Election of HOA Board Officers

[Guest Linda Burke]

Our HOA by-laws mandate an organizational meeting of directors to elect officers immediately (or within 10 days) after the Annual Homeowners' meeting to elect directors.  However, the bylaws do not specify that Robert's Rules be applied to this meeting, as it does require for regular board meetings.  Do the Rules have a procedure for the nomination and election of officers?  For example, are seconds required for each nomination?  Must each candidate be voted on before another can be nominated?  If no candidate for an office achieves a majority, what are the options?

We had a rather messy election process, and i would like to suggest that we adopt RONR before the next meeting.

[Josh Martin]

However, the bylaws do not specify that Robert's Rules be applied to this meeting, as it does require for regular board meetings.

 

...

 

We had a rather messy election process, and i would like to suggest that we adopt RONR before the next meeting.

 

I find it rather unlikely that your bylaws provide that RONR applies to all meetings except this one, but if that is indeed the situation, see here for how to fix that.

 

Do the Rules have a procedure for the nomination and election of officers?

 

Yes. See RONR, 11th ed., pgs. 430-446.

 

For example, are seconds required for each nomination?

 

No.

 

Must each candidate be voted on before another can be nominated?

 

No. Nominations are completed prior to voting (although the assembly may reopen the nominations later if it wishes). In contested officer elections, a ballot vote is usually the best option, so members vote for the candidate of their choice rather than voting "yes" or "no" on each candidate in succession (which is the practice in a voice vote). In either event, however, nominations are completed first.

 

If no candidate for an office achieves a majority, what are the options?

 

Keep trying until one candidate achieves a majority.