Nominations and Voting

[Guest C. Graves]

According to our bylaws, the President has nothing to do with the nominating committee. At a previous meeting, the chair accepted three volunteers to serve on the nominating committee. On our scheduled meeting and voting day, members were provided with pre-printed ballots for the offices of President and Vice President. Our club is small (10 members this year) and there are 8 offices up for voting. Before the voting process, we found out that a sole member of the nominating committee decided that because of our size, most incumbents would keep their current office and we would vote for President and Vice President only. We were told that all members were notifited of this arrangement and agreed to it. With that information, voting proceeded. After the meeting, I was informed that not all members were notified of this arragnement, nor were the names on the ballot asked if they wanted to run for this office. The chosen President even said she was not sure she would accept the position of President.

Our bylaws do not address the issue of improper voting but it does accept RRO as an official ruling. Therefore I have two questions: (1) as current President, can this voting be declared invalid and the nomination committee allowed to do it again - properly? and (2) if this vote must stand and the member elected the new President rejects the position, do we vote again or does the new VP move into the President's position? (our by laws indicated that a vacancy in the Presidency must be filled by a sitting VP. None of the newly elected officers have been sworn in)

[Chris Harrison]

(1) as current President, can this voting be declared invalid and the nomination committee allowed to do it again - properly? and

No because it is the duty of the members to stand up for their rights and they should have objected right away when they saw something improper was going on. Since there is no violation of RONR p. 244 this is a unfortunate case of YSYL and they are stuck with the results of them not standing up for their rights.

(2) if this vote must stand and the member elected the new President rejects the position, do we vote again or does the new VP move into the President's position? (our by laws indicated that a vacancy in the Presidency must be filled by a sitting VP. None of the newly elected officers have been sworn in)

Has this person been notified of her election to the Presidency or was at the meeting when she was elected? If not, if she declines the office you will have an incomplete election and you would vote again to elect a President. If she had been notified (or was at the meeting) and didn't immediately decline then the election is complete (RONR p. 430). At that point the question would be whether there is a specific date in which the new officers take office (not just being sworn in)?

If that is not the case then she would resign her office and the vacancy filling procedures would kick in. If she hasn't taken office yet you all exist in a parliamentary nether world because the election is complete so you can't have an incomplete election but there also is no office to resign from yet. In that case I think your only option is to have her submit her resignation when she takes office and then let the vacancy filling procedure kick in (and of course the vacancy in the VP office would need to be filled and unless your bylaws say otherwise you would need to give previous notice that the vacancy will be filled at the next meeting).

[Guest C. Graves]

Thank you so much for your responses. We do have a problem with members remaining silent

during the meeting, then voicing concerns afterwards. Thank you !!!!!

No because it is the duty of the members to stand up for their rights and they should have objected right away when they saw something improper was going on. Since there is no violation of RONR p. 244 this is a unfortunate case of YSYL and they are stuck with the results of them not standing up for their rights.

Has this person been notified of her election to the Presidency or was at the meeting when she was elected? If not, if she declines the office you will have an incomplete election and you would vote again to elect a President. If she had been notified (or was at the meeting) and didn't immediately decline then the election is complete (RONR p. 430). At that point the question would be whether there is a specific date in which the new officers take office (not just being sworn in)?

If that is not the case then she would resign her office and the vacancy filling procedures would kick in. If she hasn't taken office yet you all exist in a parliamentary nether world because the election is complete so you can't have an incomplete election but there also is no office to resign from yet. In that case I think your only option is to have her submit her resignation when she takes office and then let the vacancy filling procedure kick in (and of course the vacancy in the VP office would need to be filled and unless your bylaws say otherwise you would need to give previous notice that the vacancy will be filled at the next meeting).

[JohnR]

If your bylaws call for a ballot vote on the remaining six offices, then those elections are incomplete. A vote by ballot must be taken. A point of order can be raised to this effect at any time.