Voting question

[Guest Chad]

We had a vote for new candidates on the board. There were 6 candidates up for election (A-B-C-D-E-F), none of whom were one the board, and none of whom were present. We were electing 3. The top 2 would get a 3 year term, the next would get a 1 year term.  In addition there is a requirement that to be elected to the board, each candidate must receive a majority of the votes.  2  candidates (C-F) received a clear majority of the votes, with no 3rd candidate receiving enough to push them over the top.

 

So someone made a motion, and it was seconded, that we would vote again with only the remaining candidates, so A,B,D,E were now on the ballot for the 9 of us to choose 1.  Candidate D recieved the most votes, and received more than 5.

 

So we now have C and F as 3 year terms and D as a 1 year term.

 

Was this within Roberts Rules of Order, or did we mess something up?

 

 

Thanks in advance for any responses.

[Edgar Guest]

The top 2 would get a 3 year term, the next would get a 1 year term. 

 

If this is what your rules say than I think everything looks okay.

 

But I think RONR would suggest treating the three-year terms and the one-year term as separate and distinct offices. That is, the members would vote for up to two persons for the two three-year offices and for one person for the one-year office.

 

Stay tuned. There may be nuances.

[Shmuel Gerber]

So someone made a motion, and it was seconded, that we would vote again with only the remaining candidates, so A,B,D,E were now on the ballot for the 9 of us to choose 1.  Candidate D recieved the most votes, and received more than 5.

 

In this case, there was no need for a motion to do that, since that is what RONR prescribes: The candidates who have received a majority are declared elected (if there are not too many of them), and the balloting is repeated to choose among the remaining candidates.

 

But in general, when the assembly is deciding something, the mere making and seconding of a motion doesn't accomplish anything of substance unless that motion is adopted, either by a vote or by unanimous consent.

[Timothy]

Does it specify in your rules that the top two would get the longer terms? But the answer to that may not matter, because you ended up voting on the two term lengths separately anyway.