"Declining" a nomination

[Jeff Hagan]

An issue came up at our club election on Monday night. I hope you can either confirm that I handled it properly or point out where I went wrong:

During nominations for club officer elections, one member (call her A) surprised another member (call her B ) by nominating her for president.

During discussion, B said that she did not want to be president and asked to decline the nomination.

Before the meeting while reviewing RONR, I hadn't seen any way to "un-nominate" someone. Also, our by-laws don't require nominee consent when nominating from the floor. I told her that the nomination would stand, but that the members should take what she said into account when voting.

Was this correct? Is there a better way to handle this situation?

(BTW: looks like the members did take what she said to heart. She got no votes.)

[Joshua Katz]

That sounds correct to me.

[Richard Brown]

It sounds correct to me, too.  If she had been elected anyway, she could have declined to serve, provided she did so immediately if she was present at the election.

Not many people would know that RONR does not provide for declining a nomination. 

[Jeff Hagan]

Thanks. It seemed counter-intuitive because the idea of declining a nomination is so familiar.

Something that occurred to me later: would the person who made the nomination be able to undo the nomination with a request to withdraw or modify a motion?

[Sean Hunt]

I don't have my copy of the Rules on me, but my memory is that a nomination can be unilaterally withdrawn, until nominations close, at which point it can only be withdrawn by unanimous consent.

[Joshua Katz]

2 hours ago, Jeff Hagan said:

Thanks. It seemed counter-intuitive because the idea of declining a nomination is so familiar.

Something that occurred to me later: would the person who made the nomination be able to undo the nomination with a request to withdraw or modify a motion?

Yes, like many incorrect things, such as tabling a motion to the next meeting (last weekend, I actually had a chair listen to me when I whispered to him about that!), approving the Treasurer's report, seconding a nomination...

I think that scripts for nominations should specify that every nomination will be seconded, and the chair will then say "nominations do not require a second.  Are there further nominations?" at which point, probably, someone will nominate someone, and someone will scream "second!"

[Richard Brown]

4 hours ago, Jeff Hagan said:

Thanks. It seemed counter-intuitive because the idea of declining a nomination is so familiar.

Something that occurred to me later: would the person who made the nomination be able to undo the nomination with a request to withdraw or modify a motion?

 

3 hours ago, Sean Hunt said:

I don't have my copy of the Rules on me, but my memory is that a nomination can be unilaterally withdrawn, until nominations close, at which point it can only be withdrawn by unanimous consent.

I'm not  aware of any provision in RONR that allows this.  It is my understanding that nominations cannot  be withdrawn, period.  If there is an exception, I would like to know about it myself.

Note:  It is possible that the language on pages 295-296 about withdrawing a motion would apply to nominations, but I have never looked at it that way nor heard it mentioned by anyone else.  It is an interesting question.

Edited May 4, 2016 at 10:03 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[George Mervosh]

15 hours ago, Richard Brown said:

 

I'm not  aware of any provision in RONR that allows this.  It is my understanding that nominations cannot  be withdrawn, period.  If there is an exception, I would like to know about it myself.

Note:  It is possible that the language on pages 295-296 about withdrawing a motion would apply to nominations, but I have never looked at it that way nor heard it mentioned by anyone else.  It is an interesting question.

I haven't either.  While making a nomination is classified a motion (tinted page 18, motion 49), it is, in effect a proposal to fill a blank.  

Even if you believe it can be withdrawn under the rules on p. 295ff you're not going to get a chance to unilaterally withdraw it.  {Member} "I nominate Richard Brown"  {Chair} "Richard Brown has been nominated"........right there ends your chance to unilaterally withdraw it since it has been stated.  There's just no time. So I respectfully disagree with Mr. Hunt's timeline, unless someone cares to elaborate on why his timeline is correct.

[Sean Hunt]

In retrospect, I think I had myself confused with notices. Sorry!

[Guest Hello!]

Hello,

I am a child and I was wondering what it means to decline a nomination and by doing so, what would happen?

Thanks for your time, 

Your Fellow American Child