Election ballots

[Guest MaryAnn]

What is the proper procedure for handling the ballots after an election? Our administrative secretary has always put them in an envelope and locked them in the safe, to be destroyed the following year. Is it proper for our board chairman to demand that she give her the envelope? There has been controversy as to the handling of a tie vote that occurred at our General Membership meeting in Oct. Would the chairman be allowed to get access to these documents? Our secretary refuses to give them to her. My husband was a past board member and he says our secretary is correct.  P.S.- There has been a lot of complaints as to the handling of various issues by this new chairperson. Thanks for any info you could provide!

[jstackpo]

RONR (p. 418, line 32ff) is clear that the Secretary retains the ballots under seal (in a safe will do, of course) and then destroys them after the time for a recount can be ordered.  No need to keep them a whole year. The chair is NOT entitled to "see" them -- your secretary (and your husband) are quite correct.

If there was a tie, last October, for one office, there should have been an immediate rerun of the election for the tied position. I hope there was.

In order to encourage your new chair to do things right gift him/her a copy of ...

RONRIB:

"Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief", Updated Second Edition (Da Capo Press, Perseus Books Group, 2011). It is a splendid summary of all the rules you will ever need in all but the most exceptional situations. And only $7.50! You can read it in an evening. Get both RONRIB and RONR (scroll down) at this link: 

http://www.robertsrules.com/inbrief.html

Or in your local bookstore.
 

[Guest MaryAnn]

Thank you, Jstackpo! She is a power-hungry woman who bullies the secretary and other board members. She does have a copy of Robert's Rules yet she chooses to interpret things in her own way. Thanks again!

 

[George Mervosh]

9 minutes ago, Guest MaryAnn said:

Thank you, Jstackpo! She is a power-hungry woman who bullies the secretary and other board members. She does have a copy of Robert's Rules yet she chooses to interpret things in her own way. Thanks again!

 

"After completion of an election or balloting on a motion, unless the voting body directs otherwise, the tellers place the ballots and tally sheets in the custody of the secretary, who keeps them under seal until the time within which a recount may be ordered expires, and then destroys them. A recount may be ordered by the voting body, by a majority vote, at the same session at which the voting result was announced, or at the next regular session if that session is held within a quarterly time interval (see pp. 89–90). A recount may also be ordered at a special session properly called for that purpose, if held within a quarterly time interval of the session at which the voting result was announced and before the next regular session."  RONR (11th ed.), pp 418-419 

This is, as usual in RONR, very clear cut with really no need for interpretation.

Edited March 13, 2019 at 07:50 PM by George Mervosh

[Shmuel Gerber]

36 minutes ago, George Mervosh said:

This is, as usual in RONR, very clear cut with really no need for interpretation.

Thanks. We try to be clear whenever possible. 🙂

[jstackpo]

47 minutes ago, Guest MaryAnn said:

Thank you, Jstackpo! She is a power-hungry woman who bullies the secretary and other board members. She does have a copy of Robert's Rules yet she chooses to interpret things in her own way. Thanks again!

 

OK, so YOU get and read RONRIB, particularly the parts about "Point of Order" &c., Chapter 11.   Good Luck next meeting.  Be sure you have some friends along to back you up if you have to appeal the chair's ruling.