e-mail vote

[newparlimentarian]

I am the new parlimentarian for a local organization. We recently conducted an e-mail vote to pass the budget. Our bylaws state that we can conduct e-mail votes when time is of the essence. In the case of the budget it should have been passed in March, however there was a falling out with the current board at that time and some of the members, so the vote was never conducted at the meeting in March. Most of the old board resigned the next month and so the incoming board had to take over. The question I have is we did not recieve a quorum of replies for the vote, I believe we were about seven votes short for a quorum, but of the votes we recieved the budget was passed by the majority. Do we need to reconduct the vote?

[Tim Wynn]

I am the new parlimentarian for a local organization. We recently conducted an e-mail vote to pass the budget. Our bylaws state that we can conduct e-mail votes when time is of the essence. In the case of the budget it should have been passed in March, however there was a falling out with the current board at that time and some of the members, so the vote was never conducted at the meeting in March. Most of the old board resigned the next month and so the incoming board had to take over. The question I have is we did not recieve a quorum of replies for the vote, I believe we were about seven votes short for a quorum, but of the votes we recieved the budget was passed by the majority. Do we need to reconduct the vote?

Take a look at RONR (11th ed.), p. 424, l. 4 - p. 425, l. 32, paying special attention to p. 425, ll. 32-33 and p. 425, ll. 29-32.

Generally a quorum, which relates to the conduct of business inside a meeting, would not factor into a vote by mail, which takes place outside a meeting. However, the specific rules of your organization that relate to such a vote must be followed, and they supersede RONR.

[SaintCad]

I guess I don't get the question. A quorum is the minimum number of members needed in the physical location of the meeting. You've chosen to dispense with that because of the email vote. Votes do not have quorums. If someone doesn't vote then thay are abstaining and there is no minimum threshhold of votes needed to be a valid vote.