Vice Chairman fills in for Chairman at meeting, can they vote twice on a motion?

[Guest Floyd M]

The Chairman is unable make it to the Meeting and the Vice Chairman fills in for them. I understand the Chairman usually only votes in the event of a tie. Can the Vice Chairman vote as the Vice Chairman and then, if a tie vote happens, vote again as the acting Chairman?

[Richard Brown]

48 minutes ago, Guest Floyd M said:

The Chairman is unable make it to the Meeting and the Vice Chairman fills in for them. I understand the Chairman usually only votes in the event of a tie. Can the Vice Chairman vote as the Vice Chairman and then, if a tie vote happens, vote again as the acting Chairman?

No, absolutely not. If the vice chairman is presiding, during the time that he is presiding he is subject to the same rules and restrictions as the regular chairman, meaning that in an ordinary assembly he only votes when his vote would affect the result or when the vote is by ballot. In no case does any member ever get to vote twice.

Note: in committees and small boards, the rule is different. In committees and small boards of no more than about a dozen members, the chair may participate just as fully as all of the other members. He may make motions, speak in debate, and vote along with everyone else. 

Edited to add:  unless you have a specialized rule to the contrary, it is incorrect to say that the chair only votes in the case of a tie. The actual rule is that the chair can vote whenever his vote would affect the result, so he can vote either to make or break a tie, to make or break a 2/3 vote, etc. He can also vote along with everyone else whenever the vote is by ballot.
 

Edited May 13, 2021 at 07:50 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph.

[Guest Floyd M]

1 hour ago, Richard Brown said:

No, absolutely not. If the vice chairman is presiding, during the time that he is presiding he is subject to the same rules and restrictions as the regular chairman, meaning that in an ordinary assembly he only votes when his vote would affect the result or when the vote is by ballot. In no case does any member ever get to vote twice.

Note: in committees and small boards, the rule is different. In committees and small boards of no more than about a dozen members, the chair may participate just as fully as all of the other members. He may make motions, speak in debate, and vote along with everyone else. 

Edited to add:  unless you have a specialized rule to the contrary, it is incorrect to say that the chair only votes in the case of a tie. The actual rule is that the chair can vote whenever his vote would affect the result, so he can vote either to make or break a tie, to make or break a 2/3 vote, etc. He can also vote along with everyone else whenever the vote is by ballot.
 

 

Thank you for your time

"The chair cannot vote twice, once as a member, then again in his capacity as presiding officer." RONR (12th ed.) 44:12

[Gary Novosielski]

On 5/13/2021 at 2:58 PM, Guest Floyd M said:

The Chairman is unable make it to the Meeting and the Vice Chairman fills in for them. I understand the Chairman usually only votes in the event of a tie. Can the Vice Chairman vote as the Vice Chairman and then, if a tie vote happens, vote again as the acting Chairman?

It is incorrect that the chair only votes in the event of a tie.  Don't confuse the rules in RONR with the rules in the US Senate.

On a ballot vote, the chair votes along with everyone else.

On any other type of vote, the chair would not vote unless that one vote would affect the outcome:

It could be to break a tie and pass the motion, or to create a tie and defeat the motion.  It could be to achieve a 2/3 vote or to deny a 2/3 vote.  And in any other case where one vote would matter, the chair may vote freely. So effectively even though the chair normally does not vote, it's only when one vote would not have changed the outcome anyway.