Guest Mychelle Blake Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:14 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:14 PM We have a small board of five members. A question has arisen about the chair voting in order to establish a quorum if a vote needs to be taken right away and not all board members can be present. In general our chair only votes to make or break a tie which is their understanding of Robert's Rules. May the chair vote on a motion when their vote is needed to make a quorum? Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:19 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:19 PM In general our chair only votes to make or break a tie which is their understanding of Robert's Rules. That's not quite correct (especially for a small board). See FAQ #1. May the chair vote on a motion when their vote is needed to make a quorum? The chair ultimately has the right to vote on a motion, and in assemblies using the small board rules he should feel free to do so in all cases. In a larger assembly, the chair refrains from voting except when his vote would affect the result or when the vote is taken by ballot. In any event, however, the chair's vote is not needed to make a quorum. The quorum is the minimum number of members that must be present in order for business to be conducted. The chair counts toward the quorum whether or not he votes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:20 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:20 PM Votes aren't counted to establish a quorum. The number of members present is all that matters. In a board of only five members, the rule in RONR is that the chair can vote any time he pleases (assuming he's a member). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:22 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:22 PM Unless your bylaws have a weird definition for it a quorum is determined by how many members are present not how many voted on a question (RONR p. 21 ll. 3-6). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:31 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:31 PM Unless your bylaws have a weird definition for it a quorum is determined by how many members are present not how many voted on a question (RONR p. 21 ll. 3-6). Well, this has been the rule for about the last 125 years or so, anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mychelle Blake Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:47 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:47 PM Thanks! Actually I should clarify, this board is doing their voting via deliberation on an online forum for private board business. So technically there wouldn't really be a "quorum." I guess a better question would have been, may the chair vote so that a majority (3) has voted on a motion? It appears from what everyone is stating that she may. We have a board where two of the five members are often MIA so the new chair is looking to vote on motions where in the past chairs wouldn't in order to get business moving forward. Although in the past it was understood that chairs only vote in a tie situation so I learned something new today! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:51 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 07:51 PM Thanks! Actually I should clarify, this board is doing their voting via deliberation on an online forum for private board business. So technically there wouldn't really be a "quorum." I guess a better question would have been, may the chair vote so that a majority (3) has voted on a motion? It appears from what everyone is stating that she may. We have a board where two of the five members are often MIA so the new chair is looking to vote on motions where in the past chairs wouldn't in order to get business moving forward. Although in the past it was understood that chairs only vote in a tie situation so I learned something new today! Well, for starters, the board may not vote "via deliberation on an online forum" unless the bylaws authorize this. If they do, then the society should have also adopted appropriate special rules of order to figure out how that works. If this arrangement is authorized, the chair is as free to vote as any other board member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary c Tesser Posted March 13, 2014 at 08:24 PM Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 at 08:24 PM Unless your bylaws have a weird definition for it a quorum is determined by how many members are present not how many voted on a question (RONR p. 21 ll. 3-6). It wouldn't have to be weird -- it could be odd, perverse, macabre, unusual, astonishing, strange, or hypertensive -- but of course you have it. (Rule of thumb, by and large, it's not weird unless a zombie is eating your leg.) [Edited to mention bugbear] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted March 17, 2014 at 02:26 PM Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 at 02:26 PM Thanks! Actually I should clarify, this board is doing their voting via deliberation on an online forum for private board business. So technically there wouldn't really be a "quorum." I guess a better question would have been, may the chair vote so that a majority (3) has voted on a motion? It appears from what everyone is stating that she may. We have a board where two of the five members are often MIA so the new chair is looking to vote on motions where in the past chairs wouldn't in order to get business moving forward. Although in the past it was understood that chairs only vote in a tie situation so I learned something new today! Ah. Well, if you technically don't really have a quorum because you "meet" online, then you don't technically have a meeting, and everything done is null and void. You can't vote unless you have a meeting, so no, the chair can't vote but neither can anyone else. RONR prohibits the use of an online forum for a meeting. But your bylaws may differ. If they do, follow them. In fact, follow them even if they don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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