Asst Secretary casting the vote if only one person running for each office

[Guest Mary Beth Warne]

If the Secretary is at the meeting can the Asst, Secretary make the unanimous vote?

[Richard Brown]

40 minutes ago, Guest Mary Beth Warne said:

If the Secretary is at the meeting can the Asst, Secretary make the unanimous vote?

Well, let's back up.  Does your secretary have the right to cast a "unanimous" vote for the assembly?  If the bylaws require a ballot vote, it is not permitted.  It also is not in order to move to make unanimous a ballot vote which was not unanimous.  See, for example, the following on pages 412-413 of RONR:

When the bylaws require a vote to be taken by ballot, this requirement cannot be suspended, even by a unanimous vote. A vote ordering a ballot vote on a particular question (see 30) can, however, be reconsidered as long as the balloting has not yet begun.
[page 413] When a vote is to be taken, or has been taken, by ballot, whether or not the bylaws require that form of voting, no motion is in order that would force the disclosure of a member's vote or views on the matter. A motion to make unanimous a ballot vote that was not unanimous is thus out of order, unless that motion is also voted on by ballot—since any member who openly votes against declaring the first vote unanimous will thereby reveal that he did not vote for the prevailing choice.
Whenever a vote is to be taken by ballot, it is out of order to move that one person—the secretary, for example—cast the ballot of the assembly.

Back to your question of whether the assistant secretary can cast such a vote if the secretary is authorized to do so:  That probably depends on the exact wording in your bylaws as to the duties and powers of the assistant secretary. 

Edit:  I just re-read your post.  You said "If the Secretary is at the meeting can the Asst, Secretary make the unanimous vote?".  My answer in the paragraph immediately above was based on my assumption that the regular secretary was NOT present.  If the secretary IS present, then I find it highly doubtful  that the assistant secretary could cast such a ballot on behalf of the assembly.... even if the secretary could do so.

Edited November 9, 2018 at 03:55 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph

[Josh Martin]

3 hours ago, Guest Mary Beth Warne said:

If the Secretary is at the meeting can the Asst, Secretary make the unanimous vote?

Neither of them should cast such a vote. This procedure is out of order if your bylaws require a ballot vote. Even if your bylaws do not require a ballot vote (or if they provide an exception in this case), this is an antiquated and unnecessary procedure which should not be used. Instead, the Chairman should simply declare the unopposed candidate elected by acclamation.

[Gary Novosielski]

10 hours ago, Guest Mary Beth Warne said:

If the Secretary is at the meeting can the Asst, Secretary make the unanimous vote?

No, if the rules in RONR apply, that is out of order.  It's even out of order for the regular secretary.

• If the bylaws require a ballot vote, that's mandatory.  Period.  And everyone can vote.
• If there's an exception in the case of an unopposed nominee, the chair announces the nominee elected by acclamation. Again, no role for the secretary.
• If the election, according to some rule or custom, is conducted by some other method there's still no provision for the secretary to cast a "unanimous" ballot.  And there hasn't been such a provision in any version of Robert's Rules dating back to the original 1876 "Pocket Manual...".  Where the idea came from is anyone's guess.

Edited November 10, 2018 at 01:16 AM by Gary Novosielski
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