Information webinars to discuss motions with no chance for amendments

[Guest MJ]

Our board of directors has three motions it wishes our governing body to vote on before the regular meeting to be held Spring 2013. In order to expedite the vote they have organized an electronic discussion webinar and an electronic vote to be held immediately following the webinar. We found out that we can not amend the motions or even have free-lowing debate. The motions were sent in a 21 day mailing and we could send comments "to be included in teh webinar" but some of the comments will not be included because the Executive Committee has said that they will be discussed after the vote. Does this seem to be appropriate protocol? Thank you for your input.

[Chris Harrison]

Do your bylaws specifically authorize electronic voting? If they don't then you can't do it (RONR pp. 423-424). If the bylaws do authorize electronic voting then it would be up to you all to work out the details. As for the webinar the Executive Committee only has the authority that the bylaws give it so if the bylaws do authorize electronic voting you will have to look to the bylaws to determine what authority the EC has to limit what can be discussed. If the bylaws don't allow electronic voting then it really doesn't matter in the scheme of things what the EC says because nothing can be validly done until the next meeting where the motion would be fully open to debate no matter what happened during the webinar.

[Trina]

Our board of directors has three motions it wishes our governing body to vote on before the regular meeting to be held Spring 2013. In order to expedite the vote they have organized an electronic discussion webinar and an electronic vote to be held immediately following the webinar. We found out that we can not amend the motions or even have free-lowing debate. The motions were sent in a 21 day mailing and we could send comments "to be included in teh webinar" but some of the comments will not be included because the Executive Committee has said that they will be discussed after the vote. Does this seem to be appropriate protocol? Thank you for your input.

Adding to Chris's comments, this attempt by the executive committee to restrict debate and possible amendment is not supported by any rules in RONR.

Since you say the webinar and subsequent electronic vote are being organized to 'expedite the vote', I share Chris H.'s suspicion that the use of electronic voting is not authorized by your bylaws in the first place...