making a motion for online voting

[Guest Grace]

Our constitution has no provision for a voting online. We have meetings and will have one in February. Some members want to make a motion online to allow voting online before the meeting. I said they would have to wait until the meeting - make a motion, have discussion and vote. If voted on at the meeting then we can do online voting but you can do it before hand. Are there any rules for online voting. Please advise

Thanks

[hmtcastle]

Are there any rules for online voting.

Yes, you can't do it unless your bylaws (or some superior rule or law) says you can. In RONR-Land, all business takes place at meetings, among members who are (physically) present.

[Tim Wynn]

Our constitution has no provision for a voting online. We have meetings and will have one in February. Some members want to make a motion online to allow voting online before the meeting. I said they would have to wait until the meeting - make a motion, have discussion and vote. If voted on at the meeting then we can do online voting but you can do it before hand. Are there any rules for online voting. Please advise

Thanks

See the foot note on page 2 of RONR(10th ed.).

[Josh Martin]

Our constitution has no provision for a voting online. We have meetings and will have one in February. Some members want to make a motion online to allow voting online before the meeting. I said they would have to wait until the meeting - make a motion, have discussion and vote. If voted on at the meeting then we can do online voting but you can do it before hand. Are there any rules for online voting.

Since your Constitution has no provisions for voting online, members certainly cannot make a motion online to allow voting online. A motion at the meeting to allow online voting, however, is also out of order, unless it is an amendment to the Constitution (and follows the proper procedures in your Constitution for amendment).

As for what rules to use if and when you add online voting to your Constitution, that depends on what sort of "online voting" you're looking for. If you mean that you wish to vote from time to time on specific matters via online means, you may be able to use the rules for a mail vote as a starting point. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 409, line 19 - pg. 411, line 16) RONR notes that it may be possible to tailor electronic means of voting to comply with these requirements. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 410, lines 14 - 16; pg. 411, lines 13-16) If you're talking about going through the full procedure of conducting business by online means (motions, debate, etc.), you'll need to develop your own rules for how all that works. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 2, footnote)