Question about Voting

[heymetoothanks]

When it comes to a 2/3 majority, I understand that it is 2/3+1. However, let's say I have a chamber of 20, would I round up to 15 or round down to 14?

[Joshua Katz]

Stop. 

First, it's a 2/3 vote, not a 2/3 majority, which would be a contradict.

Second, a 2/3 vote is just that - twice as many in favor as opposed.  It does not involve adding one.

Third, if you have 20 people voting, then 14 need to vote in favor (14 is more than twice 6).  However, if you have 20 present, that doesn't mean you need 14 in favor, since abstentions are possible.  You just need that, of those voting, twice as many are in favor as opposed.

Bonus:  A majority also doesn't involve adding one to anything.  A majority is "more than half."  A majority vote is more than half of the votes cast being in favor, or more in favor than opposed.  Never add one in parliamentary law.

[Hieu H. Huynh]

And see FAQ #5.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 3/7/2016 at 4:35 PM, heymetoothanks said:

When it comes to a 2/3 majority, I understand that it is 2/3+1. However, let's say I have a chamber of 20, would I round up to 15 or round down to 14?

You understand incorrectly.  A 2/3 vote is 2/3, not 2/3 +1.  In other words a 8-4 vote or a 50-25 vote in favor would constitute 2/3 approval.   If there are at least twice as many Yes votes than No votes, that's a 2/3 approval.  

It makes no difference how many people are in the chamber, as long as a quorum is present, so knowing that there are 20 present does not tell you how many votes you need to pass a motion.  What matters is how many of the members actually vote, since they are free to abstain if they wish. 

No rounding is ever necessary, only the comparison of two numbers.  If all 20 members vote (i.e., nobody abstains), it would take a 14-6 vote, 14 is greater than or equal to 2/3 *20, = 13 1/3.  But it's just as easy to note that 14 is at least twice as many as 6, but that 13 is not twice as many as 7.