phone vote

[Guest Mike Dickinson]

If a decision needs to be made quickly, can the ex bord vote by phone?  or How should this be handled?

[Weldon Merritt]

Only if the bylaws authorize it.

[J. J.]

No, unless the bylaws provide for phone voting.

 

All, or even a majority of members, may agree to the action and ratify it at the next meeting.

[Thomas J O'Brien]

I am no expert, however if you read the notation on page one of the the 11th edition it is not allowed. You then need to read pages 97,98 and 99 completely. Roberts rules make it clear that to do anything by telephone, teleconference, video conference, audio conference  and other electronic means, VERY specific rules need to be established. Roberts Rules clearly make establishing the rules SO cumbersome that one can determine that Roberts Rules does Not want any type of electronic meeting to be held. Read the Bullets on page 99 any person should be able to understand the difficulty that any group would have a almost impossible task of establishing rules. 

I would also say that No type of mail voting or decision making can be made and NO bylaw can allow it..

[David A Foulkes]

I would also say that No type of mail voting or decision making can be made and NO bylaw can allow it..

 

Well now........ if we look at page 97, line 9, under the heading of "EXTENSION OF PARLIAMENTARY LAW TO ELECTRONIC MEETINGS", the first words of that section are "Except as authorized in the bylaws...."

 

So, your claim that "NO bylaw can allow it" would seem to be contrary to what RONR states, don't you think?  Yes, there are additional qualifications that RONR places on such meetings to retain the character of a deliberative assembly, and these qualifications (and more) should be taken into consideration when adopting bylaws that allow them.  Simply put, such "mail voting and decision making" can be made, but only if the bylaws allow it.

[Thomas J O'Brien]

Well now........ if we look at page 97, line 9, under the heading of "EXTENSION OF PARLIAMENTARY LAW TO ELECTRONIC MEETINGS", the first words of that section are "Except as authorized in the bylaws...."

 

So, your claim that "NO bylaw can allow it" would seem to be contrary to what RONR states, don't you think?  Yes, there are additional qualifications that RONR places on such meetings to retain the character of a deliberative assembly, and these qualifications (and more) should be taken into consideration when adopting bylaws that allow them.  Simply put, such "mail voting and decision making" can be made, but only if the bylaws allow it.

Pages 97, 98 and 99 only speak to Electronic meetings. When I stated "I would also say that No type of mail voting or decision making can be made and NO bylaw can allow it.." I was speaking to Postal mail. RONR does not allow business to be conducted by postal mail. The argument can be made that e-mail can also Not be used to conduct business because it "does not constitute a deliberative assembly".

[jstackpo]

Pages 97, 98 and 99 only speak to Electronic meetings. When I stated "I would also say that No type of mail voting or decision making can be made and NO bylaw can allow it.." I was speaking to Postal mail. RONR does not allow business to be conducted by postal mail. The argument can be made that e-mail can also Not be used to conduct business because it "does not constitute a deliberative assembly".

 

Well...  RONR, all by itself, I agree, doesn't "allow" postal (or e-) mail "meetings" or voting, but the book does tell you that such meetings are OK, once you adopt some rules or "permissions" in the bylaws.  Bylaws, don't forget, always supersede RONR where they differ.

 

So saying"NO [sic] bylaw can allow it" is an overstatement.

 

Check your internal mailbox (at the top of this or any page) for links to a possible set of those rules.

[J. J.]

 

Check your internal mailbox (at the top of this or any page) for links to a possible set of those rules.

 

Could you send that link to my inbox as well. 

[jstackpo]

Done.

[Josh Martin]

Roberts Rules clearly make establishing the rules SO cumbersome that one can determine that Roberts Rules does Not want any type of electronic meeting to be held.

 

No, that's going too far. I think it is fair to say that RONR frowns upon any meeting which doesn't meet the requirement of "equivalent conditions of opportunity for simultaneous aural communication among all participants" (RONR, 11th ed., pg. 1, lines 12-14). In fact, if it doesn't meet that requirement, RONR wouldn't consider it a meeting (pg. 1, footnote). There is an article on the CD-ROM edition with some sample rules for meetings which do meet that requirement. There's a difference betwen a teleconference and a series of e-mails. Either will require special rules of order, but the latter is considerably more complex.

 

I would also say that No type of mail voting or decision making can be made and NO bylaw can allow it..

 

I disagree on the "no bylaw can allow it" point.

 

Pages 97, 98 and 99 only speak to Electronic meetings. When I stated "I would also say that No type of mail voting or decision making can be made and NO bylaw can allow it.." I was speaking to Postal mail. RONR does not allow business to be conducted by postal mail. The argument can be made that e-mail can also Not be used to conduct business because it "does not constitute a deliberative assembly".

 

An assembly is free to adopt rules permitting business to be conducted by postal mail or e-mail in its bylaws if it wishes, provided it does not conflict with a higher level rule (pg. 12, lines 25-30). RONR can't really prevent an organization from putting certain rules in its bylaws (although it can and does advise against it in some cases), since the bylaws take precedence over RONR (pg. 16, lines 21-27). It is correct, however, that this does not constitute a "deliberative assembly" so far as RONR is concerned.