Board members and association professionals alike know that running a well-structured meeting is essential for ensuring elections and voting processes are fair and efficient. As more organizations shift to virtual or online settings to host meetings and make critical voting decisions, having a clear, established procedure in place is more important than ever to ensure crucial communications are not misconstrued. To achieve this, many organizations have adopted and tailored their own version of Robert’s Rules of Order—a set of parliamentary procedures that provides the framework for conducting meetings and managing voting matters effectively, consistently, and democratically. How can your organization take advantage of Robert’s Rules of Order in your online voting and meeting efforts?
Guiding Elements for Robert’s Rules of Order
Establishing a tailored set of Robert’s Rules of Order for your organization’s voting process ensures a fair, streamlined, and efficient election. Additionally, organizing these rules and keeping a saved copy is essential, allowing your organization to easily reference and update them as needed. Consider outlining the following elements in your rules of order document:
Order of Business
Curate and outline the typical order of business for your organization’s elections. An order of business mainly centers around an agenda that lays out the main goals and topics to be discussed at the meeting. Agenda items can include reading and approving meeting minutes, officer and board member announcements, special orders like elections, new business, and other topics. Defining your organization’s order of business ensures the meeting stays on task and productive, as event managers can decide what topics are most important and must be prioritized based on the content of the meeting.
Motions and Debate
Your organization’s rules of order should also include guidelines for motions. Motions are most often used to propose an action or make a decision. One member of the of the organization says “I move to…” to propose the motion, and another member seconds the motion. Once the motion is in action, members can debate the proposal. In your organization’s rules of order, you can include a process in which your members debate and discuss the topics. This procedure can layout the guidelines for who speaks first, how Board members recognize which members should speak, and so forth. The larger group then votes on the motion, and it must pass by a majority vote.
According to Robert’s Rules of Order, organizations should handle their motions by following these steps:
- Member makes a motion
- Another member seconds the motion
- The motion is stated and explained
- The group deliberates the motion
- The motion is voted on by the group
- Voting results are shared
If your organization is holding a motion in a remote setting, online software can make the entire process faster and simpler. There are plenty of powerful tools out there to streamline remote or virtual meetings and elections, giving you full control over different ballot types. For instance, with AssociationVoting’s Online Voting Software for General Meeting Elections, Voting Managers can easily set up “on the fly” motion approvals as they come up during the meeting. As new motions arise, voters can instantly access the ballot from their laptop or mobile device to approve or deny them, making it seamless and interactive! By including your organization’s procedures for motions, whether virtual or in an in-person setting, in your rules of order you can be sure that the process is smooth, fair, and efficient.
Quorums
Consider adding quorum requirements and procedures to your organization’s rules of order to ensure your elections are fair, transparent, and truly democratic! Setting a quorum means you’re ensuring that a minimum number of members are present to make motions and vote, preventing any decision from being made by only a small group. It’s a powerful way to guarantee that the majority’s voice is always heard. By clearly defining these quorum requirements in your rules of order, you’ll safeguard the integrity of the process, keeping everything clear and accountable every step of the way!
Even if your organization is operating virtually, you can still easily set and monitor your quorum requirements! Many online voting tools, like AssociationVoting, offer real-time election reporting and analytics, allowing Board members and Voting Managers to instantly track whether the ballot has met quorum. This ensures you stay informed and in control throughout the entire process, while simultaneously abiding by your organization’s rules of order.
Voting
As democratic organizations, voting on key issues is essential to shaping your future. After debate and discussion, a vote ensures the majority’s voice is the one that drives the decision. By creating clear and consistent voting practices, you can establish a strong rule of order that empowers every meeting. This approach ensures fairness, accuracy, and efficiency, allowing your organization to move forward with confidence and momentum!
When it comes to voting, Robert’s Rules of Order include one question at a time, each member only gets one vote, only members who are present at the time of the meeting can vote, and the decision is made only if it has the majority vote. Consider laying out your organization’s rules of order as you see best fit.
Concerned about sticking to your rules of order while voting in a virtual setting? No need to worry—there are plenty of software solutions that maintain the integrity and security of your voting process. With tools like AssociationVoting, you can access robust security features, including IP tracking, login failure reports, voter authentication, and more! Voting Managers and Board members can easily monitor ballots and votes to ensure all minimum requirements are met. Plus, with this software, you can guarantee that each member casts only one vote, simplifying the voting process and ensuring accuracy in a virtual environment!
Amendments
Organizations should be proactive in setting the stage for how amendments are proposed and voted on—it’s a crucial step for maintaining flexibility and clarity in your governance. Amendments can cover changes to motions, bylaws, or other key organizational topics. When following Robert’s Rules of Order, the process is simple yet powerful: one member introduces the change with “I move to amend the motion,” and then it’s seconded and put to a vote. This process ensures that every change is carefully considered and supported by the group, keeping your organization dynamic and adaptable!
Even in a virtual setting, your organization can follow the rules of order for an amendment motion. Finding and selecting an Online Voting Software that supports amendment voting is crucial to maintaining integrity. One such voting software, AssociationVoting, supports amendment ballots and simultaneously keeps all voting records safe and secure.
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In today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving world of virtual meetings and online voting, it’s essential for your organization to establish clear rules of order. By adopting key principles from Robert’s Rules of Order, you can ensure that your meetings and elections are efficient, fair, and democratic. Additionally, incorporating an Online Voting solution will further enhance the experience, offering both security and convenience for all participants.