Election of officers

[Guest bnickarz]

Now that we are having another vote in order to get a majority to elect. we have waited until or next regular meeting to do the vote and the members have all been notified when the vote will take place. Should we keep voting at the meeting until we do have a majority? All members vote by ballot through out the day and then the ballots are counted at the meeting.

[Tim Wynn]

Now that we are having another vote in order to get a majority to elect. we have waited until or next regular meeting to do the vote and the members have all been notified when the vote will take place. Should we keep voting at the meeting until we do have a majority? All members vote by ballot through out the day and then the ballots are counted at the meeting.

Yes, keep voting, voting, and voting, until you get a majority. Perhaps the voters can decide on a compromise candidate.

[David A Foulkes]

Now that we are having another vote in order to get a majority to elect. we have waited until or next regular meeting to do the vote and the members have all been notified when the vote will take place. Should we keep voting at the meeting until we do have a majority? All members vote by ballot through out the day and then the ballots are counted at the meeting.

As I read this, I'm wondering...... do the members vote "all day long" and then there is a meeting in the evening where the votes are tallied? I ask because the problem I foresee here is that at the meeting, if no majority for one candidate is reached, you really need to re-vote. That means everyone gets another round of ballots and they're counted again. If the balloting (voting) part of your election process is a day-long affair, it may make it difficult to complete the election should a second, third, fourth round are required until the majority vote goes to one candidate. (Most) everyone will need to be at that meeting, and remain through revoting, should that be required. And now, you don't have all day to do it (not that it should take that long, unless your membership is verrrrry large)

[Guest bnickarz]

that is why I am worried because all members of our establishment can vote but they do not all attend the meeting. Do we need to have the re-vote done immediatly with only the members that are present?

[Tim Wynn]

that is why I am worried because all members of our establishment can vote but they do not all attend the meeting. Do we need to have the re-vote done immediatly with only the members that are present?

Only members who are present can vote. An election doesn't have to include a vote by every member to be valid, and majority vote means more than half of votes CAST; it's not based on the entire membership.

[Guest bnickarz]

Then that is what we will do I will advise the membership that if we do not have a majority again then we will have a re vote the night of the meeting with the members that are present.

thanks for your help

[David A Foulkes]

that is why I am worried because all members of our establishment can vote but they do not all attend the meeting. Do we need to have the re-vote done immediatly with only the members that are present?

I suppose it bears mentioning that the "typical" approach is to get all the members (who can attend) together at the same time in the same room and all cast their votes together in one voting session. The idea of letting members stop by during the day and drop off their ballots, whether they return for the meeting where the official counting takes place and results are announced, is your organization's approach, and thus you need to figure out for yourselves how to manage it.

I can't quote chapter and verse for you today (left book home) but the general rule of thumb is that, after votes are counted and no one candidate receives a majority, everybody (present) gets new ballots and they try again. An incomplete election (which is what we're talking about here) can be postponed to the next meeting, if it will occur within a quarterly interval is how I believe that is qualified, so there's hope, perhaps. Others here will be able to clarify that.

As for the Mr. Wynn's assertion that the majority is calculated on the number of votes cast, I'd offer the caveat that your bylaws may say otherwise, perhaps mentioning in some fashion "a vote of the entire membership", let's say. If no such mention is included, then it is all about the votes cast, which means some members may have not voted and that is an irrelevancy in the calculation.

[Gary Novosielski]

Then that is what we will do I will advise the membership that if we do not have a majority again then we will have a re vote the night of the meeting with the members that are present.

thanks for your help

Only if you have enough members left to constitute a quorum. If not, you'll need to adjourn that meeting to another time/place where you can get enough members.

[Josh Martin]

I'd offer the caveat that your bylaws may say otherwise, perhaps mentioning in some fashion "a vote of the entire membership", let's say.

Well, let's really hope not. It's going to be a long enough meeting for them as it is.