Electronic Election Ballot without Abstain Option

[MiaBes]

Hello, 

I currently serve as the Secretary for a non-profit organization. The organization's Board Advisor recently conducted an electronic vote to fill a vacant Board position.  Reviewing RONR 12th ed., 45:3, Right of Abstention, a member can express their opinion by their vote; they can also abstain. 

An electronic ballot to fill a vacant Board position was emailed to qualified members with an option to vote for one of the two candidates; however, there was no option on the electronic ballot form to abstain. Is this form of ballot correct per RONR?  Related, without the ability for members to abstain, are the election results valid? There are no provisions within the organization's Bylaws or Policies and Procedures which address either matter.

Thank you.

Edited August 8, 2021 at 12:43 AM by MiaBes
Correct typo; clarify Board Advisor conducted electronic vote.

[Richard Brown]

1 hour ago, MiaBes said:

Hello, 

I currently serve as the Secretary for a non-profit organization. The organization's Board Advisor recently conducted an electronic vote to fill a vacant Board position.  Reviewing RONR 12th ed., 45:3, Right of Abstention, a member can express their opinion by their vote; they can also abstain. 

An electronic ballot to fill a vacant Board position was emailed to qualified members with an option to vote for one of the two candidates; however, there was no option on the electronic ballot form to abstain. Is this form of ballot correct per RONR?  Related, without the ability for members to abstain, are the election results valid? There are no provisions within the organization's Bylaws or Policies and Procedures which address either matter.

Thank you.

Yes, that ballot form (based on what you have said) was correct.  There is no requirement that a ballot contain an option to abstain.  A member abstains by simply not voting.  There is no requirement in RONR for a voter to mark "Abstain" or to write "abstain" on a ballot, although a member may do so.  However with al electronic ballot, the only  effective way to abstain is to simply not vote. Since the election results should be based on the members who actually vote by casting a ballot, an abstention should have no effect on the results.

[Shmuel Gerber]

30 minutes ago, Richard Brown said:

Yes, that ballot form (based on what you have said) was correct.  There is no requirement that a ballot contain an option to abstain.  A member abstains by simply not voting.  There is no requirement in RONR for a voter to mark "Abstain" or to write "abstain" on a ballot, although a member may do so.  However with al electronic ballot, the only  effective way to abstain is to simply not vote. Since the election results should be based on the members who actually vote by casting a ballot, an abstention should have no effect on the results.

It may not be a requirement, but I think it's a very good idea to have an abstain option on an electronic ballot, if the system can recognize that it should not be counted as a vote. Marking "abstain" on an electronic ballot is the equivalent of submitting a blank ballot, which members should be able to do.

[Weldon Merritt]

13 minutes ago, Shmuel Gerber said:

It may not be a requirement, but I think it's a very good idea to have an abstain option on an electronic ballot, if the system can recognize that it should not be counted as a vote. Marking "abstain" on an electronic ballot is the equivalent of submitting a blank ballot, which members should be able to do.

I agree. And at the AIP Hybrid Annual Session just concluded, we did exactly that. (That session was conducted under a different parliamentary authority, not RONR, but the principle is the same.)

[MiaBes]

@Richard Brown, @Shmuel Gerber, and @Weldon Merritt:

Thank you for your input regarding the electronic ballot questions. I appreciate your time.