Voting and Robert's Rules

[Guest hlilja]

If the Board of Managers of a condo association indicates that it conducts the Annual Meeting under Robert's Rules, can the unit owners:

1. expect that they can abstain from voting for one or more of the 5 candidates on the ballot for Board membership and still have their ballots considered valid

2. expect that they can use write-in candidates to substitute for candidates printed on the ballot and still have their ballots considered valid [if it is concluded by the Forum that (1.) above is a By-Law issue]

3. request that the tellers be expanded from 2 (Manager and a Board selected second) to 3 (Manager and 2 randomly selected unit owners in attendance at the Annual Meeting).

[Bruce Lages]

If Robert's Rules (RONR) is the only authority that governs then:

1) yes

2) yes

3) since RONR states that the chair appoints the tellers, your request would have to be in the form of a motion to suspend the rules (RONR,11th ed. section 25 on p. 260) to appoint different tellers - a 2/3 vote would be required.

However it is possible that your association's own rules and/or applicable state or local laws may also apply to these situations. You need to check them carefully, since they would take precedence over what RONR has to say.

[Josh Martin]

3) since RONR states that the chair appoints the tellers, your request would have to be in the form of a motion to suspend the rules (RONR,11th ed. section 25 on p. 260) to appoint different tellers - a 2/3 vote would be required.

...unless, of course, the chair consents to the request.

[Guest hlilja]

To Bruce and Josh,

Many thanks for your input.

Herm

P.S. Can we expect that the count for each candidate will be announced?

[George Mervosh]

P.S. Can we expect that the count for each candidate will be announced?

In case Bruce and Josh are at happy hour this Friday afternoon -

It must be announced. The sample tellers report is on p. 417 in RONR, and note: "The tellers' report is entered in full in the minutes, becoming a part of the official records of the organization. Under no circumstances should this be omitted in an election or in a vote on a critical motion out of a mistaken deference to the feelings of unsuccessful candidates or members of the losing side." RONR (11th ed.), p. 418

[Guest nhHJCX]

George,

Many thanks.

Herm