Recording of votes in meeting minutes

[Guest Bill1201]

In Section 60, under The Body of the Minutes, bullet point 5, it states the following:

"The results of any form of vote as noted below. The votes on each side should be recorded in the minutes. The votes however are not recorded if the organization has a rule or tradition that they are not. If a roll call vote is taken, record the names of those voting on each side and those answering "present".

My question is: When there is no rule or tradition on the issue, should the names of those voting on each side be recorded for any vote or only in the case of a roll call.

[Josh Martin]

18 minutes ago, Guest Bill1201 said:

In Section 60, under The Body of the Minutes, bullet point 5, it states the following:

"The results of any form of vote as noted below. The votes on each side should be recorded in the minutes. The votes however are not recorded if the organization has a rule or tradition that they are not. If a roll call vote is taken, record the names of those voting on each side and those answering "present".

My question is: When there is no rule or tradition on the issue, should the names of those voting on each side be recorded for any vote or only in the case of a roll call.

For starters, you’re reading the wrong book. I suspect you’re reading an outdated edition (most likely the 4th, published in 1915, since that text is in the public domain). The minutes are covered in Section 48 in The Right Book. Section 60 is regarding Conventions Not of a Permanent Society.

In any event, if there is no rule or custom on the issue, the names of those voting on each side should only be recorded in the case of a roll call vote.

The rule in the current edition reads as follows:

”When a count has been ordered or the vote is by ballot, the number of votes on each side should be entered; and when the voting is by roll call, the names of those voting on each side and those answering "Present" should be entered.” (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 470)

Edited March 24, 2018 at 04:17 PM by Josh Martin

[Guest Guest Bill1201]

Thank you Josh. you are right, I was looking at a very old version of Roberts. I finally found what I think is the 11th edition online and see what you are referencing. I also find that in Section 60, in a paragraph beginning with "In keeping the minutes", there is a statement that says "when the voting is by yeas and nays he should enter a list of names of those voting on each side".

Voting in the organization I am dealing with votes by yea or nay votes. Am I correct in interpreting Roberts to say that the names of those voting on each side should be recorded?

[Dan Honemann]

I don't know what it is that you have found online, but it isn't the 11th edition.

In any event, voting by "yeas and nays" is exactly the same thing as voting by roll call.

[Josh Martin]

21 hours ago, Guest Guest Bill1201 said:

I finally found what I think is the 11th edition online and see what you are referencing

The 11th edition is not available online.

21 hours ago, Guest Guest Bill1201 said:

I also find that in Section 60, in a paragraph beginning with "In keeping the minutes", there is a statement that says "when the voting is by yeas and nays he should enter a list of names of those voting on each side"

You still do not appear to be reading the right book. As previously explained, Section 60 in the current edition isn’t about minutes.

21 hours ago, Guest Guest Bill1201 said:

Voting in the organization I am dealing with votes by yea or nay votes. Am I correct in interpreting Roberts to say that the names of those voting on each side should be recorded?

Well, what exactly do you mean by “yea or nay votes?”

Do mean that the President says “All in favor, say aye” and “All opposed, say no?” (And we do use “no” today, not “nay.”) That is a voice vote. In such a case, neither the number of votes on each side nor the names of those voting on each side should be recorded in the minutes. Instead, the minutes should simply note whether the motion was adopted or lost.

Or do you mean that the Secretary calls each member’s name, individually, and each member individually responds with his vote? That is a roll call vote. In such a case, the names of those voting on each side, as well as those voting “present”, are recorded.

Voting “by yeas and nays” is an old-fashioned term for a roll call vote.