Guest Terry Posted July 30, 2014 at 01:33 PM Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 at 01:33 PM Are absentee ballots counted in determining a quorum? For example, if a quorum is equal to 100 members, but only 90 members are present and there are 15 absentee ballots, does that count as 105 members present in the meeting for a quorum to conduct the vote?Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted July 30, 2014 at 01:51 PM Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 at 01:51 PM Assuming your bylaws provide for absentee voting, then yes you would have a quorum for the voting: 90 + 15 > 100. But RONR (11th ed.), p. 423, ll. 16-22. strongly advises against absentee voting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted July 30, 2014 at 02:18 PM Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 at 02:18 PM Assuming your bylaws provide for absentee voting, then yes you would have a quorum for the voting: 90 + 15 > 100. But RONR (11th ed.), p. 423, ll. 16-22. strongly advises against absentee voting. Ron, I think you got caught in that all too common trap of equating the number votes cast with the number of members who must be present to conduct business. She needs 100 bodies in the room for the quorum requirement to be satisfied, regardless of the number of absentee votes submitted, under the rules in RONR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted July 30, 2014 at 11:40 PM Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 at 11:40 PM OK, George, but as I understood the question, the meeting was only to hold the vote, not to conduct other business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Guest Posted July 30, 2014 at 11:47 PM Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 at 11:47 PM OK, George, but as I understood the question, the meeting was only to hold the vote, not to conduct other business. And your basis for this understanding is . . . ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted July 31, 2014 at 12:20 AM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 12:20 AM Are absentee ballots counted in determining a quorum? For example, if a quorum is equal to 100 members, but only 90 members are present and there are 15 absentee ballots, does that count as 105 members present in the meeting for a quorum to conduct the vote? No, unless your bylaws provide otherwise. OK, George, but as I understood the question, the meeting was only to hold the vote, not to conduct other business. So? Even if this is correct, they don't have a quorum for this vote, unless their bylaws provide otherwise. So far as RONR is concerned, a quorum is based on the number of members who are present. Even if their bylaws authorize absentee voting (which is not entirely clear), this does not automatically mean that absentee votes count toward the quorum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Transpower Posted July 31, 2014 at 12:10 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 12:10 PM The assembly could, at a later meeting at which there is a quorum, ratify the action taken to hold the election. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Luke Posted January 17, 2018 at 10:06 PM Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 10:06 PM I know this is an old post, but I have a question along the same line. Purely for the purpose of passing a vote on a given issue and setting aside any other business to be conducted, would not the absentee ballots count towards quorum for the purpose of the vote. Because my understanding is that it is the number of votes being cast that matters. After all, if you need 100 for quorum and have 105 members present but then 6 of those 100 abstain, you don't have quorum to pass the vote. Am i wrong it that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Lages Posted January 17, 2018 at 10:11 PM Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 10:11 PM Answer to your first question - no. Answer to your second question - yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted January 17, 2018 at 11:27 PM Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 11:27 PM 1 hour ago, Guest Luke said: I know this is an old post, but I have a question along the same line. Purely for the purpose of passing a vote on a given issue and setting aside any other business to be conducted, would not the absentee ballots count towards quorum for the purpose of the vote. Because my understanding is that it is the number of votes being cast that matters. After all, if you need 100 for quorum and have 105 members present but then 6 of those 100 abstain, you don't have quorum to pass the vote. Am i wrong it that? Yes, you are wrong. A quorum is the number of members that must be present to conduct business. It has nothing to do with how many members are voting. A member who is present, but abstains, still counts toward the quorum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted January 17, 2018 at 11:56 PM Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 at 11:56 PM If a quorum is present, and all but one abstain, the matter is still decided. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Luke Posted January 18, 2018 at 05:53 PM Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 at 05:53 PM Okay, thank you for your clarification. I misread/misunderstood one of the FAQ's on the Roberts Rules website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted January 18, 2018 at 07:58 PM Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 at 07:58 PM 2 hours ago, Guest Luke said: Okay, thank you for your clarification. I misread/misunderstood one of the FAQ's on the Roberts Rules website. Which one was that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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