Difference between nominations from the floor and write ins

[Guest PJ]

Am I not correct in saying there is a difference between nominations from the floor and write-ins?

At our membership meeting last month, the Nom. Comm. presented its proposed slate of officers. Nominations from the floor were solicited and there were some. Then the nominations were closed. Are the folks nominated from the floor as just described considered "write-ins?"

I always thought write-ins were those names that are proposed AFTER the nominations are closed.

Please help me explain this if my understanding is correct. Please provide Robert Rules references.

Thanks

[Rev Ed]

A nomination from the floor is when a member gets up and says something like "I nominate Joe to be a director." A write-in vote is when someone writes a person's name onto the ballot when this person was not nominated prior to when voting began.

[David A Foulkes]

Am I not correct in saying there is a difference between nominations from the floor and write-ins?

I always thought write-ins were those names that are proposed AFTER the nominations are closed.

Write-in votes are those that (not surprisingly) are "written in" on the ballot slip, which should include the names of candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee, and, assuming there is a delay between closing nominations and the election during which the ballots are printed, the names of those who were nominated from the floor. When the ballots are distributed for voting, the names of any eligible persons who were not nominated can be "written in" on the ballot slip. Those are write-in votes.

[Trina]

Sounds correct, except for the 'proposed' part -- no one has to utter the name of a write-in candidate prior to writing it on the ballot.

See RONR (11th ed.) p 431 ll. 1-3 for a clear distinction between nominated candidates and write-ins.

edited: sorry, posted too quickly the first time