Counting for Majority Votes

[Guest Jerry Tidwell]

If a Board, by it's by-aws, require a simple majority in passing a motion, how would a majority be deterimeined if all nine members were present and the vote cast was four (4) members vote YES, three (3) members ABSTAINED, one (1) member votes NO, and one (1) member did not cast a vote. By Robert's Rules of Order, would the motion be considered to PASS or did it fail because there was not a simple majority of members present casting a YES vote?

[Guest Edgar]

If a majority vote is required it's based on those present and voting so the motion passed, 4-3, with two (not one) members abstaining.

[Guest Edgar]

Sorry, I mis-read the vote. It was 4-1, with four members abstaining.

[sMargaret]

Of course, if the bylaws required a majority of all board members, it would have failed, as there were only 4 votes cast in favour out of 9 members in total. It's more likely that it was really a majority of votes cast, which was 4 to 1.

I'm not sure what the difference is perceived to be between 3 abstaining and 1 member not casting a vote...

[Tim Wynn]

By Robert's Rules of Order, would the motion be considered to PASS or did it fail because there was not a simple majority of members present casting a YES vote?

The motion is adopted by RONR's definition of a majority vote. See RONR (11th ed.), p. 400.

[David A Foulkes]

Of course, if the bylaws required a majority of all board members, it would have failed, as there were only 4 votes cast in favour out of 9 members in total. It's more likely that it was really a majority of votes cast, which was 4 to 1.

I'm not sure what the difference is perceived to be between 3 abstaining and 1 member not casting a vote...

Well, the bylaws "require a simple majority in passing a motion", which most would understand to be a majority of those present and voting. The assembly may interpret their bylaws to mean a vote of the majority of the entire membership, or of members present, thus the reference to the latter in Jerry's question.

It seems also likely that there is some (mis)understanding in the assembly that, in order to abstain, you must vocally announce "abstain!" to do so, which you would not do unless 1) abstentions were (improperly) called for, or 2) it was a roll call vote.

Since their bylaws are involved here in setting the voting threshold, it will be up to Jerry's organization to interpret them (see RONR 11, pp. 588-591, Jerry), and all we can do is offer what RONR has to say on the matter.

[Gary Novosielski]

If a Board, by it's by-aws, require a simple majority in passing a motion, how would a majority be deterimeined if all nine members were present and the vote cast was four (4) members vote YES, three (3) members ABSTAINED, one (1) member votes NO, and one (1) member did not cast a vote. By Robert's Rules of Order, would the motion be considered to PASS or did it fail because there was not a simple majority of members present casting a YES vote?

The vote is 4-1, which is certainly a majority of those present AND voting. That's RONR's definition of a majority vote.

In fact, four members abstained. Abstentions should be neither called for nor counted. Anyone who does not vote has abstained, and anyone who has explicitly abstained has not cast a vote.