executive officers voting in member assembly

[Guest Vic Chestnut]

Do executive officers typically hold the right to vote in member votes? For example: my organization has its annual general meeting, where each organization has one vote regardless of size. We used to have weighted votes, but this was changed several years ago.

In weighted voting, the executive officers of the board each had one vote, which was more ceremonial. When weighted votes were eliminated, the executive officers still kept their voting privileges.

Is this customary in most organizations?

is there anything within RR that addresses this?

Any help you can offer is appreciated.

[Gary Novosielski]

Yes, they can vote if they are members of the organization, just as any other member can. If they are members of the board but NOT members of the organization (which is possible but rare) then they can only vote on the board.

For instance, an Executive Secretary (or Executive Director) is typically hired employee who may or may not be a member of the organization.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks for the quick response. How common is it for executive officers to be voting members and still have the same voice or power as member organizations? These member organizations have their own membership ranging from 100 to 6700 people.

[Tim Wynn]

Do executive officers typically hold the right to vote in member votes? For example: my organization has its annual general meeting, where each organization has one vote regardless of size. We used to have weighted votes, but this was changed several years ago.

In weighted voting, the executive officers of the board each had one vote, which was more ceremonial. When weighted votes were eliminated, the executive officers still kept their voting privileges.

Is this customary in most organizations?

is there anything within RR that addresses this?

Any help you can offer is appreciated.

Each member can vote. What you're describing sounds like a convention, where organizations appoint delegates to represent them. In this case, the delegates are the members and have the right to vote.

So, determine who the members are at your annual meeting, and those are the individuals who can vote.

[Trina]

Thanks for the quick response. How common is it for executive officers to be voting members and still have the same voice or power as member organizations? These member organizations have their own membership ranging from 100 to 6700 people.

Are you saying that each one of the executive officers has one vote, and a representative of a member organization with 2000 people also has one vote? Do your organization's bylaws support this practice? As Mr. Wynn says, find out who the members actually are at your annual meeting.

[Gary Novosielski]

Thanks for the quick response. How common is it for executive officers to be voting members and still have the same voice or power as member organizations? These member organizations have their own membership ranging from 100 to 6700 people.

If the members of your society are themselves organizations, then I don't see how an individual board member could be a member of the society.

But I haven't read your bylaws, and I've seen stranger things than that.

[Guest Guest]

my organization is a state-wide youth sports organization, whose members are leagues/clubs from different communities. Each league/club has its own membership, ranging from 100 to 6700 players.

Originally, my organization had weighted voting for many years - the largest members carried more voice. The executive officers each had a vote when the membership voted (annual general meetings, special presidents meetings, etc), but because the voting was weighted they could not sway the election.

A few years ago the membership changed its bylaws and eliminated weighted voting but kept the executive officers' voting privileges in member votes. They now have the same right or voice as a member.

I am introducing a proposal to amend this, and I'm looking for any evidence or information I can use to support this motion. Any help is appreciated.

[Gary Novosielski]

my organization is a state-wide youth sports organization, whose members are leagues/clubs from different communities. Each league/club has its own membership, ranging from 100 to 6700 players.

Originally, my organization had weighted voting for many years - the largest members carried more voice. The executive officers each had a vote when the membership voted (annual general meetings, special presidents meetings, etc), but because the voting was weighted they could not sway the election.

A few years ago the membership changed its bylaws and eliminated weighted voting but kept the executive officers' voting privileges in member votes. They now have the same right or voice as a member.

I am introducing a proposal to amend this, and I'm looking for any evidence or information I can use to support this motion. Any help is appreciated.

Well, I think you're on the right track by pointing out that one person should not have the same voting power as 2000 people.

But then an equally good case can be made that member organizations with larger memberships should be allowed to send a proportionally larger number of delegates. Perhaps "one for every N delegates or fraction thereof", where N is large enough to limit the total number attending.

(That would be preferable, in my view, to "weighted" voting, as it does not violate the basic principle of one-person/one-vote.)