Must a person vote in favor of a motion that they made

[Guest Katherine Harper]

Must a person vote in favor of a motion that they made?

[Richard Brown]

No.  The member who made a motion is free to vote against it, but a member is not permitted to SPEAK against his own motion in debate.  See section 43:25 of RONR (12th ed.), quoted below:

Quote

43:25  Refraining from Speaking Against One’s Own Motion. In debate, the maker of a motion, while he can vote against it, is not allowed to speak against his own motion. He need not speak at all, but if he does he is obliged to take a favorable position. If he changes his mind while the motion he made is pending, he can, in effect, advise the assembly of this by asking permission to withdraw the motion (33: 11– 18).

 

Edited August 20, 2024 at 07:03 PM by Richard Brown
Added citation