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Voting and determining the majority


Jenn

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I am learning different concepts presented in RONR and I want to be certain that I am interpreting pg. 403 correctly. If there are 50 members eligible to vote and 50 vote, 26 is a simple majority and 34 is a 2/3 majority. However,  if only 40 of the eligible 50 members vote on a particular motion, is the simple majority 21 (27 for 2/3 majority) or should 26 be considered the threshold for a simple majority (27 for 2/3 majority) based on attendance?

Also, lines 21-24 are unclear to me. Why would the chair need to count those present immediately after an affirmative vote?

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First, it must be determined if the vote needed is based on the number of votes, or based on the number of members present.

For example, your bylaws might say a matter is decided by a majority vote. If so, and there are 50 votes, you are correct that a majority is 26 and that's what's needed to adopt. If there were 40 votes, 21 would be needed to adopt. The number of votes determines what is needed to adopt.

But if the bylaws state the matter is to be decided by a vote of the majority of members present, that is different. In such a case, if there are 50 present but only 40 vote, as you say, the majority of members present (50) is still 26. If 30 vote, 26 is still needed to adopt.

Lines 21-24 apply in the case where the number of members present, rather than the number of votes, is the determining factor. So the chair needs to know how many were present at the time of the vote.

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