Members walk out

[Guest Amanda Johnson]

How do you document members leaving a meeting prior to a vote?

[Joshua Katz]

Generally, you don't. Is there a reason under your rules you need to?

[Rob Elsman]

Nothing in RONR (12th ed.) suggests that members, individually or collectively, cannot leave the meeting hall or area prior to a vote.  If there is some kind of historical reason for recording the exit of members from the meeting, the assembly can adopt a standing rule providing for the video recording of the exits and the archiving of the tapes.

[puzzling]

 A member could raise point of order that there is no quorum anymore. And that s memers present count should be included in the minutes.

Another option is to make a motion that the next vote should be by roll call , in the minutes a record of who voted what would also show who was still present.

 

[Rob Elsman]

If a quorum is present, Mr. Gerber is of the opinion that the names of members who abstain from voting should not be recorded when the roll call method of voting is used.  I have come around to agreeing with him.  The upshot is that a roll call vote will not necessarily indicate the full list of members present.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 9/19/2023 at 11:39 AM, Guest Amanda Johnson said:

How do you document members leaving a meeting prior to a vote?

Unless their departure causes a loss of quorum, there is nothing to document.

If it does, then the minutes should reflect that fact, plus whatever few permissible actions then occurred prior to adjournment.

On 9/19/2023 at 2:05 PM, Rob Elsman said:

If a quorum is present, Mr. Gerber is of the opinion that the names of members who abstain from voting should not be recorded when the roll call method of voting is used.  I have come around to agreeing with him.  The upshot is that a roll call vote will not necessarily indicate the full list of members present.

Not disagreeing, I believe RONR provides that members who answer "Present" at a roll-call vote should be recorded as having done so, have their number reported to the chair, and their names announced during a recapitulation, if any. [RONR (12th ed.) 45:49, 45:51]  

Those who do not respond at all, even if they are called a second time, are not recorded or reported.

Edited September 19, 2023 at 07:36 PM by Gary Novosielski