quorum

[Guest sam]

We are.about to vote on amending by laws. How do I ensure that we have met quorum. Is there a motion I can make to get a correct count? How about when we vote. We have done verbal but im afraid mon members are voting also if we ue a general yea or nay.

[Guest Edgar]

We are.about to vote on amending by laws. How do I ensure that we have met quorum. Is there a motion I can make to get a correct count? How about when we vote. We have done verbal but im afraid mon members are voting also if we ue a general yea or nay.

If you're concerned about non-members voting, exclude them from the meeting (or seat them in a separate part of the room). As for the quorum, if it's close you could always count heads. Or count members as they arrive and leave. What sort of numbers are we talking about here. Dozens? Hundreds?

By the way, should amending your bylaws require a two-thirds vote, a voice vote is not appropriate.

[Steven Britton]

In general, an organization would not call a meeting to order until a quorum is present. If after an important vote is taken and you don't believe a quorum is present in the room, rise and raise a point of order. "Mr. President I raise a point of order; I am in doubt of whether we presently have a quorum at this meeting"

The presdent should ask the secretary to call the roll of members or to take other measures to verify that a quorum is present. If the assembly is larger and voting cards were issued to members in attendence, it would be easy to take a count of all persons with voting cards, still remaining in the room

[Guest Guest]

We are talking dozens. There is no way that the board or recording secretary will sort them out. Im afraid non members will vote on amendment changes. Why isnt a voice vote appropriate.

[Josh Martin]

There is no way that the board or recording secretary will sort them out.

The board and the recording secretary don't have a choice in the matter (or at least, they have no more authority than the other members in making the decision). At a meeting of the general membership, the general membership controls the hall. Adopt a motion ordering the nonmembers to be removed from the room or moved to their own section. A majority vote is sufficient.

Why isnt a voice vote appropriate.

Because amendments to the Bylaws generally require a 2/3 vote, and it's very difficult to estimate whether a 2/3 vote has been obtained with a voice vote.

[David A Foulkes]

How do I ensure that we have met quorum.

The same way anyone else would - count them heads!

We are talking dozens. There is no way that the board or recording secretary will sort them out. Im afraid non members will vote on amendment changes. Why isnt a voice vote appropriate.

Well, unless by "dozens" you mean something like 50 dozens, I don't imagine it would be too too hard to count heads. Not sure what problem anyone would have doing so. Why are there non-members present at all, and apparently in such numbers so as to give you concern about both accurate member count and the possible effect of their voting (which they shouldn't be doing, nor allowed to do anyway)?

Because amendments to the Bylaws generally require a 2/3 vote, and it's very difficult to estimate whether a 2/3 vote has been obtained with a voice vote.

Not to mention the difficulty in discerning a non-member's voice vote out of the rest.

[Gary Novosielski]

We are talking dozens. There is no way that the board or recording secretary will sort them out. Im afraid non members will vote on amendment changes. Why isnt a voice vote appropriate.

Why not? Can't they count? Or can't they count up to "dozens"?

It was already suggested to you that you could exclude non-members from the room (why are they there in the first place?) or have them sit in another part of the room. Or issue distinctive voting cards to members (only) and when counting votes, do not count anyone not holding a voting card.

Voice votes can be used to determing which choice has more support, as long as it is not very close, but it's not resonable to expect someone to determine whether those in favor are twice as much as those opposed, i.e., two thirds. A rising (standing vote) or show of hands can give a more reliable estimate. And unless you put a gag on the non-members, they'll be capable of answering too, which you said you were afraid of, some moments ago.

[Josh Martin]

Why not? Can't they count? Or can't they count up to "dozens"?

I suspect that the assembly is small enough that it's not that hard to count the people, but it's large enough that it's difficult for the presiding officer, secretary or tellers to know off the top of their head who is and isn't a member (especially from a distance).

Or issue distinctive voting cards to members (only) and when counting votes, do not count anyone not holding a voting card.

A very wise idea. Indeed, many large conventions use voting cards and have nonmembers seated in a separate section of the hall, to provide multiple mechanisms to ensure that only members are permitted to vote.

A rising (standing vote) or show of hands can give a more reliable estimate.

Well, since the size of the assembly apparently numbers in the dozens, a rising vote would be preferable. A show of hands vote is generally recommended for smaller assemblies.

[Guest david swatland]

First time on here this is actually a question:

If a council has 15 members but 2 of the seats are unfilled. Is Quorum 8 or 7?

Thanks! Regards, david

[Trina]

First time on here this is actually a question:

If a council has 15 members but 2 of the seats are unfilled. Is Quorum 8 or 7?

Thanks! Regards, david

If quorum is otherwise undefined, it is a majority of actual members (not a majority of potential members). For an assembly with 13 members, quorum would be 7.