Parliamentary Procedure Q&A
Q:
We had an election the office of president was a tie, we now must have a runoff election.
However, the rest of the officers are being sworn in in two days, the current president was running, does she keep her office until the runoff election or does the vice president that is sworn in prior to the runoff election hold the office of acting president until the office is decided?
- Mike Macari, Dec. 7, 1999
A:
The answer will depend on how your bylaws are worded.
- If they say something like "... shall hold office for a term of one year," then the newly-elected Vice President would fill in until a President is elected.
- If they say something like "... shall hold office for a term of one year and (or or) until their successor is elected," then the previous President remains in office until a new President is elected.
If your bylaws don't specify when the officer's term is to begin (such as "January 1" or "at the close of the annual meeting") the term begins as soon as the election chair declares the winner of the election.
See RONR p. 568.
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