Guest Eric Posted January 19, 2011 at 04:51 AM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 04:51 AM Could you please clarify the following for me:If I plan to vote "no" on a motion being considered, I should not make or second the motion, correct? For instance, we had a situation in a meeting this evening where a motion died due to a lack of second. The reason I chose not to second the motion was because I was planning on voting against it. I've always been told that you vote the way of your motion. Is this correct or no? Should I have seconded the motion to at least bring it to the floor for discussion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted January 19, 2011 at 05:03 AM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 05:03 AM Could you please clarify the following for me:If I plan to vote "no" on a motion being considered, I should not make or second the motion, correct? For instance, we had a situation in a meeting this evening where a motion died due to a lack of second. The reason I chose not to second the motion was because I was planning on voting against it. I've always been told that you vote the way of your motion. Is this correct or no? Should I have seconded the motion to at least bring it to the floor for discussion?Well, if you don't favor an idea, there is no point in moving it. Nor is there any point in seconding it. But there's nothing to prevent you from doing so. Seconding a motion does not mean you favor it, but that you want it to be discussed. If that is actually your position, then go ahead and second it. But if I were against a motion, I would have no problem with it dying for lack of a second. If nothing else, it's a time saver.Similarly, you can move a motion and then vote against it. What you are not allowed to do is speak against your own motion in debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted January 19, 2011 at 06:43 AM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 06:43 AM If I plan to vote "no" on a motion being considered, I should not make or second the motion, correct?You should not make the motion if you oppose it from the start. There may be instances in which you would second a motion you oppose.Is this correct or no?No, it is not. A member may vote any way he desires. The seconder of the motion may well be opposed to it from the start. The maker of the motion presumably supports it to begin with, but the debate may persuade him otherwise.Should I have seconded the motion to at least bring it to the floor for discussion?That's up to you. There is no reason you had to second the motion, but there is also no reason you couldn't. Seconding the motion simply means you want it to be discussed.Nor is there any point in seconding it.This is not always the case. A member will sometimes second a motion because he desires the assembly to go on record as rejecting the proposal. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 34, line 29 - pg. 35, line 1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted January 19, 2011 at 10:35 AM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 10:35 AM A member will sometimes second a motion because he desires the assembly to go on record as rejecting the proposal. (RONR, 10th ed., pg. 34, line 29 - pg. 35, line 1)Nothing wrong with that, but since motions which die for lack of a second are recorded in the minutes, the assembly has, in a way, gone on record as having vanishingly small interest in supporting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted January 19, 2011 at 11:23 AM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 11:23 AM Could you please clarify the following for me:If I plan to vote "no" on a motion being considered, I should not make or second the motion, correct? For instance, we had a situation in a meeting this evening where a motion died due to a lack of second. The reason I chose not to second the motion was because I was planning on voting against it. I've always been told that you vote the way of your motion. Is this correct or no? Should I have seconded the motion to at least bring it to the floor for discussion?So often people innocently accept what they are told as the "truth" and sometimes it is. Sometimes not. Be careful with this, especially as it relates to Robert's Rules and parliamentary procedure, as it often is (judging from posts here) a sometimes not moment.A motion that dies for lack of a second, which would seem to indicate no one but the mover sees it as favorable, can be brought before the assembly again and again at subsequent meetings, if the mover is persistent. Nothing to stop that. But as long as it requires a second (most do) and none is offered, it will never be adopted. And if you don't want to risk that, don't second it. If you do second it, in hopes of getting to an official "on-record" vote by the assembly to defeat it, you always run the risk of persuasive debate changing the tide in favor of the ayes, and now you've got another problem to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weldon Merritt Posted January 19, 2011 at 03:44 PM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 03:44 PM A motion that dies for lack of a second, which would seem to indicate no one but the mover sees it as favorable, can be brought before the assembly again and again at subsequent meetings, if the mover is persistent. Indeed, even a motion that is defeated "can be brought before the assembly again and again at subsequent meetings." So even if the assembly goes on record as having rejected the motion at one meeting, they are free to change their collective minds at a future meeting and adopt the very same motion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David A Foulkes Posted January 19, 2011 at 08:02 PM Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 at 08:02 PM Indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eric Posted January 20, 2011 at 03:43 AM Report Share Posted January 20, 2011 at 03:43 AM Thank you all for the information. This has been very helpful for me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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