Motion

[Guest William]

Can the proponent of a Motion vote against that Motion when it comes to a vote.

Can a member who is opposed to an action force a vote by this tactic.

[George Mervosh]

1) Yes

2) Not necessarily. A majority might postpone it indefinitely or amend it to their liking, or send it to a committee for review, or postpone it to the next meeting.

[Guest William]

1) Yes

2) Not necessarily. A majority might postpone it indefinitely or amend it to their liking, or send it to a committee for review, or postpone it to the next meeting.

I agree but isn't the key word "majority"? If I wanted to see a position defeated because I knew it did not have a majority, Couldn't I use this tactic to bring it to a vote, vote against it and essentially kill it subject to only reconsideration requirements.

[George Mervosh]

I agree but isn't the key word "majority"? If I wanted to see a position defeated because I knew it did not have a majority, Couldn't I use this tactic to bring it to a vote, vote against it and essentially kill it subject to only reconsideration requirements.

There is no rule against putting forth a motion you'd like to see defeated and voting against the motion you made. You can't speak against it if you make it. Other than that it's fair game, but "kill" sounds so ever permanent.......it can be made anew at the next session if it's defeated.

[Guest William]

There is no rule against putting forth a motion you'd like to see defeated and voting against the motion you made. You can't speak against it if you make it. Other than that it's fair game, but "kill" sounds so ever permanent.......it can be made anew at the next session if it's defeated.

Thank you for the insight. I was under the impression that once a motion was presented and defeated it could only be raised again in a future meeting as a reconsideration. If not, what is there to prevent a defeated motion from being raised ad infinitum?

[Trina]

Thank you for the insight. I was under the impression that once a motion was presented and defeated it could only be raised again in a future meeting as a reconsideration. If not, what is there to prevent a defeated motion from being raised ad infinitum?

Nothing. A defeated motion can indeed be renewed (by any member) again and again and again at future meetings. If the majority of the membership is not in favor of the motion, they can deal with the motion fairly expeditiously when it rears its head again.

[Weldon Merritt]

A defeated motion can indeed be renewed (by any member) again and again and again at future meetings.

Technically, the motioin can be made again at a future session. Granted, for most ordinary societies each meeting is a sepaarate session. But in a convention, and in most legislative bodies (at least at the state level), a session encompasses multiple meetings. In those instances, a defeated motion can be brought back only by Reconsideration (within the appropriate time frame). It may be that Guest William is confusing legislative practice with that in ordinary societies (a not uncommon source of confusion).