Search the Community

I wondered what Robert's Rules has to say about meeting and voting by email. I found this link (http://ualr.edu/jdberleant/papers/email-meetings.html#ref1), which aligns with my previous experience on boards and committees, but the rulesonline.com site doesn't seem to have any mention of email. In my particular situation, I attended our homeowners association board meeting to ask for clarification on one of their covenants. They talked like they would handle it via email to expedite matters, which I thought would mean a formal discussion in the minutes and a vote via email. Instead, they discussed it informally and I just got a reply from the president with what I assume was the consensus (no vote was made). The president is telling me now that there's no voting via email. I also don't know if they will show me the email thread, so at this point the process has not been transparent or open. I asked to see their emails on the topic but so far I've not been given them. I thought if you had a email discussion with a quorum of members, then it was to be available to review. Jeremy

Our bylaws state, “Voting by proxy and/or absentee ballot is prohibited.” And— “ARTICLE XV: AMENDMENTS These PTA bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (%) vote of the members present and voting, a quorum having been met, at any general membership meeting, provided that these requirements have been complied with” Can the executive board and membership vote on bylaws amendments via email?

My organization typically holds board meetings at the beginning of the 2nd week of the month. Those minutes are published in the newsletter, which is distributed in the first week of the month, following the approval of those minutes. This timing means the board meeting minutes aren't distributed to the membership until nearly 2 months after the meeting took place. We are looking for a proper way to distribute those minutes sooner than 2 months after the meeting. An earlier reply on this subject states: "You cannot approve the minutes via email unless the bylaws allow for voting via email." Our bylaws contain the following statement: "Voting by Board members can be oral or by a show of hands, if meeting in person, or via electronic transmissions at the discretion of the presiding officer." Is this statement sufficient to allow the board to approve board meeting minutes via email? Our current practice is to have the recording secretary send the minutes to all board members, allow several days for corrections, then send a final version of the corrected minutes several days after that.