Nominating Process

[Fergusgw]

This is my question. Within my church, we are trying to nominate members for offices. Based on what I know and understand, all offices have to be vacated before you can nominate members from the floor. We had a called meeting today, and the moderator asked for the nominations to be read, which they were and then called for a motion to accept nominations from the floor, which there was a motion and it was passed. I voted no to accept the motion. Maybe I just need to be straightened out but I am just asking for a little help.

Thanks

[hmtcastle]

Based on what I know and understand, all offices have to be vacated before you can nominate members from the floor.

Not true. In fact, nominations are often made at the meeting before the election meeting. If you do things properly, offices will never be vacant.

Further, you don't need a motion to accept nominations from the floor. They're a normal and automatic part of the electoral process.

There are candidates running for office right now who were nominated months ago and, if they win in November, won't take office until next year. And the office never goes vacant.

[Gary Novosielski]

This is my question. Within my church, we are trying to nominate members for offices. Based on what I know and understand, all offices have to be vacated before you can nominate members from the floor. We had a called meeting today, and the moderator asked for the nominations to be read, which they were and then called for a motion to accept nominations from the floor, which there was a motion and it was passed. I voted no to accept the motion. Maybe I just need to be straightened out but I am just asking for a little help.

Thanks

Yes, you just need to be straightened out.

When you say "vacant" I assume you don't mean there's nobody currently in the office, but only that (so far) there have been no nominations for the successor to that office.

But nominations from the floor are allowed, according to RONR, whether or not there have been any formal nominations by a nominating committee, or mail, or whatever other methods you may use in your society. Even if your bylaws provide that the nominating committee reports a month prior to the election, or that written nominations have to be in by a certain date, it's perfectly proper to call for additional last-minute nominations from the floor just prior to the election. No motion is required, nor is one in order, since it would merely confirm what already exists.

Furthermore, it's not even required that someone be nominated in order to be elected. Even in the complete absence of any nominations of any kind, you can still hold an election by handing out blank pieces of paper and having people write a name on them. And even if you have ballots with the names of nominees printed on them, voters may vote for someone else by writing in the name of their choice.

Voting is a basic right of membership, and you will find that trying to interfere with it by prohibiting people from voting for their preferred choices is going to be frowned upon by RONR in no uncertain terms.

Unless your bylaws specifically prohibit write-in votes, they are always allowed.

[Josh Martin]

But nominations from the floor are allowed, according to RONR, whether or not there have been any formal nominations by a nominating committee, or mail, or whatever other methods you may use in your society.

Actually, no, RONR only states that nominations from the floor must be taken in the case of nominations by a committee. In a society which has prescribed, for instance, that all nominations be by mail, it would be necessary to suspend the rules to allow further nominations from the floor.