Candidate not able to fulfill term

[Josh Martin]

On 5/21/2024 at 3:32 PM, LIH said:

So, would a re-ballot be a separate vote that would disregard absentee ballots? I had a resource for combining absentee votes with in-person votes when a motion had an amendment... It may have been a few RR editions ago. I will keep looking.

The organization will have to answer these questions for itself. I rather doubt you found this in RONR, because RONR has maintained generally the same position as it has currently - don't do this, and if you do it anyway, you're on your own figuring out how that works.

"An organization should never adopt a bylaw permitting a question to be decided by a voting procedure in which the votes of persons who attend a meeting are counted together with ballots mailed in by absentees. The votes of those present could be affected by debate, by amendments, and perhaps by the need for repeated balloting, while those absent would be unable to adjust their votes to reflect these factors. Consequently, the absentee ballots would in most cases be on a somewhat different question than that on which those present were voting, leading to confusion, unfairness, and inaccuracy in determining the result. If there is a possibility of any uncertainty about who will be entitled to vote, this should be spelled out unambiguously and strictly enforced to avoid unfairness in close votes." RONR (12th ed.) 45:56, emphasis added

On 5/21/2024 at 3:32 PM, LIH said:

By tradition (not articulated in bylaws) board members are "sworn-in" and assume their duties as soon as the election results are announced.

This tradition is correct.

"An election to an office becomes final immediately if the candidate is present and does not decline, or if he is absent but has consented to his candidacy. If he is absent and has not consented to his candidacy, the election becomes final when he is notified of his election, provided that he does not immediately decline. If he does decline, the election is incomplete, and another vote can be taken immediately or at the next meeting without further notice. After an election has become final as stated in this paragraph, it is too late to reconsider (37) the vote on the election.

An officer-elect takes possession of his office immediately upon his election's becoming final, unless the bylaws or other rules specify a later time (see 56:27). If a formal installation ceremony is prescribed, failure to hold it does not affect the time at which the new officers assume office." RONR (12th ed.) 46:46-47

[Gary Novosielski]

On 5/21/2024 at 4:32 PM, LIH said:

So, would a re-ballot be a separate vote that would disregard absentee ballots?

Well, that's the essence of the problem, and the main reason for not doing it that way.