incomplete election

[rangle]

Bylaws require that election of officers be completed by a certain date. In the past we have always found it dificult to accomplish this due to the fact that we can not come up with a complete slate and we need to get candidates from the floor. In this case, if we find our election proccess running too long, can we make a motion to declare an incomplete election and adjourn the meeting to the next scheduled meeting thereby maintaining the same date and continue with the election?

[David A Foulkes]

An adjourned meeting should be established to complete the election. If not, and the next regularly scheduled meeting is within a quarterly time interval, the election can be completed at that meeting. (RONR 11th Ed., p. 444 ll. 9-15)

I'd say that if the bylaws require elections to be completed by a certain date, finishing them at an adjourned meeting won't satisfy that requirement. However, if the bylaws require they be completed at a specific meeting (the Annual Membership Meeting, the first meeting in May, and so on without specifying a date), then an adjourned meeting works.

[Gary Novosielski]

Bylaws require that election of officers be completed by a certain date. In the past we have always found it dificult to accomplish this due to the fact that we can not come up with a complete slate and we need to get candidates from the floor. In this case, if we find our election proccess running too long, can we make a motion to declare an incomplete election and adjourn the meeting to the next scheduled meeting thereby maintaining the same date and continue with the election?

You don't have to "declare" an incomplete election; it simply is incomplete by virtue of its not having been completed.

You can adjourn that meeting to a future time, or postpone the election until a regular meeting.

And you can point out to the assembly that the bylaws require the election to be completed by a certain date, and that by failing to do so they are violating the bylaws--shame on the bad, bad, assembly.