voting

[Guest melissa]

At a board meeting, as the officer was giving a report about plans for a craft fair, one member made a motion and it was seconded and passed (barely). The officer was not calling for a vote (and usually the decision in question is not one the board makes, but that the officer would make). The next day, the president asked that we look into all the information again as it was not available when the vote was taken. The majority agreed. So now what? Is the vote considered void since it was not asked for by the officer (she was basically interrupted in her report and somewhat ambushed) or do we consider the vote rescinded since all agreed to look into the matter fuller, or do we need a motion and a second and a vote to formally rescind the motion? If some of the votes were made from members not eligible to vote does that nullify the vote?

[hmtcastle]

Is the vote considered void since it was not asked for by the officer (she was basically interrupted in her report and somewhat ambushed) or do we consider the vote rescinded since all agreed to look into the matter fuller, or do we need a motion and a second and a vote to formally rescind the motion?

No, No, and Yes.

If some of the votes were made from members not eligible to vote does that nullify the vote?

Only if you can prove that the number of illegal votes could have affected the outcome.

[Bruce Lages]

The next day, the president asked that we look into all the information again as it was not available when the vote was taken. The majority agreed.

Melissa, was your board in a continuation of the same meeting or another meeting the next day? The board can only transact business at a properly called meeting. It sounds like the president's request might not have occurred during a meeting.

So now what? Is the vote considered void

Probably not. While just agreeing to look into the information again can be done outside of a meeting, you can't do anything about a vote already taken, or formally take further action, until you are in a properly called meeting.

[Tim Wynn]

At a board meeting, as the officer was giving a report about plans for a craft fair, one member made a motion

If the motion was out of order at the time (which I suspect is the case), the chair should have ruled it out of order.

and it was seconded and passed (barely).

The barely doesn't matter. If it passed, it passed. Also, none of the missteps in procedure are of importance now, except that they should prompt the board to take measures to ensure they don't happen again.

The officer was not calling for a vote

... nor should she. "Motions to adopt or implement any recommendations should be made from the floor by a member other than the reporting officer." - RONR(10th ed.), p. 459, l. 22-24.

[Tim Wynn]

(and usually the decision in question is not one the board makes, but that the officer would make).

That's a big point here. Is this "decision in question" a matter that is under the exclusive control of the officer?

The next day, the president asked that we look into all the information again as it was not available when the vote was taken.

This doesn't sound like act of parliamentary procedure. It sounds very unofficial.

The majority agreed.

I missed the question. To what did the majority agree? Was a motion adopted to bring the matter before the assembly, again? If so, the specific language of that motion would be necessary to ascertain the validity of the situation from a parliamentary standpoint.

[Tim Wynn]

So now what? Is the vote considered void since it was not asked for by the officer

No. Even if she had improperly made the motion herself, that flaw in procedure would not invalidate the will of the assembly, as expressed through the vote.

(she was basically interrupted in her report and somewhat ambushed)

A reporting officer should not be interrupted by the making of a motion, except under certain circumstances that I don't believe were present in this case.

As for the separate issue of "ambushing," that kind of implies that an officer needs to have prior knowledge of every motion to come before the assembly; that is not the case.

[Tim Wynn]

or do we consider the vote rescinded since all agreed to look into the matter fuller,

No, you can't "consider" it rescinded. It either was or wasn't rescinded, and it sounds like it wasn't.

or do we need a motion and a second and a vote to formally rescind the motion?

Yes, it requires a two-thirds vote, or, if previous notice has been given, it only requires a majority vote. Alternatively, a vote of a majority of the entire membership will do.

If some of the votes were made from members not eligible to vote does that nullify the vote?

Holy cow! What a final question! First, why were members not eligible to vote? Taking away the right to vote from a member (of the body meeting) would require a provision in the bylaws of your organization. Does such a rule exist?