options are possible than would be accommodated by a simple “Yes” or “No” vote. Members should keep in mind that the ranked-preference method eliminates the incentives for strategic voting – so members are encouraged to vote for the options that reflect their individual preferences as closely as possible, without regard for how other members might vote.

Results of the voting will be tabulated during late December 2020 / early January 2021, with the intent to announce the results approximately 2-3 days after all votes have been submitted.

NOTE: The numbering of the potential Sections in the ultimately adopted provisions within the Constitution of the U.S. Transhumanist Party may change depending on which proposals are or are not adopted.

NOTE II: The inclusion of any proposals on this ballot does not indicate any manner of endorsement for those proposals by the U.S. Transhumanist Party at this time – except to place those proposals before the members to determine the will of the members with regard to whether or not the U.S. Transhumanist Party Platform should incorporate any given proposal.

Voter Identification

E-mail address

Provide the same e-mail address you used to register for U.S. Transhumanist Party membership. Your ballot will be cross-referenced to our membership rolls, and only ballots with matching e-mail addresses will be counted.

What is your name?

At minimum, first and last name are required, unless you are publicly known by a single-name pseudonym which is not itself a common name. Your identity will not be publicly disclosed by the Transhumanist Party, unless you choose and/or authorize its disclosure. The nature of the selections made by the members may be disclosed, but, if they are, each individual vote will not be associated with the identity of the voter but rather will be presented in an anonymized manner.

Navigate the Options

Question I. Article I, Section II. Statements of Historical Fact – Proposed Addition
Question II. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section I
Question III. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section II
Question IV. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section III
Question V. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section IV
Question VI. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section V
Question VII. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section VII
Question VIII. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section VIII
Question IX. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section XI
Question X. Addition of New Section XII to Article III (Officers)
Question XI. Numerical Threshold of Members for the Chairman to be Able to Call an Election for the Position of Chairman
Question XII. New Article VII (Candidates), Section I – Criteria for Office
Question XIII. New Article VII (Candidates), Section I – Name for Unacceptable Behaviors Prohibited in Subsection (v)
Question XIV. New Article VII (Candidates), Section II – Candidate Interview Process
Question XV. New Article VIII (Additional Initiatives), Section I

 

Proposed Sections of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitution

Question I. Article I, Section II. Statements of Historical Fact – Proposed Addition

Shall the following item be added to the immutable portion of the U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitution in Article I, Section II?

Historical Fact 9. Johannon Ben Zion ceased to be affiliated with the United States Transhumanist Party as of June 8, 2020. After that date, Arin Vahanian became the Vice-Chairman of the United States Transhumanist Party.

Select one of the following options.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question II. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section I

Shall Article III, Section I, be amended to read as follows?

Section I: As of January 1, 2021, the following individuals shall hold roles as Officers in the United States Transhumanist Party.

  1. Chairman: Gennady Stolyarov II
  2. Vice-Chairman: Arin Vahanian
  3. Secretary: Pavel Ilin
  4. Vice-Secretary: Caeus H. Antony
  5. Director of Foreign Relations: B.J. Murphy
  6. Director of Scholarship: Dan Elton
  7. Director of Community Resilience: Alexandria Black
  8. Director of Marketing: Charlie Kam
  9. Director of Longevity Outreach: Daniel Yeluashvili
  10. Director of Applied Innovation: David Shumaker
  11. Director of Publication: Brent Logan Reitze
  12. Director of Sentient Rights Advocacy: Tom Ross
  13. Legislative Director: Justin Waters
  14. Director of Visual Art: (Art Ramon) Garcia, Jr.

The list of Officers above and the effective date of this list is subject to automatic updates without further member votes in the event of a change in the individual holding any Officer position, provided that such a change occurs in accordance with the processes outlined in the provisions of this Article III.

Rank-order the Question II Options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc.

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Yes. (Proposed wording updates the list of Officers to eliminate obsolete information, establishes an effective date of January 1, 2021, removes triennial Officer elections, and allows for future automatic updates without further member votes in the event of a change in the individual holding any Officer position, provided that such a change occurs in accordance with the processes outlined in the provisions of this Article III.)

☐ No – keep the current wording, except update the list of Officers to the current list above and update the date from February 1, 2020, to January 1, 2021.

☐ No to all changes. (Current wording includes an effective date of February 1, 2020, triennial Officer elections, and an obsolete list of Officers prior to the reorganization of June 11, 2020.)

Question III. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section II

Shall Article III, Section II, be amended to read as follows?

Section II: New Officer positions may be created, and vacancies in Officer positions may be filled in the event of a departure of any Officer. Any individual may apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant.  Any appointment of an Officer to a new or vacant position shall be effective upon a two-thirds affirmative vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days, and with the subsequent approval of the Chairman.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section II: During the interim period between triennial Officer elections, new Officer positions may be created, and vacancies in Officer positions may be filled in the event of an interim departure of any Officer. Any appointment of an Officer to a new or vacant position during the aforementioned interim period shall be effective upon a majority vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days, and with the subsequent approval of the Chairman.

☐ Abstain.

Question IV. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section III

Shall Article III, Section III, be amended to read as follows?

Section III: While any individual may apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant, the United States Transhumanist Party shall only appoint an individual to an Officer position if that individual has demonstrated at least one of the following qualifications:

(i) A United States Transhumanist Party Officer position attained on or before January 1, 2021; or

(ii) At least four consecutive years of active presence within the broader transhumanist movement, with each year of such active presence capable of being verified by means of clear evidence of the individual’s writings, videos, audio recordings, projects, scientific research, artistic work, meeting or conference attendance, or other objectively demonstrable contributions to the advancement of transhumanism; or

(iii) At least six months of reliable service to the United States Transhumanist Party in an intermediate role which does not carry Officer status but may involve responsibility in organizing projects, events, or outreach. Such intermediate roles may be created at the discretion of the United States Transhumanist Party Officers and are not subject to the requirement in Subsection (ii) above.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section III: Any current member of the United States Transhumanist Party is eligible either to run for office during a triennial Officer election – with the first such election to pertain to the set of Officers which shall begin their service on February 1, 2023 – or to apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant during the interim period between triennial Officer elections.

☐ Abstain.

Question V. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section IV

Shall Article III, Section IV, be amended to read as follows?

Section IV: For any new applicant to an Officer position, existing Officers will assemble and interview the applicant. The interview may take place prior to or subsequent to the confirmation vote for the applicant, depending on whether any existing Officer would consider the interview to provide additional information needed for the purposes of making a decision regarding the applicant.

In the process of the interview, the applicant and the existing Officers will develop an agreement that will encompass the necessary duties and suggested roles of the position, how to perform the duties and roles of that position, and any information relevant to that position. The agreement may be documented either in writing or by means of a recorded discussion at the interview.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section IV: For each Officer position, Officers will assemble and develop an agreement that will encompass the duties of the position, how to perform the duties of that position, and any information relevant to that position.

☐ Abstain.

Question VI. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section V

Shall Article III, Section V, be amended to read as follows?

Section V: Beginning in February 2021, Officers shall establish a public page of goals for the United States Transhumanist Party to accomplish within reasonable timeframes specified for each goal. As each goal is achieved, or as the timeframe for that goal elapses or is in need of revision, the Officers shall update the public page of goals to reflect such developments.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section V: In February of each year, Officers shall set goals for implementation during the remainder of that year. In January of the subsequent year, Officers shall create an annual report that discusses the accomplishment of the objectives and goals established during the preceding year.

☐ Abstain.

Question VII. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section VII

Shall Article III, Section VII, be amended to read as follows?

Section VII: The Chairman shall be the chief Officer of the United States Transhumanist Party and shall preside at all meetings of the organization, or else appoint a substitute for any meeting where the Chairman is absent. The Chairman shall have the chief executive authority within the United States Transhumanist Party and shall be responsible for the principal decision-making and organizational activities of the United States Transhumanist Party, including the maintenance of the United States Transhumanist Party Platform, the periodic organization of elections and votes on provisions of the Platform, and the development of discussion and outreach events involving the general public. The Chairman shall have the authority to decide any matter affecting the course, conduct, and official positions of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Chairman shall have the authority, but not the obligation, to proclaim and determine the structure of any meeting, convention, assembly, or other forum for conducting the business of the United States Transhumanist Party at any time at the Chairman’s discretion. The Chairman may delegate any aspect of the Chairman’s responsibility to another Officer or Member of the United States Transhumanist Party at the Chairman’s discretion via a written delegation of authority. Such a written delegation of authority may be revocable at any time.

The Chairman shall appoint committees that are deemed necessary for the organization. Vacancies that occur for Vice-Chairman, Secretary, or Directors may be filled by appointment of the Chairman, preferably following a two-thirds vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes. (Most of the text would remain the same as previously; the major impact is to increase the threshold for approving a new Officer appointment to two-thirds of the currently active Officers from the current majority.)

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section VII: The Chairman shall be the chief Officer of the United States Transhumanist Party and shall preside at all meetings of the organization, or else appoint a substitute for any meeting where the Chairman is absent. The Chairman shall have the chief executive authority within the United States Transhumanist Party and shall be responsible for the principal decision-making and organizational activities of the United States Transhumanist Party, including the maintenance of the United States Transhumanist Party Platform, the periodic organization of elections and votes on provisions of the Platform, and the development of discussion and outreach events involving the general public. The Chairman shall have the authority to decide any matter affecting the course, conduct, and official positions of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Chairman shall have the authority, but not the obligation, to proclaim and determine the structure of any meeting, convention, assembly, or other forum for conducting the business of the United States Transhumanist Party at any time at the Chairman’s discretion. The Chairman may delegate any aspect of the Chairman’s responsibility to another Officer or Member of the United States Transhumanist Party at the Chairman’s discretion via a written delegation of authority. Such a written delegation of authority may be revocable at any time.

The Chairman shall appoint committees that are deemed necessary for the organization. Vacancies that occur for Vice-Chairman, Secretary, or Directors may be filled by appointment of the Chairman, preferably following a majority vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days.

☐ Abstain.

Question VIII. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section VIII

Shall Article III, Section VII, be amended to read as follows?

Section VIII: The Vice-Chairman shall temporarily assume the duties of the Chairman in the event of the Chairman’s absence and the absence of a contrary delegation of authority from the Chairman. In the event of the resignation of the Chairman, the Chairman may designate a successor. In the absence of a designation of a successor by a departing Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and each of the Directors who desires the role of Chairman shall each select a random number, and then a random-number generator shall be utilized to select the next Chairman among the willing Officers, such that the Officer whose number is chosen shall become the Chairman.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section VIII: The Vice-Chairman shall temporarily assume the duties of the Chairman in the event of the Chairman’s absence and the absence of a contrary delegation of authority from the Chairman. In the event of the resignation of the Chairman during the interim between triennial Officer elections, the Vice-Chairman shall assume the title of Chairman.

☐ Abstain.

Question IX. Amendment of Article III (Officers), Section XI

Shall Article III, Section XI, be amended to read as follows?

Section XI: By majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may place on probation an Officer who fails to fulfill the duties of his or her office as specified in the documents developed by the United States Transhumanist Party to describe such duties. The probation period shall last as long as the Officers deem appropriate by majority vote, and shall include a written contract with deadlines and criteria for the fulfillment of duties. In the event that the terms of the probation period and/or contract are violated, the subject Officer may be removed from office by a majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman. An Officer may also be removed from office if a majority vote, with the approval of the Chairman, determines that the subject Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive and would therefore not be able to abide by the terms of any probation period. If an Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive for a period of three consecutive months, then that Officer shall be deemed to have vacated his or her position, unless the Officer affirmatively indicates a desire to remain in that position via a written communication to the Chairman.

The Chairman may take measures at the Chairman’s sole discretion to restrict, contain, sanction, or discipline any Officer considered to be acting in an intentionally hostile manner toward the United States Transhumanist Party. Any Officer discovered to be engaged in criminal activity, planning an internal coup, or spreading false allegations about other Officers to third parties or to the public, may, at the sole discretion of the Chairman, be immediately restricted from any or some portion of that Officer’s role within the United States Transhumanist Party upon discovery of such actions. A restriction is not an expulsion and is subject to subsequent evaluation by the remaining Officers. Upon subsequent evaluation, such restricted Officer may be removed from his or her Officer role and/or expelled from the United States Transhumanist Party by means of a majority vote of the other Officers, if those other Officers determine it proper to do so.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No – keep the current wording.

Current Wording of Section XI: By majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may place on probation an Officer who fails to fulfill the duties of his or her office as specified in the documents developed by the United States Transhumanist Party to describe such duties. The probation period shall last as long as the Officers deem appropriate by majority vote, and shall include a written contract with deadlines and criteria for the fulfillment of duties. In the event that the terms of the probation period and/or contract are violated, the subject Officer may be removed from office by a majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman. An Officer may also be removed from office if a majority vote, with the approval of the Chairman, determines that the subject Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive and would therefore not be able to abide by the terms of any probation period.

☐ Abstain.

Question X. Addition of New Section XII to Article III (Officers)

Shall a new Section XII be added to Article III to read as follows?

Section XII: During the first full calendar year in which the United States Transhumanist Party attains [Number to be decided upon in the next question] members, the Chairman may, at the Chairman’s discretion, call for an election to the position of Chairman with at least two months of advance notice. To be eligible to run in such an election, any candidate for the position of Chairman requires the approval of two-thirds of existing United States Transhumanist Party Officers who occupy their positions at the time the election is first announced.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question XI. Numerical Threshold of Members for the Chairman to be Able to Call an Election for the Position of Chairman

If Article III, Section XII, is adopted in Question X above, what is the number of members that the United States Transhumanist Party should be required to attain before the Chairman may call an election for the position of Chairman, at the Chairman’s discretion?

Rank-order the options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc. You may include the option for “No member threshold” in your rank-ordering, and it does not need to be your most favored option if you do so.

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Option XI-1. 10,000 members

☐ Option XI-2. 50,000 members

☐ Option XI-3. 100,000 members

☐ Option XI-4. 500,000 members

☐ Option XI-5. 1,000,000 members

☐ Option XI-NO. No member threshold; allow the Chairman to call an election at any time with two months of advance notice; accordingly, begin Section XII with “The Chairman may [remainder of wording as proposed]”.

Question XII. New Article VII (Candidates), Section I – Criteria for Office

The U.S. Transhumanist Party is considering requiring candidates which it endorses for political office to satisfy certain stated criteria. If any of the criteria listed below are adopted, then a new Article VII, Section I, would be added to the Constitution of the United States Transhumanist Party, containing the following preface

Section I: In order to be eligible to become endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party as a candidate for any local, state, or federal political office, an individual must satisfy the following criteria.

After the preface, a list of the criteria adopted by the members would follow.

Select all the options you support. (You can select multiple options for this question.)  Any option receiving the majority of votes cast will be included in the ultimately adopted wording. If you do not favor any of the options below, then you may leave this question blank.

☐ Requirement (i) The individual satisfies the minimum qualifications pursuant to applicable law for holding the office for which the individual seeks to run.

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 1: The individual has never committed any violent crime.

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 2 – Clarification of Prohibited Violent Crime: A violent crime includes physical injury or destruction inflicted upon any person.

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 3 – Clarification of Prohibited Violent Crime: A violent crime includes physical damage or destruction inflicted upon property.

As used in this subsection, the term “violent crime” includes but is not necessarily limited to the following:

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 4 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Murder

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 5 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Manslaughter

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 6 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Rape

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 7 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Human trafficking

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 8 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Domestic violence

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 9 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Robbery

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 10 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Assault

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 11 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Battery

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 12 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Looting

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 13 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Arson

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 14 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Rioting

☐ Prohibition (ii) – Part 15 – Type of Prohibited Violent Crime: Vandalism

☐ Prohibition (iii) – Part 1: The individual has never committed any financial crime which had any victim.

As used in this subsection, the term “financial crime” includes but is not necessarily limited to the following:

☐ Prohibition (iii) – Part 2: Type of Prohibited Financial Crime: Fraud

☐ Prohibition (iii) – Part 3: Type of Prohibited Financial Crime: Embezzlement

☐ Prohibition (iii) – Part 4: Type of Prohibited Financial Crime: Theft

☐ Prohibition (iii) – Part 5: Type of Prohibited Financial Crime: Cybercrime

☐ Prohibition (iii) – Part 6: Type of Prohibited Financial Crime: Financing of violent or criminal groups

☐ Prohibition (iv) The individual has never engaged in documented acts of cyberbullying, cyber-harassment, or intentional spreading of false accusations against another individual online.

☐ Prohibition (v) The individual has never engaged in acts understood to be [wording to be decided upon in Question XIII below] within every contemporary agricultural, industrial, or post-industrial society. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party shall maintain an internal list identifying such [wording to be decided upon in Question XIII below] practices, engaging in which or advocating which would be considered an automatic disqualification for holding any office within or receiving any endorsement from the United States Transhumanist Party.

☐ Prohibition (vi) The individual has never engaged in acts which are understood by the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party to have been undertaken by that individual primarily for the purposes of generating shock value or for transgression for the sake of transgression.

☐ Requirement (vii) The individual must agree to participate in any process designated by the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party for the determination of whether or not that individual may be endorsed as a candidate and to respect the outcome of that process, no matter whether or not that individual is ultimately endorsed as a candidate.

☐ Requirement (viii) The individual must agree to work collaboratively with the United States Transhumanist Party during the campaign season and not to disparage the United States Transhumanist Party as well as not to work contrary to the interests and goals of the United States Transhumanist Party during that time.

☐ Prohibition (ix) The individual must never have disparaged the United States Transhumanist Party or any of its current Officers in good standing within any written publication or public video or audio recording. This criterion does not, however, preclude constructive criticism, and a reasonable-person test shall be used to differentiate constructive criticism from disparagement.

☐ Requirement (x) The individual must commit to running for office as a candidate endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party until the conclusion of the election in which the individual seeks to be a candidate.

☐ Prohibition (xi) The individual must have never reneged on a prior commitment to run for office as a candidate endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party until the conclusion of the election in which the individual sought to be a candidate.

☐ Prohibition (xii) The individual must never have falsely alleged any electoral malfeasance on the part of the United States Transhumanist Party.

☐ Prohibition (xiii) The individual must never have undertaken or threatened to undertake any legal action nor made or threatened to make any formal complaint to a governmental entity against the United States Transhumanist Party or any Officer thereof in good standing.

☐ Requirement (xiv) The individual must express agreement with the Core Ideals of the United States Transhumanist Party as described in Article I, Section I, of this Constitution.

☐ Requirement (xv) The policy positions of the individual should have significant areas of alignment with the United States Transhumanist Party Platform as described in Article VI of this Constitution.

☐ Requirement (xvi) The individual must agree, in that individual’s public statements, to either (a) specifically and openly express support for transhumanism and/or life extension; or (b) specifically and openly reference the endorsement of that individual by the United States Transhumanist Party.

Question XIII. New Article VII (Candidates), Section I – Name for Unacceptable Behaviors Prohibited in Subsection (v)

If subsection (v) of Article VII, Section I, identifying certain activities prohibited for a person seeking to be endorsed as a candidate by the United States Transhumanist Party, is enacted, what shall be the term used to refer to such prohibited activities?

Rank-order the Question XIII Options that you support. Choose “1” for your most highly favored option, “2” for your second-most highly favored option, etc. You may include the option for “None of the above” in your rank-ordering, and it does not need to be your most favored option if you do so. (For instance, some voters might favor some options but think that no language is preferable to some of the other options.) If the “None of the Above” option wins and Subsection (v) passes in Question XII above, the U.S. Transhumanist Party Officers will select a different term after further consultation with the members.

If you choose “Abstain”, then do not rank-order any options, as you will be considered to have skipped this question.

☐ Option XIII-1. In extremely poor taste

☐ Option XIII-2. Taboo

☐ Option XIII-3. Repugnant

☐ Option XIII-4. Repulsive

☐ Option XIII-5. Immoral

☐ Option XIII-6. Abhorrent

☐ Option XIII-7. Anti-Human

☐ Option XIII-8. Deeply reprehensible

☐ Option XIII-9. Of special undesirable status

☐ Option XIII-10. Highly unacceptable

☐ Option XIII-NO. None of the above

Question XIV. New Article VII (Candidates), Section II – Candidate Interview Process

Shall a new Section II be added to Article VII, to read as follows?

Section II: Prior to convening a vote of the members regarding whether or not the United States Transhumanist Party should endorse a candidate for any office, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party shall interview the candidate in order to determine the candidate’s compliance and likelihood of continued compliance with the criteria in Section I of Article VII and the desirability of enabling that candidate to seek the approval of the members of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may utilize any additional criteria, including the Officers’ individual assessments of the candidate’s character, personality, and reliability, in order to determine whether or not to render the candidate eligible to appear on a ballot for consideration by the members.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

Question XV. New Article VIII (Additional Initiatives), Section I

Shall a new Article VIII, Section I, be created to read as follows?

Section I: The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may, at their discretion, form a non-political affiliate organization or organizations which would maintain the same leadership structure and Officers as the United States Transhumanist Party but which would not be a political party or parties and would not be involved in any campaigns for elected office. All members of the United States Transhumanist Party would become members of the non-political affiliate organization or organizations unless they individually opt out of such membership. However, additional members may in the future join the non-political affiliate organization or organizations without choosing to join the United States Transhumanist Party. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party will otherwise have complete discretion to determine the name, activities, and focus of the non-political affiliate organization or organizations.

Select one option below.

☐ Yes.

☐ No.

☐ Abstain.

15-Day Exposure Period on U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutional Reform Vote #2

15-Day Exposure Period on U.S. Transhumanist Party Constitutional Reform Vote #2

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Gennady Stolyarov II

The United States Transhumanist Party (USTP) announces its upcoming second Constitutional Reform vote in response to the ideas provided during the USTP Reform Summit of November 28-29, 2020.

A vote will be scheduled on some or all of the items below once they have been exposed for at least 15 days. For each item, a 7-day voting period is expected to be opened at the earliest on Wednesday, December 23, 2020.

During the exposure period, please post your comments on this thread. If you post comments intended to be considered in voting and/or amending any of these planks in any other electronic medium, please note that you thereby give your consent to have your comments reproduced with attribution or linked within this discussion thread, in order to direct members’ attention and consideration to them.

After the exposure period, a 7-day electronic voting period will occur. Instructions for electronic voting will be sent to members of the U.S. Transhumanist Party via e-mail at that time. All individuals who are members of the U.S. Transhumanist Party as of the end of the exposure period and who have expressed agreement with its three Core Ideals will be eligible to vote thereafter. You can still vote if you become a member during the exposure period, so please apply here if you are interested. During the 7-day electronic voting period, you will still be able to become a member – but you will only be able to vote in subsequent elections, since we seek for voting on any given issue to be done by those members who have had an opportunity to thoroughly consider that issue and be involved in deliberations regarding it.

Electronic voting will be conducted by a ranked-preference method if more than a single option is presented for the wording of a particular plank or segment of a plank. Members will be able to rank-order their preferred selections on each individual Section. The originally proposed text of each Section will be available for selection, as well as any reasonable amendments proposed by any member. Leadership of the U.S. Transhumanist Party reserves the right to edit any proposed amendment for correctness of spelling and grammar. The status-quo option – either “No Section of this sort” or the previous Section wording will also be a choice, depending on whether the Section in question is new or proposed to be revised. Any Section where a majority of votes favors the status-quo option will be not be adopted. Members will also be able to abstain from voting on any given Section.

The ranked-preference method has the advantage of eliminating a “winner-take-all” or “first-past-the-post” mentality and preventing people from being channeled into voting for sub-optimal choices (in their view) just because they fear an even less palatable alternative prevailing. Within the ranked-preference methodology, if no option obtains a clear majority as voters’ first choice, the option having the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated from consideration, and all those who voted for that option will have their votes assigned to their second-choice options. This process of elimination continues until one particular option has a clear majority of votes.

The U.S. Transhumanist Party encourages all members to participate in this process and for other transhumanists to sign up for membership during the exposure period. 

Article I, Section II. Statements of Historical Fact – Proposed Addition

Historical Fact 9. Johannon Ben Zion ceased to be affiliated with the United States Transhumanist Party as of June 8, 2020. After that date, Arin Vahanian became the Vice-Chairman of the United States Transhumanist Party.

Article III. Officers – Proposed Amendments

Revise Article III, Section I, to read as follows:

Section I: As of January 1, 2021, the following individuals shall hold roles as Officers in the United States Transhumanist Party.

  1. Chairman: Gennady Stolyarov II
  2. Vice-Chairman: Arin Vahanian
  3. Secretary: Pavel Ilin
  4. Vice-Secretary: Caeus H. Antony
  5. Director of Foreign Relations: B.J. Murphy
  6. Director of Scholarship: Dan Elton
  7. Director of Community Resilience: Alexandria Black
  8. Director of Marketing: Charlie Kam
  9. Director of Longevity Outreach: Daniel Yeluashvili
  10. Director of Applied Innovation: David Shumaker
  11. Director of Publication: Brent Logan Reitze
  12. Director of Sentient Rights Advocacy: Tom Ross
  13. Legislative Director: Justin Waters
  14. Director of Visual Art: (Art Ramon) Garcia, Jr.

The list of Officers above and the effective date of this list is subject to automatic updates without further member votes in the event of a change in the individual holding any Officer position, provided that such a change occurs in accordance with the processes outlined in the provisions of this Article III.

Amend Article III, Section II, to read as follows:

Section II: New Officer positions may be created, and vacancies in Officer positions may be filled in the event of an interim departure of any Officer. Any individual may apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant.  Any appointment of an Officer to a new or vacant position shall be effective upon a two-thirds affirmative vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days, and with the subsequent approval of the Chairman.

Amend Article III, Section III, to read as follows:

Section III: While any individual may apply for an Officer position that becomes vacant, the United States Transhumanist Party shall only appoint an individual to an Officer position if that individual has demonstrated at least one of the following qualifications:

(i) A United States Transhumanist Party Officer position attained on or before January 1, 2021;

(ii) At least four consecutive years of active presence within the broader transhumanist movement, with each year of such active presence capable of being verified by means of clear evidence of the individual’s writings, videos, audio recordings, projects, scientific research, artistic work, meeting or conference attendance,  or other objectively demonstrable contributions to the advancement of transhumanism; or

(iii) At least six months of reliable service to the United States Transhumanist Party in an intermediate role which does not carry Officer status but may involve responsibility in organizing projects, events, or outreach. Such intermediate roles may be created at the discretion of the United States Transhumanist Party Officers and are not subject to the requirement in Subsection (ii) above.

Amend Article III, Section IV, to read as follows:

Section IV: For any new applicant to an Officer position, existing Officers will assemble and interview the applicant. The interview may take place prior to or subsequent to the confirmation vote for the applicant, depending on whether any existing Officer would consider the interview to provide additional information needed for the purposes of making a decision regarding the applicant.

In the process of the interview, the applicant and the existing Officers will develop an agreement that will encompass the duties of the position, how to perform the duties of that position, and any information relevant to that position. The agreement may be documented either in writing or by means of a recorded discussion at the interview.

Amend Article III, Section V, to read as follows:

Section V: Beginning in February 2021, Officers shall establish a public page of goals for the United States Transhumanist Party to accomplish within reasonable timeframes specified for each goal. As each goal is achieved, or as the timeframe for that goal elapses or is in need of revision, the Officers shall update the public page of goals to reflect such developments.

Amend Article III, Section VII, to read as follows:

Section VII: The Chairman shall be the chief Officer of the United States Transhumanist Party and shall preside at all meetings of the organization, or else appoint a substitute for any meeting where the Chairman is absent. The Chairman shall have the chief executive authority within the United States Transhumanist Party and shall be responsible for the principal decision-making and organizational activities of the United States Transhumanist Party, including the maintenance of the United States Transhumanist Party Platform, the periodic organization of elections and votes on provisions of the Platform, and the development of discussion and outreach events involving the general public. The Chairman shall have the authority to decide any matter affecting the course, conduct, and official positions of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Chairman shall have the authority, but not the obligation, to proclaim and determine the structure of any meeting, convention, assembly, or other forum for conducting the business of the United States Transhumanist Party at any time at the Chairman’s discretion. The Chairman may delegate any aspect of the Chairman’s responsibility to another Officer or Member of the United States Transhumanist Party at the Chairman’s discretion via a written delegation of authority. Such a written delegation of authority may be revocable at any time.

The Chairman shall appoint committees that are deemed necessary for the organization. Vacancies that occur for Vice-Chairman, Secretary, or Directors may be filled by appointment of the Chairman, preferably following a two-thirds vote of those Officers who take active part in the deliberations regarding such an appointment at any time during a discussion period of three days.

Amend Article III, Section VIII, to read as follows: 

Section VIII: The Vice-Chairman shall temporarily assume the duties of the Chairman in the event of the Chairman’s absence and the absence of a contrary delegation of authority from the Chairman. In the event of the resignation of the Chairman, the Chairman may designate a successor. In the absence of a designation of a successor by a departing Chairman, the Vice-Chairman, Secretary, and each of the Directors who desires the role of Chairman shall each select a random number, and then a random-number generator shall be utilized to select the next Chairman among the willing Officers, such that the Officer whose number is chosen shall become the Chairman.

Amend Article III, Section XI, to read as follows: 

Section XI: By majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may place on probation an Officer who fails to fulfill the duties of his or her office as specified in the documents developed by the United States Transhumanist Party to describe such duties. The probation period shall last as long as the Officers deem appropriate by majority vote, and shall include a written contract with deadlines and criteria for the fulfillment of duties. In the event that the terms of the probation period and/or contract are violated, the subject Officer may be removed from office by a majority vote and with the approval of the Chairman. An Officer may also be removed from office if a majority vote, with the approval of the Chairman, determines that the subject Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive and would therefore not be able to abide by the terms of any probation period. If an Officer has been entirely inactive and non-responsive for a period of three consecutive months, then that Officer shall be deemed to have vacated his or her position, unless the Officer affirmatively indicates a desire to remain in that position via a written communication to the Chairman.

The Chairman may take measures at the Chairman’s sole discretion to restrict, contain, sanction, or discipline any Officer considered to be acting in an intentionally hostile manner toward the United States Transhumanist Party. Any Officer discovered to be engaged in criminal activity, planning an internal coup, or spreading false allegations about other Officers to third parties or to the public, may, at the sole discretion of the Chairman, be immediately restricted from any or some portion of that Officer’s role within the United States Transhumanist Party upon discovery of such actions. A restriction is not an expulsion and is subject to subsequent evaluation by the remaining Officers. Upon subsequent evaluation, such restricted Officer may be removed from his or her Officer role and/or expelled from the United States Transhumanist Party by means of a majority vote of the other Officers, if those other Officers determine it proper to do so.

Add Article III, Section XII, to read as follows:

Section XII: During the first full calendar year in which the United States Transhumanist Party attains [Options:  10,000, 50,000, 100,000, 500,000, 1,000,000] members, the Chairman may, at the Chairman’s discretion, call for an election to the position of Chairman with at least two months of advance notice. To be eligible to run in such an election, any candidate for the position of Chairman requires the approval of two-thirds of existing United States Transhumanist Party Officers who occupy their positions at the time the election is first announced.

New Article VII: Candidates

Add Article VII, Section I, to read as follows:

Section I: In order to be eligible to become endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party as a candidate for any local, state, or federal political office, an individual must satisfy the following criteria.

(i) The individual satisfies the minimum qualifications pursuant to applicable law for holding the office for which the individual seeks to run.

(ii) The individual has never committed any violent crime, including any crime which involves physical injury or destruction inflicted upon any person or property. As used in this subsection, the term “violent crime” includes but is not necessarily limited to murder, manslaughter, rape, human trafficking, domestic violence, robbery, assault, battery, looting, arson, rioting, and vandalism.

(iii) The individual has never committed any financial crime which had any victim, including but not limited to fraud, embezzlement, theft, cybercrime, or financing of violent or criminal groups.

(iv) The individual has never engaged in documented acts of cyberbullying, cyber-harassment, or intentional spreading of false accusations against another individual online.

(v) The individual has never engaged in acts understood to be of a [Options: taboo, repugnant, repulsive, immoral, abhorrent, anti-human, deeply reprehensible] nature [Alternative Option: “in extremely poor taste” instead of “of a ______ nature”] within every contemporary agricultural, industrial, or post-industrial society. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party shall maintain an internal list identifying such [Options: taboo, repugnant, repulsive, immoral, abhorrent, anti-human, deeply reprehensible] practices [Alternative Option: in extremely poor taste], engaging in which or advocating which would be considered an automatic disqualification for holding any office within or receiving any endorsement from the United States Transhumanist Party.

(vi) The individual has never engaged in acts which are understood by the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party to have been undertaken by that individual primarily for the purposes of generating shock value or for transgression for the sake of transgression.

(vii) The individual must agree to participate in any process designated by the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party for the determination of whether or not that individual may be endorsed as a candidate and to respect the outcome of that process, no matter whether or not that individual is ultimately endorsed as a candidate.

(viii) The individual must agree to work collaboratively with the United States Transhumanist Party during the campaign season and not to disparage the United States Transhumanist Party as well as not to work contrary to the interests and goals of the United States Transhumanist Party during that time.

(ix) The individual must never have disparaged the United States Transhumanist Party or any of its current Officers in good standing within any written publication or public video or audio recording. This criterion does not, however, preclude constructive criticism, and a reasonable-person test shall be used to differentiate constructive criticism from disparagement.

(x) The individual must commit to running for office as a candidate endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party until the conclusion of the election in which the individual seeks to be a candidate.

(xi) The individual must have never reneged on a prior commitment to run for office as a candidate endorsed by the United States Transhumanist Party until the conclusion of the election in which the individual sought to be a candidate.

(xii) The individual must never have falsely alleged any electoral malfeasance on the part of the United States Transhumanist Party.

(xiii) The individual must never have undertaken or threatened to undertake any legal action or make any formal complaint to an external entity against the United States Transhumanist Party or any Officer thereof in good standing.

(xiv) The individual must express agreement with the Core Ideals of the United States Transhumanist Party as described in Article I, Section I, of this Constitution.

(xv) The policy positions of the individual should have significant areas of alignment with the United States Transhumanist Party Platform as described in Article VI of this Constitution.

(xvi) The individual must agree, in that individual’s public statements, to either (a) specifically and openly express support for transhumanism and/or life extension; or (b) specifically and openly reference the endorsement of that individual by the United States Transhumanist Party.

Add Article VII, Section II, to read as follows:

Section II: Prior to convening a vote of the members regarding whether or not the United States Transhumanist Party should endorse a candidate for any office, the Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party shall interview the candidate in order to determine the candidate’s compliance with the criteria in Section I of Article VII and the desirability of enabling that candidate to seek the approval of the members of the United States Transhumanist Party. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may utilize any additional criteria, including the Officers’ individual assessments of the candidate’s character, personality, and reliability, in order to determine whether or not to render the candidate eligible to appear on a ballot for consideration by the members.

New Article VIII: Additional Initiatives

Add Article VIII, Section I, to read as follows:

Section I: The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party may, at their discretion, form a non-political affiliate organization which would maintain the same leadership structure and Officers as the United States Transhumanist Party but which would not be a political party and would not be involved in any campaigns for elected office. All members of the United States Transhumanist Party would become members of the non-political affiliate organization unless they individually opt out of such membership. However, additional members may in the future join the non-political affiliate organization without choosing to join the United States Transhumanist Party. The Officers of the United States Transhumanist Party will otherwise have complete discretion to determine the name, activities, and focus of the non-political affiliate organization.