Breaking a Quorum on Purpose to prevent a vote

[Guest Bob T]

We have a 6 member board. after declaring a quorum - 3 members walk out to break the quorum when the vote is not going to go the way they want.

 

Help...

[Josh Martin]

We have a 6 member board. after declaring a quorum - 3 members walk out to break the quorum when the vote is not going to go the way they want.

 

Help...

 

What exactly is your question?

[Guest Bob T]

any way to prevent the ongoing issue of Board members from breaking the quorum to prevent votes that dont want to happen?

[Guest Edgar]

If you don't have a quorum then you don't have a quorum.

 

You could try to remove those board members from office (not easy; see FAQ #20) or wait until the next election and replace them.

 

But three members out of six could at least create a tie so nothing would be done. Hardly worth walking out over (in which case nothing would be done).

[jstackpo]

At one point in the dim dark past, the Massachusetts legislature passed a resolution requiring the doors to be locked to foil "quorum breakers".

 

So instead they jumped out the (first floor) windows.

[Guest Edgar]

At one point in the dim dark past . . . 

 

And it wasn't too long ago when members of the Texas legislature fled north (to Oklahoma) to avoid being hauled back in to do their job. I guess fleeing south was too daring.

[Josh Martin]

any way to prevent the ongoing issue of Board members from breaking the quorum to prevent votes that dont want to happen?

 

Elect board members who don't do that. See FAQ #20 if the society doesn't feel like waiting until the next regular election.

 

Although I concur with Edgar that it escapes me why the board members are doing this in the circumstances.

 

At one point in the dim dark past, the Massachusetts legislature passed a resolution requiring the doors to be locked to foil "quorum breakers".

 

So instead they jumped out the (first floor) windows.

 

And it wasn't too long ago when members of the Texas legislature fled north (to Oklahoma) to avoid being hauled back in to do their job. I guess fleeing south was too daring.

 

Most assemblies don't have quite the same options available to them as legislative assemblies do to deal with such behavior - and so quorum-busters in other assemblies generally don't have to go to such great lengths as this.