Voting at an AGM

[Guest Scott Dalmas]

I am the president of my soccer club. Our constitution states every paying family has 1 vote at an agm. As my vote only counts in a tie break, can my wife attend and vote as our families "paying family member"?

[Trina]

If every paying family has one vote, why would you expect that your family might, on some occasions, be able to cast two votes? Or, in other words, if your wife votes, then the family vote is used up, and cannot be cast again.

The only exception would be if your bylaws specifically say that the president may cast an additional vote under these particular circumstances. Your bylaws would supersede the rules in RONR.

Under RONR, membership and voting are individual, and no member ever gets more than one vote on a question before the assembly. Also, the rule about the vote of the chair (under RONR) is that the chair may vote when his/her vote could affect the outcome -- this is quite different than saying that the vote of the chair "only counts in a tie break". See this FAQ for more detailed discussion of the chair's vote. Again, if your bylaws actually contain specific language about when your president may vote, that language would supersede the rules in RONR.