Guest Vercingetorix Posted July 31, 2014 at 07:31 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 07:31 PM At a recent meeting held under the Roberts Rules of Order I made a motion to suspend the rules in the case of allowing the chair to vote on election of committee officers (one time one day) and i was told the rules could not be suspended. Please provide clarification or tell me I was in the wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrEntropy Posted July 31, 2014 at 07:36 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 07:36 PM A member does not lose the right to vote by being elected as chair. The chair generally abstains (except in small boards or in committees) from voting except where his vote would make a difference, and in ballot votes. (RONR p 53, l15ff)If the chair is not a member, then the rules cannot be suspended to give him the right to vote (RONR pg 263 l.22) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Lages Posted July 31, 2014 at 08:01 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 08:01 PM I'm not sure that RONR's stipulation that in other than small boards and committees 'the chair should not vote except...' rises to the level of a rule that would need to be suspended. But beyond that, I can't think of a situation off-hand where a suspension would be needed, since the rest of that stipulation following the word 'except' applies to situations where his vote would make a difference or the vote is taken by ballot. If the chair's vote isn't going to make a difference, suspending this 'rule' won't change the outcome. [OK - I can see where it might make a difference if the voting threshold is based on the number of members or number of members present. Perhaps the OP could tell us whether this is the case or not.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Honemann Posted July 31, 2014 at 08:12 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 08:12 PM I'm not sure that RONR's stipulation that in other than small boards and committees 'the chair should not vote except...' rises to the level of a rule that would need to be suspended. But beyond that, I can't think of a situation off-hand where a suspension would be needed, since the rest of that stipulation following the word 'except' applies to situations where his vote would make a difference or the vote is taken by ballot. If the chair's vote isn't going to make a difference, suspending this 'rule' won't change the outcome. [OK - I can see where it might make a difference if the voting threshold is based on the number of members or number of members present. Perhaps the OP could tell us whether this is the case or not.] But if the voting threshold is based on the number of members or number of members present, the presiding officer may still vote whenever his vote will affect the result (or if the vote is by ballot). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Lages Posted July 31, 2014 at 10:43 PM Report Share Posted July 31, 2014 at 10:43 PM But if the voting threshold is based on the number of members or number of members present, the presiding officer may still vote whenever his vote will affect the result (or if the vote is by ballot). Point taken - so I maybe I should just stick with "I can't think of any situation off-hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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