Voting Eligibility

Problem: The question of voting eligibility should be answered by the Bylaws, not by a Convention Special Rule of Order. A rule about who is eligible to vote is too fundamental to allow for its suspension. Also, the first parts of Rule 2 are covered by Robert's Rules of Order ("RONR") as fundamental parliamentary principles and their repetition here is unnecessary.

Solution: Move most of Rule 2 into the Bylaws and delete the parts which Robert's Rules of Order covers.

RONR p. 2, lines 4-5: "In any decision made, the opinion of each member present has equal weight as expressed by vote-..."

RONR p. 408, line 31 - p. 409, line 2: "It is a fundamental principle of parliamentary law that the right to vote is limited to the members of an organization who are actually present at the time the vote is taken in a legal meeting, although it should be noted that a member need not be present when the question is put. Exceptions to this rule must be expressly stated in the bylaws."

RONR p. 255, lines 3-11: "Rules which embody fundamental principles of parliamentary law, such as the rule that allows only one question to be considered at a time (p. 56) cannot be suspended. As a further example, since it is a fundamental principle of parliamentary law that the right to vote is limited to the members of an oranization who are actually present at the time the vote is taken in a legal meeting (p. 408), the rules cannot be suspended so as to give the right to vote to a non-member, or to authorize absentee (pp. 408-409) or cumulative (p. 429) voting, even by a unanimous vote."

RONR p 596, lines 33-35: "This statement [by the Credentials Committee Chair] should be followed by whatever statistical summary is customary in the particular organization...."


[RULE 2: VOTING ELIGIBILITY
1. The Secretary, acting on behalf of the Credentials Committee, shall report the number of delegates registered in attendance and eligible to vote directly after the opening of the first business session, and at the beginning of each succeeding session.
2. All delegates shall be eligible to vote on all matters. In order to vote on a given matter, a delegate must be present on the floor at the time the vote is taken. Each delegate present shall have one vote.] [The last sentence of 2.2, and the remainder of Rule 2, are simply moved to Article 11.]

ARTICLE 11: CONVENTIONS

6. Voting Eligibility:
   [2.] a. Use of the unit rule or unit voting is prohibited at national conventions.
   [3.] b. Duly selected alternates may be freely substituted for any members of their delegation who are temporarily or permanently absent from the floor, provided the procedure has been clearly specified by the affiliate party in advance of the Convention, and the Secretary has been provided with lists of the affiliate party's delegates and alternates as well as a copy of the affiliate party's rules governing substitutions.
   [4.] c. An alternate, upon certification by the Secretary, may function as a delegate whenever a delegate of the same state has not been registered in attendance. This status shall continue until the absent delegate registers in attendance. If the affiliate party has made no provision for filling delegate vacancies, the alternate substitute shall be decided by drawing lots.
   [5.] d. If the affiliate party has made no other provision, an alternate may temporarily vote in place of a delegate from the same state while he or she has the written consent of that delegate; however, no delegate may cast more than one vote on a question.
   [6.] e. All members must wear the identification badge issued upon registration in order to be admitted to the Convention hall.