Written Ballot on proposed amendment change

[Guest Rita]

We have a proposed amendment change to our state constitution. Each chapter must vote on it. So is this the correct procedure:

 

Read the amendment current and proposed

Ask for a motion to accept and second - state the motion

Ask for discussion

State that this motion requires a majority or 2/3ds vote by written ballot by chapter members present

The treasurer will anounce the number presente entitled to vote

Those in favor _ state motion _ will write pro.  Those oppose will write con.

 

Will ____ & ____ act as tellers

(Do I need 2 tellers)

Normally it is our vice president that passes & collects the ballots. Then the President and recording secrectary does the counting.

 

Please detail  how it should be done or where it can be modified.

Thanks you

[Thomas Ralph]

It is not usual for the treasurer to announce "the number presente [sic] entitled to vote".

 

Under RONR, the tellers pass and collect the ballots, do the counting, and report on these to the assembly.

 

There is no need to use a ballot vote unless your bylaws/constitution require this (which they might).

 

Pages 412-418 of Roberts Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 11th Edition explain the ballot process in detail.

[Josh Martin]

Will ____ & ____ act as tellers

(Do I need 2 tellers)

 

RONR does not specify a certain number of tellers, but the recommended procedure for counting ballots discussed in Parliamentary Law and the CD-ROM edition of RONR recommends five tellers. I've seen smaller assemblies get by just fine with three or four, but two seems a bit on the low end to me.

[George Mervosh]

There is no need to use a ballot vote unless your bylaws/constitution require this (which they might).

 

No, but it's not a horrible idea if the proposed amendment is something other than a no-brainer that will easily sail through since RONR recommends:

 

"The final vote on a bylaw amendment should be counted and recorded in the minutes unless it is nearly unanimous."  RONR (11th ed.), p. 594