Guest GuestWithQuestions Posted December 9, 2018 at 01:39 AM Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 at 01:39 AM Our not-for-profit organization is struggling with low morale. We have elections coming up and a number of our members have serious concerns about our finance director (same position as a Treasurer). The slate for elections was presented, and he is the name on the slate for that position. A number of members have asked if it is possible to request the election be by ballot, and then write something other than the person's name on their ballots, effectively not voting for him but also not voting for anyone else. Is this possible and if so, what happens then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted December 9, 2018 at 02:07 AM Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 at 02:07 AM Not a very good plan -- far better to find a real alternate candidate and promote him/her as a nominee at the election meeting, or as a write-in candidate. You might check your bylaws -- many require elections to be by ballot. If ineligible "candidates" -- D. Duck, D. Trump, M. Mouse and the like -- are written-in, your "serious concern" candidate could still win if he/she gets a majority of the votes cast. Page 415, line 32ff. And if he/she doesn't win... then you have to just do it over again. Doesn't get you very far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted December 9, 2018 at 02:54 AM Report Share Posted December 9, 2018 at 02:54 AM 1 hour ago, Guest GuestWithQuestions said: Our not-for-profit organization is struggling with low morale. We have elections coming up and a number of our members have serious concerns about our finance director (same position as a Treasurer). The slate for elections was presented, and he is the name on the slate for that position. A number of members have asked if it is possible to request the election be by ballot, and then write something other than the person's name on their ballots, effectively not voting for him but also not voting for anyone else. Is this possible and if so, what happens then? I'm a little surprised your rules don't already require elections to be by ballot. Check your bylaws to be sure. If not, then a single nominee can be declared elected by acclamation. However, yes, a motion to have a ballot vote is in order even if the rules don't require one. The motion requires a second and a majority vote. In any case, if the laws in RONR apply, ballot voting always includes an option for write-in votes (votes for non-nominees). They count as legal votes, as long as the person written in is eligible for election. But if you succeed in denying a majority to the sole nominee, without voting for anyone else, the election is incomplete, and you keep balloting until someone is elected. In other words, the only effective way to vote against someone is to vote for someone else (eligible). So, as jstackpo pointed out, your suggestion is not the best plan of action. Will your election take place at a meeting? If so, then after the slate list of nominees is presented by the nominating committee, the chair must then ask "Are there any nominations from the floor?" At that point someone should make a nomination for that office, someone who has been approached and agreed to accept if elected. The reason we don't like the word "slate" is that it gives the impression that this list of names is a done deal, and there's no way to run against it. Nothing could be more wrong. The slate is just a list of nominees that the nominations committee has suggested. But members should always be allowed to nominate others, and to vote for them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Question Posted January 15, 2019 at 04:41 PM Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 at 04:41 PM Our organization has a nominating committee which was supposed to have new officer proposed in late fall/early December. It did not. Instead it was still trying to fill the third vacancy as of January 14. Meanwhile a group of members has created an alternate slate and is in the process of notifying all members of the organization, including those nominated and the no'inating committee of their intent to run and their platform. We intend to put forward the alternate slate at the nextmembership meeting under nominations from the floor. First is this acceptable procedure under Robert’s Rules of Order? Second does it satisfy the questions of “last minute” action? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted January 15, 2019 at 04:52 PM Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 at 04:52 PM Mr. (or Ms) Question: Please raise your new questions in a new thread / topic, rather than piggy-backing (even if it is similar) on another thread. Makes for less confusion that way. Just cut and paste to a new topic and we can all have a shot at answering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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