"acting" board member without voting rights?

[Guest reallybadboard]

We have a sudden vacancy a few days from a meeting, and not another meeting for 3 months.  For lack of sufficient notice, we don't want to elect someone at this meeting.  Can we name someone "acting" member (to perform that member's duties, without voting rights, in the interim) and sort of hold the spot and have the election at the next meeting?  Does Robert's Rules mention anything like that?

[J. J.]

41 minutes ago, Guest reallybadboard said:

We have a sudden vacancy a few days from a meeting, and not another meeting for 3 months.  For lack of sufficient notice, we don't want to elect someone at this meeting.  Can we name someone "acting" member (to perform that member's duties, without voting rights, in the interim) and sort of hold the spot and have the election at the next meeting?  Does Robert's Rules mention anything like that?

No, but someone could effectively cover that position. For example, a secretary pro tem could be appointed for the meeting, in order to take minutes. 

[Bruce Lages]

In the case where the duties occur outside of a meeting. there is certainly no parliamentary harm in asking someone to take on, voluntarily, these duties of the vacant position.  But agreeing to do so can not, and will not, make this person a member of the assembly that has the vacancy, or grant any of the rights given to such members by election.

[Richard Brown]

I agree with all of the previous responses but will add that the board (or, probably, the membership) can authorize someone to attend and participate in the board meetings to almost the same extent as a member but without the right to vote.  If it is desired to have that additional "voice" on the board until such time as the vacancy is filled, that is one way to accomplish it.  By a majority vote that person can be authorized to attend the board meetings and to speak in them.  By suspending the rules with a two thirds vote, that person can also be authorized to participate in debate.  However, that person cannot be given the right to vote.  Whether such a person could make motions is perhaps unclear, but it is my opinion that he could be authorized to do everything a member could do except vote.

That could be accomplished by means of a motion to "suspend the rules and permit John Doe to attend and participate fully in board meetings, including the right to debate and make motions, but not the right to vote, until such time as the vacancy created by Jack Smith's resignation is filled".  As others have said, that person can also be authorized to perform the administrative duties of the resigned member until such time as the vacancy is filled. Of course, a current sitting member of the board, rather than a non-board member, could be authorized to perform those duties temporarily even if its in addition to his existing duties.