tie vote

[Guest Beth]

If the Board consists of 5 plus the President how does voting take place? If the President votes there could possible be a tie and who then would break the tie (since the President would have already voted in the tied vote) or should the President not vote...then there would never be a tie with a group of 5??? I am so confused...

[Chris Harrison]

Since the Board only has five (or six) members the President votes right along with the other members (RONR p. 470). If there is a tie vote on any motion other than an election the motion would fail because a majority of the members who voted did not vote in favor of it. If it is an election you would continue to vote until someone is elected.

Also, it is a widely held belief that having an odd number of members means a tie can't happen. That is not true. You could have a member absent or a present member could abstain from the vote which could create a tie.

[Trina]

Or, in other words, there is nothing wrong with a tie. It's NOT a problematic or confusing situation, and there is no requirement that the tie be broken -- a tie simply means that the motion is defeated. Only in the case of an election is a tie problematic, and in that case you hold additional rounds of voting until someone gets a majority (more than half) of the votes.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

If the President votes there could possible be a tie and who then would break the tie (since the President would have already voted in the tied vote) or should the President not vote...then there would never be a tie with a group of 5?

Vote as The Book recommends:

• The chair votes only when his (single) vote will alter the results (viz., turn defeat into victory, or turn victory into defeat).

• Thus, the chair votes last (see above), or not at all (and thus lets the decision stand).

[hmtcastle]

Vote as The Book recommends:

• The chair votes only when his (single) vote will alter the results (viz., turn defeat into victory, or turn victory into defeat).

• Thus, the chair votes last (see above), or not at all (and thus lets the decision stand).

Though that's not the recommendation when, as in Beth's case, "the Board consists of 5 plus the President".