Guest kimesb Posted May 22, 2012 at 05:53 AM Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 at 05:53 AM Our association recently held a special meeting where a committee report was the presentation of a tentative agreement on a contract. In the announcement of the meeting, it was stated a vote could be made on acceptance or denial of the tentative agreement whenever the member had enough information to make their decision.The chair opened the meeting and turned it over to the chair of the committee with no motion being brought.While the committee report was being presented, a point of order was taken after a ballot was cast and the voting member left the room. The concern was that voting was taking place during debate.It was the chairs position the there was no motion to the membership for the membership to debate yet, there was no discussion to amend the announced voting procedure prior to the point of order and that the meeting should proceed as in the announcement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 22, 2012 at 07:39 AM Report Share Posted May 22, 2012 at 07:39 AM The chair was quite correct. Since the polls had not yet been opened officially (which would happen only when the motion to accept the recommendation to accept the contract was made, discussed, and "put" by the chair (see p. 44) ) the person had no business voting, the tellers had no business "accepting" his vote, and that vote should not be counted.The meeting announcement about letting members vote "whenever the member had enough information to make their decision" was seriously misleading The chair was following proper procedure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted May 23, 2012 at 12:32 AM Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 at 12:32 AM Except it sounded to me as though the chair ruled that the vote COULD be counted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 23, 2012 at 01:18 AM Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 at 01:18 AM I wonder if it made, or could have made, a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted May 23, 2012 at 01:34 AM Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 at 01:34 AM I wonder if it made, or could have made, a difference.It sounded as if the vote was the only one cast so far, at the time when the point was raised. If so, it was too early to use that as a consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kimesb Posted May 23, 2012 at 04:08 PM Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 at 04:08 PM It sounded as if the vote was the only one cast so far, at the time when the point was raised. If so, it was too early to use that as a consideration.It was accepted. Also, two previously unnoticed (by the objecting member) votes were cast prior to the point of order and a fourth cast during debate. The vote was overwhelmingly one sided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted May 23, 2012 at 04:14 PM Report Share Posted May 23, 2012 at 04:14 PM Possibly the premature votes were "illegal votes" -- definition on p. 416 -- but since the final vote tally was "overwhelmingly one sided", it makes no difference. The outcome stands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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