Elections without Quorum

[blackcatroad]

We have Organizational Elections Saturday. If we do not obtain a quorum, what steps can we take to hold elections, if any?

In the bylaws, officers may not serve a second term.

I, as president, do have the ability to suspend local units with cause. Can I suspend them based on non-attendance, therefore dropping the quorom requirement number?

Can I entertain a motion to suspend the rules in order to hold elections?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

[blackcatroad]

Additionally, there is no provision in the state or national bylaws in regards to this issue.

[Josh Martin]

If we do not obtain a quorum, what steps can we take to hold elections, if any?

You should set up an adjourned meeting (a continuation of the current meeting, scheduled for some time between that meeting and the next regular meeting), or if that is not possible, wait until the next regular meeting. Get a quorum for that meeting, and complete the election.

I, as president, do have the ability to suspend local units with cause. Can I suspend them based on non-attendance, therefore dropping the quorom requirement number?

This is a customized rule in your Bylaws, so it will be up to your organization to interpret it. See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 588-591 for some Principles of Interpretation.

If it is determined that you do have the authority to suspend members for non-attendance and your quorum is a fraction or percentage of the membership rather than a fixed number, yes, that would work.

Can I entertain a motion to suspend the rules in order to hold elections?

No.

[blackcatroad]

Josh, Thank you for the quick response.

The adjourned meeting will not necessarily work in our case because we meet as a state body only once a year. Or am I to induce that it would be a "special" meeting for the purposes of elections?

So, as long as long as the national Organization allows me to interpret that rule to say that local units can be suspended for non attendance, we should be okay?

If we do suspend local units, can it be done for just the election part of the Convention, or would it have to apply to the entire Convention Business Session, or is that up to the chair?

[Josh Martin]

The adjourned meeting will not necessarily work in our case because we meet as a state body only once a year.

That's actually exactly why you need to hold an adjourned meeting.

Or am I to induce that it would be a "special" meeting for the purposes of elections?

Well, not exactly, but I think you may have the right idea. Under RONR, a special meeting is a meeting which is called to deal with urgent business which arises between regular meetings and is limited to considering only the business included in the call. A special meeting requires notice to all members and can only be called as provided in the Bylaws.

An adjourned meeting, on the other hand, is called when an assembly cannot complete all of its business at a regular meeting. Usually this is because the assembly runs out of time, but in this case it is due to a lack of quorum. The adjourned meeting continues exactly where the previous meeting left off, and it can conduct any business which properly comes before the assembly, just like a regular meeting. An adjourned meeting is called by the assembly by majority vote and does not require additional notice... but it tends to be a good idea, especially in cases like this.

So, as long as long as the national Organization allows me to interpret that rule to say that local units can be suspended for non attendance, we should be okay?

As I said, if it is determined that you do have the authority to suspend members for non-attendance and your quorum is a fraction or percentage of the membership rather than a fixed number, yes, that would work.

Whether this is a valid interpretation of your Bylaws, and what role the national organization plays in interpreting those Bylaws, is beyond the scope of RONR and this forum. Under RONR, an organization interprets its own Bylaws. That certainly may be different for an organization which has a parent organization, but how exactly that works will take a careful reading of your Bylaws... and probably their Bylaws as well.

If we do suspend local units, can it be done for just the election part of the Convention, or would it have to apply to the entire Convention Business Session, or is that up to the chair?

It is up to your organization to interpret its own Bylaws (and apparently, maybe your parent organization too). See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 588-591 for some Principles of Interpretation.