Do each person running for a director role need to get at least 51% of the vote?

[Guest Cindy]

I am a member of a society in BC. We have an election coming up for board directors. We do not vote in specific positions - once elected as directors, the new board decide the specific  positions. 

As of right now, there are 5 people running for 4 positions. There are a few people that think each of the people running must get a minimum of 51% of votes cast in order to win a director seat. The names will all be on the same ballot. It is not a slate. 

Do each of the candidates have to get a minimum of 51% of the votes cast? (aka: majority) 

OR

Do the candidates with the most votes get the seats? (aka: plurality)

Our bylaws do not specify so we need to go off of RROO.

Thank you!

[puzzling]

Every elected candidate needs a majority. 

For 4 positions in the first round every member can vote to up to 4 people (even vote for 4 write in candidates) 

Candidates with a majority behind them (mentioned on more than half if the ballotpapers) are elected, if more than the number of places are elected , only the 4 with the highest number of votes are elected.

If less than 4 candidates are elected a new ballot for the unfilled  places needs to take place.

[Josh Martin]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:22 PM, Guest Cindy said:

I am a member of a society in BC. We have an election coming up for board directors. We do not vote in specific positions - once elected as directors, the new board decide the specific  positions. 

As of right now, there are 5 people running for 4 positions. There are a few people that think each of the people running must get a minimum of 51% of votes cast in order to win a director seat. The names will all be on the same ballot. It is not a slate. 

Do each of the candidates have to get a minimum of 51% of the votes cast? (aka: majority) 

OR

Do the candidates with the most votes get the seats? (aka: plurality)

Our bylaws do not specify so we need to go off of RROO.

A majority vote is required for election.

"In an election of members of a board or committee in which votes are cast in one section of the ballot for multiple positions on the board or committee, every ballot with a vote in that section for one or more candidates is counted as one vote cast, and a candidate must receive a majority of the total of such votes to be elected. If more candidates receive such a majority vote than there are positions to fill, then the chair declares the candidates elected in order of their vote totals, starting with the candidate who received the largest number of votes and continuing until every position is filled. If, during this process, a tie arises involving more candidates than there are positions remaining to be filled, then the candidates who are tied, as well as all other nominees not yet elected, remain as candidates for the repeated balloting necessary to fill the remaining position(s). Similarly, if the number of candidates receiving the necessary majority vote is less than the number of positions to be filled, those who have a majority are declared elected, and all other nominees remain as candidates on the next ballot." RONR (12th ed.) 46:33

Additionally, a majority is technically not quite the same as 51%. A majority is "more than half." This distinction becomes meaningful with larger numbers of votes. For example, with one thousand votes cast, 501 votes is a majority, but is less than 51%.

Edited August 14, 2023 at 11:35 AM by Josh Martin

[Gary Novosielski]

On 8/13/2023 at 11:22 PM, Guest Cindy said:

I am a member of a society in BC. We have an election coming up for board directors. We do not vote in specific positions - once elected as directors, the new board decide the specific  positions. 

As of right now, there are 5 people running for 4 positions. There are a few people that think each of the people running must get a minimum of 51% of votes cast in order to win a director seat. The names will all be on the same ballot. It is not a slate. 

Do each of the candidates have to get a minimum of 51% of the votes cast? (aka: majority) 

OR

Do the candidates with the most votes get the seats? (aka: plurality)

Our bylaws do not specify so we need to go off of RROO.

Thank you!

If the rules in RONR apply, no one is elected by less than a majority vote, so if only some candidates are elected, the remaining ones go on a second round of balloting, possibly with additional nominations from the floor.

But you're incorrect in one respect.  A majority vote means any number strictly greater than half the votes cast.  It is not 51%, it is not 50%+1, it is any number more than half, by even the smallest amount.

Any ballot that expresses a preference, whether it is for one candidate, or the full maximum number permitted, is counted as one vote cast.  Take this number, divide by two, and any number of votes greater than this are required number to elect.