Double Motion

[Guest Scott Steinbrink]

I am not sure if this organization followed proper procedure:

 

  Someone made a motion to add HRC1001 as Priority #5. It was seconded.

 

    Now Discussion was open to favor or oppose the addition of the proposal as priority

 

    Someone made a motion to vote other topics by paper ballot for Priority #5 due to time constraints 

 

     That motion was seconded and paper ballots was distributed.

 

 

Now my inquiry here is was the procedure motion correctly applied - can someone make a motion (procedure) when there is a 

motion already on the table that needs to be put to a vote? 

 

[Bruce Lages]

It's not entirely clear to me what you mean by "made a motion to vote other topics by paper ballot for Priority #5'. A motion to vote on the pending question by ballot is an incidental motion that takes precedence over the pending question, so if the motion was to vote by ballot on adding HRC1001 as priority #5 it was certainly in order.

 

I think the motion to vote by ballot would also have been in order if HRC1001 and these other topics were being considered at the same time for priority #5. But if the intent of the motion was to vote by ballot on topics other than HRC1001 that were not pending at that time, I don't think it would be in order. But stay tuned for other views. 

[Guest Guest]

Okay let me start over.     someone made a motion to put HRC1001 as priority #5.

 

 There are other bills like HRC1002, HRC0945, HRC1045, HRC1049, HRC1044  (I am making up the bill numbers but using as example here) that needs to be considered but time constraints would not allow them to go bill by bill, hence someone made a motion to vote via the paper ballot to see what bill wins as priority #5 - if there is a tie, then the tied bills will be priority #5 and #6, respectively. but the motion for HRC1001 is still outstanding and has yet to be voted on.

  

 

 Hope this clears up.

 

[Edgar Guest]

 . . . can someone make a motion (procedure) when there is a motion already on the table that needs to be put to a vote? 

 

The short answer is yes. While only one main motion can be pending at any one time, it's quite common for subsidiary motions (not to mention incidental or privileged motions) to be considered while the main motion is pending. How this might relate to your "Priority" ranking escapes me.

 

By the way, the motion is not "on the table". If anything, it's on the floor.

[Thomas Ralph]

Okay let me start over. someone made a motion to put HRC1001 as priority #5.

There are other bills like HRC1002, HRC0945, HRC1045, HRC1049, HRC1044 (I am making up the bill numbers but using as example here) that needs to be considered but time constraints would not allow them to go bill by bill, hence someone made a motion to vote via the paper ballot to see what bill wins as priority #5 - if there is a tie, then the tied bills will be priority #5 and #6, respectively. but the motion for HRC1001 is still outstanding and has yet to be voted on.

Hope this clears up.

It sounds to me that a vote is being taken to shift the agenda around. This probably takes a two-thirds vote or a vote of the majority of the entire membership (as I am assuming notice has not been given).

A good procedure under RONR is to use the method of filling blanks to determine what the motion should be (e.g. "I move to strike out HRC1001 in the pending motion and create a blank"), then resolve the blank, and then vote on the final motion as so determined.

Under no circumstances would a tie vote result in two resolutions moving to slots 5 and 6. A tie vote results in a revote.