Elections

[ssp]

My group will have elections soon.  We are a small group (about 12 members).  According to our bylaws, only 4 people qualify for the role of president.  No one (including the current president) would like to take this office.

 

If no president is elected (even if the bylaws are suspended properly to allow other candidates to run), can elections still continue on for the other offices that are open?

[George Mervosh]

My group will have elections soon.  We are a small group (about 12 members).  According to our bylaws, only 4 people qualify for the role of president.  No one (including the current president) would like to take this office.

 

If no president is elected (even if the bylaws are suspended properly to allow other candidates to run), can elections still continue on for the other offices that are open?

 

You cannot suspend the rules regarding eligibility to hold an office unless a specific clause in the bylaws allows for such a suspension.  Robert's Rules do not allow for it.  You can, of course, proceed to elect the other officers, yes.

[jstackpo]

First check the bylaws.  Officers (current ones) may be in office "until the election of their successors" - if no election, they STAY in (at least until they quit or you finally do complete the election).

Or....

Announce that because of a lack of leadership interest, the organization will dissolve itself and go out of business.  Really.  Organizations don't last forever, and it is much better to close up shop formally than just drift along, and then wonder what happened to the bank account, far too long after the fact to do anything about it.

Often enough a threat like this one will shake some people out of the woodwork who will be willing to serve after all.  But if it doesn't, there is a message there...


You might also consider WHY no one wants to be president. Perhaps you're asking too much of that position. Perhaps the past presidents have made the job appear more difficult than it has to be. Perhaps the members are making it harder on the president than they should.

Perhaps the board should be doing more. After all, the only essential role of the president is to preside at meetings. Some or all administrative responsibilities could be delegated to, or distributed among, the board members.
 

[Guest Edgar]

 We are a small group (about 12 members). 

 

If only one-third of the members are eligible to serve as president you might want to consider changing the requirements (by amending the bylaws, as noted).

 

And if no one wants to preside over a meeting of a dozen people, or fewer, (and that's all a president has to do), you might want to consider dissolving the organization.

 

I'll assume no one wants to be vice-president either (or you don't have that office).