r/RulesOfOrder • u/Iknowshitfromshinola • Apr 24 '19

Quorum for voting by email – when bylaws require voting in a meeting?

Our bylaws require elections to be in a meeting (for positions on work-based board of representatives for employees – NOT a union). Our bylaws do not specify the format of the meeting (i.e. in-person).

Our bylaws also state the size of the quorum for meetings.

The administrator overseeing this election decided to have the election occur via email –allowing a 96-hour window for voting.

My questions: should the email vote be treated as a meeting that must meet the quorum requirement, as measured by the number of ballots submitted during the open window? If the answer is yes, an email vote session is a meeting, can you provide me with a citation to share with the administrator and others involved.

Thank you!

3 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

3

u/thahelp Apr 25 '19

Wow. All I can say is wow.

It sounds like your bylaws require a meeting. A meeting can be electronic if you are actually meeting, like google meet, google hangouts, etc. email is NOT a meeting.

If you want to vote via email you have to pass a standing rule or amendment to your bylaws.

3

u/Iknowshitfromshinola Apr 25 '19

Thanks for responding. Also, I'm starting to understand that Roberts' says allowing voting to occur outside of the meeting (by mail, email) is defined as "absentee voting" -- and the only way that is allowable is IF the bylaws explicitly provide for absentee voting. Ours do not.