SECRETARY CAST ONE BALLOT

[Guest DOTTI]

AFTER DISCUSSING A MOTION AND SECONDING IT CAN THE PRESIDENT REQUEST THAT THE SECRETARY CAST ONE BALLOT TO MAKE THE MOTION UNANIMOUS.

[Shmuel Gerber]

AFTER DISCUSSING A MOTION AND SECONDING IT CAN THE PRESIDENT REQUEST THAT THE SECRETARY CAST ONE BALLOT TO MAKE THE MOTION UNANIMOUS.

Not if the vote is supposed to be taken by ballot.

"When a vote is to be taken, or has been taken, by ballot,

whether or not the bylaws require that form of voting, no

motion is in order that would force the disclosure of a member’s

vote or views on the matter. A motion to make unanimous

a ballot vote that was not unanimous is thus out of

order, unless that motion is also voted on by ballot—since

any member who openly votes against declaring the first vote

unanimous will thereby reveal that he did not vote for the

prevailing choice.

Whenever a vote is to be taken by ballot, it is out of order

to move that one person—the secretary, for example—cast

the ballot of the assembly."

(RONR, 11th ed., p. 413)

[Gary Novosielski]

AFTER DISCUSSING A MOTION AND SECONDING IT CAN THE PRESIDENT REQUEST THAT THE SECRETARY CAST ONE BALLOT TO MAKE THE MOTION UNANIMOUS.

No.

[Gary Novosielski]

"Whenever a vote is to be taken by ballot, it is out of order to move that one person—the secretary, for example—cast the ballot of the assembly."

(RONR, 11th ed., p. 413)

Conversely, whenever a vote is not to be taken by ballot, moving that anyone cast ballots of any sort would be frivolous and dilatory.

[Tim Wynn]

AFTER DISCUSSING A MOTION AND SECONDING IT CAN THE PRESIDENT REQUEST THAT THE SECRETARY CAST ONE BALLOT TO MAKE THE MOTION UNANIMOUS.

This is a bad practice, and, unfortunately, it is not an uncommon one. The same can be said of discussing a motion before seconding it. Avoid both.