Chairperson wants us to vote outside of meeting

[Guest Sara Domínguez]

A few people missed our most recent meeting because our corporation didn’t properly notify a few people that it would be occurring. A vote was also taken. Today the chairperson called me saying that we need our vote for the record. Is this within RONR to vote outside of a meeting?  

[Josh Martin]

On 5/1/2024 at 1:02 PM, Guest Sara Domínguez said:

A few people missed our most recent meeting because our corporation didn’t properly notify a few people that it would be occurring. A vote was also taken. Today the chairperson called me saying that we need our vote for the record. Is this within RONR to vote outside of a meeting?  

RONR does not permit votes to be taken outside of a meeting. Such votes are not permitted unless authorized by your bylaws or applicable law.

Further, as I understand the facts, what the chairman is suggesting in this instance is to add these votes to a vote which has already occurred at a meeting. This is highly unusual and RONR would strongly recommend against an organization authorizing such a practice in its rules.

[Guest Sara Domínguez]

On 5/1/2024 at 2:19 PM, Josh Martin said:

RONR does not permit votes to be taken outside of a meeting. Such votes are not permitted unless authorized by your bylaws or applicable law.

Further, as I understand the facts, what the chairman is suggesting in this instance is to add these votes to a vote which has already occurred at a meeting. This is highly unusual and RONR would strongly recommend against an organization authorizing such a practice in its rules.

Thank you for your helpful answer! There is nothing permitting voting in such a way according to our bylaws. I appreciate you providing some clarity to this situation. 

[Richard Brown]

On 5/1/2024 at 1:02 PM, Guest Sara Domínguez said:

A few people missed our most recent meeting because our corporation didn’t properly notify a few people that it would be occurring. A vote was also taken. Today the chairperson called me saying that we need our vote for the record. Is this within RONR to vote outside of a meeting?  

In addition to the answer provided by Mr. Martin, I will add that the original vote may well be invalid because of the failure to notify the entire membership of the meeting.  This is especially so if it was a special meeting.  If it was a regular monthly meeting, that might not be the case.  Do your rules require that members be sent notices of all meetings?

[Gary Novosielski]

On 5/1/2024 at 2:02 PM, Guest Sara Domínguez said:

A few people missed our most recent meeting because our corporation didn’t properly notify a few people that it would be occurring. A vote was also taken. Today the chairperson called me saying that we need our vote for the record. Is this within RONR to vote outside of a meeting?  

No.

[Guest Zev]

The OP did not indicate whether the "few" were sufficient to have changed the outcome of the vote or not. Also, a motion of censure to the secretary might come in handy in order to avoid future similar incidents.

[Gary Novosielski]

On 5/3/2024 at 4:19 PM, Guest Zev said:

The OP did not indicate whether the "few" were sufficient to have changed the outcome of the vote or not. Also, a motion of censure to the secretary might come in handy in order to avoid future similar incidents.

Well, that's yet another issue.  A meeting that was not properly noticed is not a valid meeting.

But it doesn't change the answer that voting outside a meeting because the chair called you up is not a thing.