Valid/Invalid ballots

[Guest John Harlan]

The bylaws, policies, rules, regulations or any action by the Board of Directors say nothing about what constitutes a valid ballot, but the Association is bound by Robert's, what constitutes a valid ballot or makes a ballot invalid?

[jstackpo]

A "valid ballot" although not defined in those terms by RONR, would be one cast by a legitimate voter.

A ballot is valid, and counted in determining if a majority of the valid ballots are cast for one person (the winner) even if a particular ballot is cast for ab ineligible, or fictional, person.

[Kim Goldsworthy]

The bylaws, policies, rules, regulations or any action by the Board of Directors say nothing about what constitutes a valid ballot, but the Association is bound by Robert's Rules of Order.

Q. What constitutes a valid ballot or makes a ballot invalid?

Bad news.

RONR (tenth edition, 2000) never uses the adjective "valid" nor "invalid" with regard to "ballot".

The noun "ballots", if a modifier is used, are usually referred to as "legal" or "illegal", or "blank" or "illegible."

So, technically, RONR is silent on the subject of "valid ballots" or "invalid ballots".

Thus, I must ask you: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

What are the particulars of your scenario where you must determine if a ballot is valid/invalid?

What do you (or your buddies) think an "invalid ballot" is?

[Josh Martin]

The bylaws, policies, rules, regulations or any action by the Board of Directors say nothing about what constitutes a valid ballot, but the Association is bound by Robert's, what constitutes a valid ballot or makes a ballot invalid?

The terms "valid" or "invalid" ballot are not defined by RONR. See RONR, 10th ed., pgs. 401-403 for information on how various ballots should be recorded and how they would affect the result.

[Tim Wynn]

The bylaws, policies, rules, regulations or any action by the Board of Directors say nothing about what constitutes a valid ballot, but the Association is bound by Robert's, what constitutes a valid ballot or makes a ballot invalid?

Your question is a bit too general. Do you have a question about a specific situation?

[Gary Novosielski]

The bylaws, policies, rules, regulations or any action by the Board of Directors say nothing about what constitutes a valid ballot, but the Association is bound by Robert's, what constitutes a valid ballot or makes a ballot invalid?

A "legal" ballot, at the minimum, would be a piece of blank paper with a name legibly written on it. That name would be of a real person, someone eligible to hold the office being voted on. During the time period that the polls were open, it would be turned in to the tellers, or placed in a ballot box, by someone eligible to vote who had not already voted and had not folded two or more ballots together in an attempt to vote more than once.

That's pretty much what it takes.

[Gary c Tesser]

A "valid ballot" although not defined in those terms by RONR, would be one cast by a legitimate voter.

A ballot is valid, and counted in determining if a majority of the valid ballots are cast for one person (the winner) even if a particular ballot is cast for ab ineligible, or fictional, person.

Ab ineligible person. Please, John, stop with the Latin already.