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Vote "with reservations"


Guest C. Ofelt

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Can a Director vote "yes, with reservations"?

Assuming the response is affirmative and the vote counts as a "yes" vote, is the Director required to state those reservations on the record?

In the absence of any specifically stated "reservation" must the minutes reflect some general reservation or simply the outcome of the vote? 

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13 minutes ago, Guest C. Ofelt said:

Can a Director vote "yes, with reservations"?

Assuming the response is affirmative and the vote counts as a "yes" vote, is the Director required to state those reservations on the record?

In the absence of any specifically stated "reservation" must the minutes reflect some general reservation or simply the outcome of the vote?

I don't think so. Even if this could be done, what would it mean?

 

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3 hours ago, Guest C. Ofelt said:

Can a Director vote "yes, with reservations"?

No.

2 hours ago, SaintCad said:

Yes they can but I believe it would up to the chair to decide if it was a "Yes" vote or an abstension, subject to appeal.

I disagree. How a member votes is not a question for the chair or the assembly to decide. I would count this as a yes vote (because it seems to clearly be a yes vote), but if the chair feels there is any question on the subject, he should ask the member to clarify how he intends to vote. I do not think it would be proper for the chair or the assembly to simply decide that this was an abstention.

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In my opinion, if a person says "yes with reservations," I would count it as a yes vote, and move on.  I'm not sure if I'm saying yes or no to the original question.  As to "stating the reservations on the record" I would say not only are they not required to, but they may not.  Debate during a vote is out of order (meaning it's also out of order, in my opinion, to say "yes with reservations," but I feel more harm would come from enforcing that rule than from moving on).  If they give a soliloquy, it most certainly shouldn't be recorded in the minutes (unless the chair names the offender).  The minutes, if a roll call, should just say they voted yes.  If not a roll call, the minutes shouldn't say how that person voted, but, if a counted vote, the vote should be included with the yes votes.

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13 hours ago, Richard Brown said:

I agree with Josh Martin and Mr. Honemann. There is no such thing in RONR as a vote of "yes with reservations". The number must vote Yes or No or abstain.

I would include the possibility of an "illegal vote."   A member could answer "maybe" or "doubtful," the latter having a very old precedent.  I have seen a member attempt to vote "yes and no."

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No.  The only two ways to vote are Yes or No.   Of course the member may also abstain.  Since this is an individual vote, I presume that this is taking place in the context of a roll-call vote.  In that case the dialog might take place as follows:

Secretary:  Mr. Adams?

Mr. Adams:  Yes, with reservations.

Secretary: Mr. Adams--Yes.    Ms. Brown? 

And so on...  The fact that Mr. Adams may have reservations about his vote is of no parliamentary significance.  If Mr. Adams believed that his reservations were of any wider interest than to himself alone, the time to bring them up would have been during debate, not during the voting process.

 

 

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RONR does not care about 'reservations'.  If the member has any doubts about passing the motion (by voting yes) then the member should either abstain or vote no.  Plus, prior to voting, there should be some debate - as such the member should have raised any 'reservations' during debate.  The member would also have other options, such as moving that the motion be referred to a Committee or that the motion be postponed to the next meeting so members have a chance to think about the motion.

But the member saying yes would mean that I would count it as a yes vote and move on.

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