Board Election

[2JJ]

What is the proper procedures in handling a tie election vote under RROA?

[Atul Kapur]

RONR (Rules of Order, Newly Revised) says to have another ballot, with all candidates staying on the ballot (not just the two who tied). In fact, this is what it says to do until one candidate gets a majority vote.

Page 441: if any office remains unfilled after the first ballot, as may happen if there are more than two nominees, the balloting is repeated for that office as many times as necessary to obtain a majority vote for a single candidate. When repeated balloting for an office is necessary, individuals are never removed from candidacy on the next ballot unless they voluntarily withdraw—which they are not obligated to do.* The candidate in lowest place may turn out to be a "dark horse" on whom all factions may prefer to agree.

*An organization could suspend the rules, or adopt a special rule of order, so that the nominee with the fewest votes is dropped from the list of nominees for succeeding ballots in the expectation that voters will then confine their choice to the remaining nominees. Only a bylaws provision, however, could make the dropped nominee ineligible for election so as to render illegal any subsequent votes cast for that nominee. (See pp. 430–31.)

Edited June 11, 2018 at 09:39 PM by Atul Kapur, PRP "Student"
Added the reference