Voting of members not present

[Guest Chris]

Can a member vote on a matter only by listening to a recording or reading a transcript of a meeting, member did not attend the meeting. 

[Joshua Katz]

This needs some context.  Normally, voting happens at a meeting, so what is being proposed is unclear.

[Josh Martin]

6 minutes ago, Guest Chris said:

Can a member vote on a matter only by listening to a recording or reading a transcript of a meeting, member did not attend the meeting. 

I’m a bit puzzled. It seems quite clear that a member cannot vote after the meeting is over, since the vote is over. The “recording or transcript” bit suggests that the meeting is over.

What is the situation here? Are there two meetings involved here - one which the “recording or transcript” is for, and a second meeting where the vote in question occurs?

[Hieu H. Huynh]

40 minutes ago, Guest Chris said:

Can a member vote on a matter only by listening to a recording or reading a transcript of a meeting, member did not attend the meeting. 

Absentee voting is prohibited unless your bylaws provide for it.

[Richard Brown]

Agreeing with all of the previous responses, more information is necessary in order to properly answer the question. Guest Chris, please clarify exactly what the situation is.

[J. J.]

On 1/9/2018 at 9:26 PM, Guest Chris said:

Can a member vote on a matter only by listening to a recording or reading a transcript of a meeting, member did not attend the meeting. 

A member may decide how to vote on an issue by listening to a recording or reading a transcript of a previously held meeting.  He may use any method he chooses to determine how he will vote, including, but not limited to, voting as another member suggests, tossing a coin, consulting a deck of Tarot cards, or by reading comments posted on Internet message boards.   A member may be absent during debate on a motion, and show up as the vote is being taken, and still vote, even if he was not present when the motion was put to the assembly by the chair.

Unless your bylaws say otherwise, a member cannot vote on a motion decided at the previous meeting.  He can only vote when the vote is taken within a meeting, or at a time and place designated by the assembly for voting. 

I think someplace in there is an answer to you question, but as the others have suggested, please elaborate. 

Edited January 11, 2018 at 03:10 AM by J. J.

[Guest Chris]

Yes there was a meeting with 4 out of 7 members present.  The board met at a later date, not open to the public where 5 members voted and made a decision stating that the one member that wasn’t present at the 1st meeting “read” the transcript and not only voted by made the motion 

[Richard Brown]

22 minutes ago, Guest Chris said:

Yes there was a meeting with 4 out of 7 members present.  The board met at a later date, not open to the public where 5 members voted and made a decision stating that the one member that wasn’t present at the 1st meeting “read” the transcript and not only voted by made the motion 

I gather that there were two meetings.  At the first meeting, something was discussed but not voted on.   Member X was absent at that meeting.  Then there was a second meeting at which the issue came up again and that Mr. X was at this second meeting and voted on the matter based on what he read or heard from a transcript or recording from the first meeting.  Is that what happened?  If so, member X was completely within his rights, based on RORN,  to move on the issue, debate the issue and vote on the issue as long as he was present at the second meeting where the voting actually took place.  There is not even any need that he know anything at all about the issue he is voting on.  He could be completely in the dark as to what it is all about and could vote simply on whether he thinks it is a good (or bad) idea, no matter how uninformed his vote is.

Edited January 10, 2018 at 10:19 PM by Richard Brown
Typographical correction

[Josh Martin]

1 hour ago, Guest Chris said:

Yes there was a meeting with 4 out of 7 members present.  The board met at a later date, not open to the public where 5 members voted and made a decision stating that the one member that wasn’t present at the 1st meeting “read” the transcript and not only voted by made the motion 

None of this violates any rule in RONR. It appears that the member was present when he made the motion and when he voted. That’s what counts. The fact that he was not present at the previous meeting is irrelevant.

Indeed, the member would still have had the right to vote even if he had not read the transcript.

[J. J.]

5 hours ago, Guest Chris said:

Yes there was a meeting with 4 out of 7 members present.  The board met at a later date, not open to the public where 5 members voted and made a decision stating that the one member that wasn’t present at the 1st meeting “read” the transcript and not only voted by made the motion 

To agree with the other two posters, there is no requirement for a member to listen to debate on a motion, or be present for debate.  He is also free to make a motion that is otherwise in order.  The member did not even need to read the transcript to vote on or make a motion.