Robert's Rules of Order Fast Track by Jim Slaughter

Author:Jim Slaughter
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780744061413
Publisher: DK Publishing

Absentee Voting

Most of Robert’s is focused on decisions made in meetings. However, the book recognizes that statutes or governing documents might occasionally allow members who aren’t at a meeting to participate. Such instances can include ballots permitted outside of a meeting or voting by mail, email or fax, or by proxy voting. Again, either the bylaws or state law must expressly allow such voting. Robert’s tends to be of little help because such decision-making processes don’t involve a meeting.

Voting by Mail

Voting by mail, email, or fax is generally reserved for when few members attend meetings, but a full membership vote is desired. Votes by mail are sometimes used by large national associations or large community associations. Some statutes even require certain types of votes, such as the election of directors, to be conducted by mail vote.

Before any vote by mail, detailed rules should be adopted as to the marking and returning of ballots. Very often, an inner envelope is sent to the voter with the ballot, in addition to a self-addressed, outer return envelope. That way, the vote of the member can be kept secret.

Preferential or Ranked-Choice Voting

Though beyond the scope of this book, preferential voting (or “ranked voting” or “ranked-choice voting”) describes any number of voting methods by which the second or less-preferred choices of voters can be taken into account on a single written or electronic ballot. In other words, preferential voting is an attempt to allow repeated balloting with a single ballot. In one method, each voter ranks all candidates numerically. If no candidate wins among the first-choice votes, the votes for the candidate receiving the fewest first-choice votes are redistributed among the remaining candidates. This process continues until sufficient candidates receive the necessary votes.

There are numerous methods of preferential voting. Such varying methods tend to calculate and treat secondary choices differently, which can result in different outcomes.

Improper Straw Polls

Occasionally, a member will suggest taking an informal “straw poll” to test opinions on an issue. Beware! Robert’s flat-out states that a straw poll “is not in order because it neither adopts nor rejects a measure and hence is meaningless and dilatory.” It will also confuse the issue because members on the “winning” side of the straw poll won’t understand why the results aren’t binding on the assembly.

Proxies

A proxy is a power of attorney given to another to vote in the member’s stead. In other words, if I give my proxy to Mary Smith, Mary can attend the meeting and participate on my behalf. But if Mary misses the meeting, it’s as though I’m not at the meeting. My proxy only matters if Mary attends the meeting.

By statute, proxy voting is often permitted in for-profit and nonprofit corporations and community associations. Proxy voting is almost universally prohibited in board meetings because directors can’t usually give away their responsibilities. Follow any statutory or governing document language as to proxies to the letter.

If proxies weren’t complicated enough, there are five different generally recognized types of proxy:

General proxy: The holder of the proxy has discretion to do whatever they want at the meeting.

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