Teller Committee did not record the votes for uncontested positions and failure of candidates to obtain a majority in three other positions.

[Dennis Ross]

Two issues.

1. In a recent election the tellers committee failed to record the number of votes for two positions, secretary and treasurer. 

2. Three vacant director at large positions were listed collectively on the ballot with only two candidates and a note that there were three positions. All of the candidates and two write in candidates failed to receive a majority of the votes cast.  The bylaws are silent to the issue of plurality.

Obviously the three positions of director at large where none of the candidates received a majority should trigger a second ballot with only the two candidates which were on the original ballot.  What about the third position where there was no candidate listed?  

What about the positions of secretary and treasurer?  Since the number of votes were not reported does this create an incomplete vote?

To complicate matters the vote was a combination of email absentee ballots and ballots at the annual meeting, which is permitted in the club's bylaws.  Do the second (and subsequent) votes have to be by the same process to avoid disenfranchisement of the members voting by absentee ballot or can the election simply be done at another general membership meeting?

[Hieu H. Huynh]

How do you know that the candidates failed to receive a majority vote?

[Guest Who's Coming to Dinner]

You mean they didn't count the ballots at all for Secretary and Treasurer? If a ballot was required per your bylaws, then I would say those elections are incomplete until the ballots are counted or the vote retaken. If not, then the candidates were elected by acclamation.

The director positions are elected en bloc. Which means voters can choose up to three persons, whether they are pre-printed or written in. So all three positions are in play.

I have no idea what you should do about your absentee ballots, since this is a custom rule frowned on by RONR. And now you know why.

[Josh Martin]

5 hours ago, Dennis Ross said:

2. Three vacant director at large positions were listed collectively on the ballot with only two candidates and a note that there were three positions. All of the candidates and two write in candidates failed to receive a majority of the votes cast. What about the third position where there was no candidate listed?  

All three positions will need to be voted on again. Since you speak of candidates being listed specifically for one of the positions, I am also not certain this election was handled correctly.

5 hours ago, Dennis Ross said:

What about the positions of secretary and treasurer?  Since the number of votes were not reported does this create an incomplete vote?

I am confused as to what exactly happened here. Were these votes counted, but not reported? If so, then the results should be reported as soon as possible. Were these votes never counted? If so, then if the ballots were securely preserved, then they should be counted. If these votes were not counted and the ballots were improperly destroyed, then I suppose it will be necessary to vote again.

In any event, never appoint these people as tellers again. 

5 hours ago, Dennis Ross said:

To complicate matters the vote was a combination of email absentee ballots and ballots at the annual meeting, which is permitted in the club's bylaws.  Do the second (and subsequent) votes have to be by the same process to avoid disenfranchisement of the members voting by absentee ballot or can the election simply be done at another general membership meeting?

Your organization will have to resolve that mess for itself. RONR strongly advises against this procedure for reasons exactly like this.

[Richard Brown]

Perhaps I'm throwing a monkey wrench into things (or maybe not....), but were any of the candidates declared elected by the chair?  If so, regardless of the irregularities the OP has cited, it might be too late to do anything about it now... or at least as to those candidates who were declared elected.   However, if the ballots have been preserved, it may be possible for the society to order a recount as provided on pages 418-419.

[J. J.]

13 minutes ago, Richard Brown said:

Perhaps I'm throwing a monkey wrench into things (or maybe not....), but were any of the candidates declared elected by the chair?  If so, regardless of the irregularities the OP has cited, it might be too late to do anything about it now... or at least as to those candidates who were declared elected.   However, if the ballots have been preserved, it may be possible for the society to order a recount as provided on pages 418-419.

If there has been a counted vote, where there should be a record of the count, I would permit a recapitulation. 

[Josh Martin]

6 hours ago, Richard Brown said:

Perhaps I'm throwing a monkey wrench into things (or maybe not....), but were any of the candidates declared elected by the chair?  If so, regardless of the irregularities the OP has cited, it might be too late to do anything about it now... or at least as to those candidates who were declared elected.   However, if the ballots have been preserved, it may be possible for the society to order a recount as provided on pages 418-419.

For the director at large positions, this seems reasonable.

I’m not sure that principle would apply to the situation with the Secretary and Treasurer (although I’m not yet clear on what exactly that situation is).