One Man One Vote

[Guest TomJT]

May an individual control greater than one vote on a committee or board?   Our county political party has 52 positions on our state central committee; two held by virtue of being our county chairman and first vice chairman.  The remaining 50 positiions are determined by a vote of the central committee members.  Some individuals are members of the state central committee by election or appointment to state officer/copmmittee positions, or by being  a chairman or president of a statewide associate organization.

 

In a recent election for membership from our county to the state central committee two individuals hold two positions on the state central committee.  One due to a county officer position the other due to being president of a statewide associate organization.  Both state that they wish to retain both voting positions and pledge not to vote twice.  In an earlier state meeting an individual controlled two votes and said that he had provided  a proxiy of one position to another individual so he was oaky as he only voted once.

 

My interpertation of Roberts, page 407, One Man One Vote, would indicated that holding two positions on the central committee is not appropriate.  Nor may they extend a proxey to anyone else for voting a second controlled vote. My suggestion to our executive committee is that each individual should resign from the position least desired and that we should elect two other individuals to fill the thus empty seats.  It would seem incorrect for anyone to hold greater than one vote while voting only once and thus our organization would be disenfranchised that non-voted vote.  As happens frequently one vote may make the difference between passing or rejecting a question.

[Guest Edgar]

In an earlier state meeting an individual controlled two votes and said that he had provided  a proxy of one position to another individual so he was okay as he only voted once.

Huh? 

 

My interpretation of Roberts, page 407, One Man One Vote, would indicated that holding two positions on the central committee is not appropriate.

Holding two positions is fine (as long as they're not identical positions). What's not fine is having two votes.

 

But that's just the RONR default.

 

As always, your rules (however bizarre they might be) may vary.

[Josh Martin]

May an individual control greater than one vote on a committee or board?

 

Only if the organization's bylaws so provide.

 

My interpertation of Roberts, page 407, One Man One Vote, would indicated that holding two positions on the central committee is not appropriate.

 

Actually, so far as RONR is concerned it is entirely appropriate for a member to hold more than one position, but he only has one vote regardless of how many positions he holds.

 

Nor may they extend a proxey to anyone else for voting a second controlled vote.

 

RONR solves this problem by not allowing proxies at all. For any questions about proxies, see FAQ #10, especially the last sentence.

 

Although I'm rather skeptical that a member with only one vote may give away a "second vote" that he doesn't have in the first place.

 

My suggestion to our executive committee is that each individual should resign from the position least desired and that we should elect two other individuals to fill the thus empty seats.  It would seem incorrect for anyone to hold greater than one vote while voting only once and thus our organization would be disenfranchised that non-voted vote.  As happens frequently one vote may make the difference between passing or rejecting a question.

 

This suggestion seems entirely reasonable. It would also be perfectly proper (unless your bylaws provide otherwise) for the members to continue holding both positions, but they only get one vote.