Acclamation Vote Fails - Effect On Open, Unclosed Nominations

[Guest Bdw2003]

If nominations are open and a member moves to elect a nominee by acclamation, and the vote is taken and fails, and the chair has not followed the procedure for closing nominations, would open nominations then be the business before the assembly to be acted on?

[Joshua Katz]

All this was out of order, but I guess, yes, the floor remains open to further nominations until closed.

[Guest Bdw2003]

Would it have been in order had the chair properly closed nominations prior to the acclamation vote being taken, then after the vote failed, the assembly voted by majority to open nominations again? 

[Rob Elsman]

I agree with Mr. Katz that the main motion to acclaim the person the winner was not in order at the time it was made. The reason is that there is a fundamental principle of parliamentary law that only one main motion can be pending at a time. RONR (11th ed.), p. 59. The fact that there was already pending an assumed main motion, "...that ______ be elected [as ...]", precludes consideration of the main motion to acclaim the winner until after the announcement of the winner of the election has been made (at which time, no motions are pending).

[Gary Novosielski]

5 hours ago, Guest Bdw2003 said:

If nominations are open and a member moves to elect a nominee by acclamation, and the vote is taken and fails, and the chair has not followed the procedure for closing nominations, would open nominations then be the business before the assembly to be acted on?

Well, there's no such thing as a motion to elect a nominee by acclamation.  

What should happen is that if there is only one nominee for an office, what follow depends on the bylaws.  If the bylaws require a ballot vote, then a ballot vote must be held. Acclamation is not an option.  Write-ins are allowed.

If the bylaws don't require a ballot vote, then upon closing nominations for that office, the chair simply announces "There being no other nominations, Ms. Favorite is elect by acclamation.  

No motions to elect are required in either case.

[Atul Kapur]

20 hours ago, Guest Bdw2003 said:

member moves to elect a nominee by acclamation, and the vote is taken and fails,

The way to vote against a particular candidate is by voting for another candidate. So, as others have noted, you do not have a yes / no vote on electing someone by acclamation. The sole candidate is declared elected by acclamation, unless a ballot vote is required. If that is not the desired outcome, then someone needs to nominate another candidate.