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Vote to Reconsider


Guest Jeff Schumann

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Guest Jeff Schumann

At our meeting a vote to suspend the rules to add an agenda item failed 5-3 (did not achieve a 2/3 majority).  The chair who was one of the 3 made a motion to reconsider the vote to suspend the rules.  This vote to reconsider was 6 for & 2 against.  The Board considered this a passing motion.  My question is should this not be a failing motion because a vote to reconsider a motion to suspend the rules must be unanimous? 

 

The Board then voted again to suspend the rules and it passed 6-2, they then added an agenda item and voted on that with a 5 for 3 against vote.  

 

My second question is, if the vote to reconsider the failed motion to suspend the rules actually failed because it was not unanimous then what is the status of the vote on the item added to the agenda as a result of the suspension of the rules which should not have been allowed?

 

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At our meeting a vote to suspend the rules to add an agenda item failed 5-3 (did not achieve a 2/3 majority).  The chair who was one of the 3 made a motion to reconsider the vote to suspend the rules.  This vote to reconsider was 6 for & 2 against.  The Board considered this a passing motion.  My question is should this not be a failing motion because a vote to reconsider a motion to suspend the rules must be unanimous? 

 

The Board then voted again to suspend the rules and it passed 6-2, they then added an agenda item and voted on that with a 5 for 3 against vote.  

 

My second question is, if the vote to reconsider the failed motion to suspend the rules actually failed because it was not unanimous then what is the status of the vote on the item added to the agenda as a result of the suspension of the rules which should not have been allowed?

 

The vote on the motion to suspend the rules cannot be reconsidered at all.  RONR (11th ed.), p. 261   But it's too late now to worry about it.  The error does not create a continuing breach of the rules.

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I agree with Mr. Mervosh's answer.  As to your statement about a motion to reconsider a motion to suspend the rules requiring a unanimous vote, I believe you are misreading the statement on page 571 262 about being able to renew the motion to suspend the rules at the same meeting only with unanimous consent.  That's not quite the same as reconsidering the motion to suspend the rules, although the ultimate effect may be the same.

 

Edited to change the page reference from 571 to 262.

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I agree with Mr. Mervosh's answer.  As to your statement about a motion to reconsider a motion to suspend the rules requiring a unanimous vote, I believe you are misreading the statement on page 571 about being able to renew the motion to suspend the rules at the same meeting only with unanimous consent.  That's not quite the same as reconsidering the motion to suspend the rules, although the ultimate effect may be the same.

 

I think the page reference should be page 262.

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At our meeting a vote to suspend the rules to add an agenda item failed 5-3 (did not achieve a 2/3 majority).  The chair who was one of the 3 made a motion to reconsider the vote to suspend the rules.  This vote to reconsider was 6 for & 2 against.  The Board considered this a passing motion.  My question is should this not be a failing motion because a vote to reconsider a motion to suspend the rules must be unanimous? 

 

The Board then voted again to suspend the rules and it passed 6-2, they then added an agenda item and voted on that with a 5 for 3 against vote.  

 

My second question is, if the vote to reconsider the failed motion to suspend the rules actually failed because it was not unanimous then what is the status of the vote on the item added to the agenda as a result of the suspension of the rules which should not have been allowed?

 

Perhaps it may be helpful to review the details of the motion to Reconsider in RONR starting on page 315. Also, I think the proper motion in this situation would have been the motion to Amend Something Previously Adopted (see pp. 305-310).

 

Also see FAQ #14 regarding agendas.

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