Presidential Election

[marino5143]

At a recent school district board meeting (executive session) elections for Pres and VP were opened from the floor. There were 5 members present out of 9.  An individual received a nomination for Pres. and the final tally was 4-1.  Election failed.  Shortly thereafter, another board member arrived and another motion was made, duly seconded with a final tally of 5-1.  Vote carried.  The election for VP ensued and passed 6-0.  I maintain the election for President failed and therefore the VP will act as the Chair/Interim Pres. until another election can take place at another meeting.  Over the years, I've been schooled that once a motion fails, it can be brought back to the table, but not at the same meeting.  Please comment.

[Gary Novosielski]

At a recent school district board meeting (executive session) elections for Pres and VP were opened from the floor. There were 5 members present out of 9.  An individual received a nomination for Pres. and the final tally was 4-1.  Election failed.  Shortly thereafter, another board member arrived and another motion was made, duly seconded with a final tally of 5-1.  Vote carried.  The election for VP ensued and passed 6-0.  I maintain the election for President failed and therefore the VP will act as the Chair/Interim Pres. until another election can take place at another meeting.  Over the years, I've been schooled that once a motion fails, it can be brought back to the table, but not at the same meeting.  Please comment.

Presuming this is a public body, and subject to sunshine laws, there's a good chance the election would not be proper during executive session. But I'd have no way of knowing for sure.

If you had a quorum of five members, I don't understand why the 4-1 vote was counted as a "failure'. That's clearly a majority. As is the 5-1 vote later, so apparently no harm was done, at least. Do you have some rule that you failed to mention that the president must be elected by a majority of the full board?

You're correct that a failed motion cannot be renewed at the same meeting*, but that is not the situation here. An election is similar to a motion "that _____ be elected president" but if no candidate is elected, that is not a rejection of the question.  That is simply an incomplete election, and the correct thing to do in that case is to have a second ballot, or as many subsequent ballots as necessary, until someone is elected.   You probably should have done that before electing the VP, but there's nothing here that would invalidate the election, which is now complete.

 

__________

* but it usually can be Reconsidered at the same meeting.

[marino5143]

Our rules state it has to be a majority of the full board, as do most, other than a majority of those present.  Rotary bylaws are similar and when I proposed a change to "those present" there was some outcry; however, many meeting we didn't have a majority of the board.  The membership passed it.  In this case, the election of the VP didn't take place until after the sixth member arrived.  You're right, the election should have proceeded to the VP.  It was my understanding another election had to take place at another meeting, as most other motions.

[Gary c Tesser]

Our rules state it has to be a majority of the full board, as do most, .

 

As do most what?  Most school boards?  You sure?

 

; however, many meeting we didn't have a majority of the board. 

 

Really?  marino5143, what is the quorum for board meetings?

 

....  You're right, the election should have proceeded to the VP.... 

 

I'm not quite sure what this means, but I don't think it's in accord with what Mr Novosielski said -- marino 5143, do you really think so? 

 

...  It was my understanding another election had to take place at another meeting, as most other motions.

 

Having read Gary Novosielski, you know better now, yes?

[Timothy]

I don't know what most school boards do, but I do know that on some nonattendance can cause a person to lose his seat. That encourages people to show up, so there isn't a question of whether a vote is the majority of the full board or not.

[Thomas Ralph]

A lot of things seem to have gone wrong here, but none very badly. Aside from what has already been mentioned, seconds are not required for nominations nor in small boards.