voting for nominee following his withdrawal

[rhammar]

An election is pending for president of an organization. There are three nominees who were selected by a nominating committee. No election on the first ballot. At this point one nominee announces that he is withdrawing his name. On the second ballot he is elected, and he decides that he will accept the office. Some have questioned whether the votes for a nominee who announced that he was withdrawing as a nominee should be counted. The question is whether members' votes subsequent to a nominee's announcement that he was withdrawing as a nominee should be counted. I believe they should, but cannot find an explicit basis in RONR.

[Rev Ed]

According to RONR, a nominee is a nominee - there is no way for a nominee to 'refuse' a nomination. A nominee can state that he/she will not accept election, but cannot refuse or withdraw the nomination. So if members elect the person, it is their choice. And if the person accepts the election then that is it. Nothing wrong occurred according to RONR.

[Josh Martin]

An election is pending for president of an organization. There are three nominees who were selected by a nominating committee. No election on the first ballot. At this point one nominee announces that he is withdrawing his name. On the second ballot he is elected, and he decides that he will accept the office. Some have questioned whether the votes for a nominee who announced that he was withdrawing as a nominee should be counted. The question is whether members' votes subsequent to a nominee's announcement that he was withdrawing as a nominee should be counted. I believe they should, but cannot find an explicit basis in RONR.

Members are free to vote for any eligible candidate, even a candidate who has not been nominated, so the question is moot. See RONR, 11th ed., pg. 439, lines 22-23.