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Authorization of Absentee Voting


Willie Watson

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I would like some of you to weigh in (i.e., give your opinion) on a situation that occurred in my organization.  My local unit is an affiliate unit of a parent body. The parent body (ABC) is incorporated.  The ABC Corporation has adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority. Here is the exact wording used in the parent body’s bylaws:
Section 13: Parliamentary Authority   
The rules contained in the most current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, shall govern the proceedings of ABC in all cases to which they apply and are  not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules the Corporation may adopt or to which it is subject.

 The ABC Corporation is multi-national in scope and has an assembly that meets bi-annually. The venues for upcoming meetings are decided in the assembly meeting.  My local unit has two members (that the local unit elects) that are part of the parent assembly. The Bylaws of the parent body allow all non-assembly members of the ABC Corporation to vote on the election of officers and amendments to the ABC Corporations bylaws (via a postal-mail ballot). All other decisions (according to the parent body bylaws themselves) are to be made by the parent assembly with the caveat that the Executive Committee (EC) may act on behalf of the assembly between the assembly’s bi-annual meetings.  No other absentee voting has been authorized in the ABC Corporation’s Bylaws with the two exceptions noted above and no preferential voting has been authorized in the ABC bylaws at all.

 At the last assembly meeting, the ABC Corporation found itself without a quorum (could conduct no business) and had to adjourn without deciding a venue for its next meeting.  Following adjournment, ABC’s Executive Committee (EC) had a meeting and I assume (I haven’t see the minutes) decided to defer the decision on the venue to the affiliate units. The Corresponding Secretary sent a ballot to each affiliate unit and stated that each unit would have one vote on the upcoming venue. The ballot asked each unit to mark their first and second choice for the venue.  

 Here are my two primary questions:

  1. Does the ABC’s Executive Committee have the power to authorize absentee voting of affiliate units on the selection of the venue (or preferential voting for that matter) without authorization in the ABC Corporation Bylaws. Do the Executive Committee have to make the decision themselves within the confines of a properly called EC meeting.

  2. In that same vein, my unit has a set of local bylaws that also adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority (our local bylaws do not authorize absentee or preferential voting anywhere).  However, one member of the parent body Executive Committee who happens to be a member of my affiliate unit (they are not the President or Secretary in my unit) sent the ballot out via e-mail to members of the local unit and asked each member to mark their first and second choice on the ballot for selection of the venue.  What should be done with those ballots? I assume that they cannot be counted and sent in as the official decision of my unit because we have had no meeting to take a vote.

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5 hours ago, Willie Watson said:

1. Does the ABC’s Executive Committee have the power to authorize absentee voting of affiliate units on the selection of the venue (or preferential voting for that matter) without authorization in the ABC Corporation Bylaws. Do the Executive Committee have to make the decision themselves within the confines of a properly called EC meeting.

2. In that same vein, my unit has a set of local bylaws that also adopted RONR as its parliamentary authority (our local bylaws do not authorize absentee or preferential voting anywhere).  However, one member of the parent body Executive Committee who happens to be a member of my affiliate unit (they are not the President or Secretary in my unit) sent the ballot out via e-mail to members of the local unit and asked each member to mark their first and second choice on the ballot for selection of the venue.  What should be done with those ballots? I assume that they cannot be counted and sent in as the official decision of my unit because we have had no meeting to take a vote.

1.) No, the Executive Committee may not authorize absentee voting, and the Executive Committee must make the decision itself at a properly called EC meeting, but there is nothing wrong with the EC seeking the opinions of the affiliate units before making its decision.

2.) Correct. Since this is isn't an official vote anyway (see above), however, I'm not sure that really matters.

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