Voting rights of new members

[Lloyd L. Smrkovski]

When is a new membership application is completed and received by an organization's Treasurer, along with funds to cover the membership dues, when does the new member's rights begin?  For example:  if 10 new members walk into a meeting and hand in their completed membership applications, along with funds to cover said dues, do they have a right to vote on issues brought before the meeting officials, OR is their membership right to vote not valid until the membership funds are properly deposited into the organization's bank account(s)?  It seems reasonable that new memberships must have a grace period wherein they can immediately enjoy the benefits of membership upon completion of membership applications and after having paid said dues, but they would not be entitled to vote on any matters until the recipient organization took possession of their money, as in having it in the organization's bank account.  This policy seems intuitive, in that it would prevent "hostile" take-overs by individuals who by design wish to promote or push their own agenda, or the agenda of possibly one or more Officers/members or BOD of said organization.

[Chris Harrison]

Details on how someone becomes a member and when those rights start should be  located in the bylaws.

[Gary Novosielski]

4 hours ago, Lloyd L. Smrkovski said:

When is a new membership application is completed and received by an organization's Treasurer, along with funds to cover the membership dues, when does the new member's rights begin?  For example:  if 10 new members walk into a meeting and hand in their completed membership applications, along with funds to cover said dues, do they have a right to vote on issues brought before the meeting officials, OR is their membership right to vote not valid until the membership funds are properly deposited into the organization's bank account(s)?  It seems reasonable that new memberships must have a grace period wherein they can immediately enjoy the benefits of membership upon completion of membership applications and after having paid said dues, but they would not be entitled to vote on any matters until the recipient organization took possession of their money, as in having it in the organization's bank account.  This policy seems intuitive, in that it would prevent "hostile" take-overs by individuals who by design wish to promote or push their own agenda, or the agenda of possibly one or more Officers/members or BOD of said organization.

According to RONR, members have all the rights of membership the instant they become members.  Any variations on that theme would have to be contained in your bylaws.    RONR explicitly denies any link between the paying of dues and the exercising of membership rights, unless the bylaws have such rules.

So no matter what may seem reasonable or intuitive, the actual rules on precisely how one becomes a member,  when the rights of membership begin, and upon what additional factors those rights are contingent, must be in your bylaws, or they are not enforceable.