Voting

[Don Fletcher]

May a council member or board member be required or forced to vote? I always thought a council member could vote for a motion, against the motion, or abstain. I have been told that a board member may not abstain unless they have a legal reason to abstain, and therefore must vote for or against the motion.

[Chris Harrison]

May a council member or board member be required or forced to vote? I always thought a council member could vote for a motion, against the motion, or abstain.

RONR p. 394 says:

Although it is the duty of every member who has an opinion on a question to express it by his vote, he can abstain, since he cannot be compelled to vote.

I have been told that a board member may not abstain unless they have a legal reason to abstain, and therefore must vote for or against the motion.

You have been told wrong as far as RONR is concerned.

[Tim Wynn]

May a council member or board member be required or forced to vote? I always thought a council member could vote for a motion, against the motion, or abstain. I have been told that a board member may not abstain unless they have a legal reason to abstain, and therefore must vote for or against the motion.

Sometimes an organization will adopt a rule that all members must vote (bless their little hearts). Other times a vote requirement will be stated as a portion of the members present or a portion of the entire membership, in which case an abstention counts as a negative vote. However, without such conditions, a member has the right to abstain, as Chris indicated.