Online vote

[Guest Karen]

If our bylaws do not specify, can we hold an emergency online vote and ratify the decision

at the next scheduled board meeting?

[J. J.]

If our bylaws do not specify, can we hold an emergency online vote and ratify the decision

at the next scheduled board meeting?

No, unless permitted in the bylaws (p. 409).

[Trina]

...can we hold an emergency online vote and ratify the decision

at the next scheduled board meeting?

Since it's not authorized by your bylaws, the emergency online 'vote' would have no parliamentary significance at all. It might serve psychologically to make the members more comfortable about taking the risk of making a decision outside of a meeting, but, the online vote does not constitute a decision of the organization. The individual members are sticking out their necks, and taking a risk... until the decision is actually ratified at a proper in-person meeting.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

If our bylaws do not specify, can we hold an emergency online vote and ratify the decision

at the next scheduled board meeting?

Let's get The Book's prohibitions out of the way first.

• You cannot hold emergency meetings. (Special meeting must have bylaws' authorization.)

• You cannot vote on-line. (Any form of absentee voting violates fundamental principles.)

Okay. Now we can get to the real question.

For any given disallowed or unauthorized act taken, the organization is free to ratify that "bad" act and make it official.

Beware of exceptions. - If the organization could not have done action X regardless (i.e., in a properly meeting, with a quorum present etc.), then ratification of action X likewise will be disallowed.