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Bylaws unclear on voting


Guest Tanya

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Our bylaws say

"Voting for Club elections shall be by secret ballot and a simple majority shall elect a candidate."

There is disagreement about whether that means more than the other candidate(s), or more than 50% of the vote.

In one category (secretary) there is only one nominee, and some board members say that position still has to be on the ballot, and more than 50% of the members present at the AGM must vote for that person otherwise they don't take the position. Others say that person takes office by acclamation, and not vote is needed.

In another category there are 8 nominees for 5 positions. Do the 5 candidates with the most votes take office, or does every candidate need more than 50% of the voters present to choose them, even if it takes multiple rounds of voting?

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In the order you asked...

 

(Simple) Majority (or "more than half") means a majority of the votes actually cast, not just more than the other guys (that is called a plurality).  A vote of 1-0, for example, is a majority win.  (I am assuming you have no rules to the contrary in your bylaws.)

 

If your bylaws require a ballot vote, then one is necessary for your single candidate secretary.  Otherwise he can be elected by acclamation - see p. 443.

 

Each candidate needs a majority of all the ballots (for the board positions) cast to win.  A ballot with ANY vote on it counts as one vote cast, as does one with all five possible votes cast.  If someone gets a majority on the first round of voting, he is a winner, and you re-ballot for the remaining slots.

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Our bylaws say

"Voting for Club elections shall be by secret ballot and a simple majority shall elect a candidate."

There is disagreement about whether that means more than the other candidate(s), or more than 50% of the vote.

In one category (secretary) there is only one nominee, and some board members say that position still has to be on the ballot, and more than 50% of the members present at the AGM must vote for that person otherwise they don't take the position. Others say that person takes office by acclamation, and not vote is needed.

Well, the only way not to vote for that person is to vote for someone else.  Abstentions are not votes--blank ballots, "No" votes, and None of the Above votes don't count.  

 

You can't declare someone elected by acclamation if your bylaws require a ballot vote.  You must have a ballot vote, and it's still possible for write-ins to defeat the "only" candidate.

 

It makes no difference how many people are present (except that you need a quorum of course).  You need a majority of those present and voting, which for a single seat means not just more than any other candidate--but more than every other candidate combined.

 

 

In another category there are 8 nominees for 5 positions. Do the 5 candidates with the most votes take office, or does every candidate need more than 50% of the voters present to choose them, even if it takes multiple rounds of voting?

For multiple seats... well, JDStackpole said it better than I ever could. Just remember, the members present aren't what matters.  It's a majority of votes that you need.

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