Parliamentary Procedure Q&A
Q:
When taking a vote to elect a vice chairperson, what constitutes a majority?
Is 51% of present eligible voters required or is it the one who gets the most votes?
In other words, what about abstaining voters?
Do they count as part of the whole of which a majority must be reached, or is it the majority of those members voting?
- William, Jan. 9, 2000
A:
A member is elected by a majority (more than half) of the votes cast for that office at a meeting where a quorum is present.
If the bylaws allow election by plurality vote, then a member is elected by receiving the most votes, regardless of whether that number is a majority.
Again, a quorum must be present.
Abstentions are ignored.
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