Session 8 - Debate and Voting - March 26

Responses from your Ticket Outs from Session 10!

What are you curious about?

• What type of motion is the motion to take a plurality vote? When is it in order to make this motion?
• How my meetings could run more efficiently by using the strict rules of order.
• If people follow the rules that the are supposed to, the meeting will be run more efficiently automatcially. This is because Parliamentary Procedure is meant to accomplish the four principles and make the meeting run smoother. 
• Election proceedings
• We'l learn about this next class, Session 11!
• What does Sandusky Blitz taste like?
• It's a "banana flavored ice cream, with chocolate covered caramel and peanut pieces."
• Rules about reading minutes, quotations, reports, etc.
• You cannot just assume that you can read from other documents in your speech. However, you can make a request to do so as in pg. 298-299.
• Majority members present
• This means that if you need "more than half" it has to be more than half of those that are there. So blanks and abstentions can affect to vote. 
• Do we write on our exams or turn the correction in on a separate sheet of paper?
• On the exams is alright. 
• Leadership positions within an organization
• Next week...Session 11!
• If I debated twice for a total of 2 minutes, I can't debate more using my remaining time, correct?
• Correct-You forfeit the right to the rest of those speeches. pg. 388 l. 12-20
• Proper use of abstention
• No one can be forced to vote. If they don't want to during a voice, rising vote, or ballot vote, they just have to not participate. During a roll call vote, just say present. pg. 407 l. 12-19
• Meeting attendance via video chat
• More information can be found here about this addition. pg. 97-99
• In the absence of a vice president, who steps up when the chair steps down in order to debate?
• The chair can appoint another qualified member in this case. They cannot have spoken on the motion, not wish to speak. pg. 395 l. 7-13'

What did you learn?

• Proxy votes are only allowed by bylaws and laws. 
• The effects of abstentions on voting outcomes.
• The chair is allowed to vote when creating/breaking ties or two-thirds votes or during secret ballots. 
• Rules about yielding times
• The  maker of a motion cannot debate against their own motion.
• Plurality votes
• When a plurality vote can be used
• The chair can step down to participate in debate although it could make them look like they can't be impartial to the members. 
• Rights of chair to vote
• Various types of voting
• Better debate skills
• There are several types of votes including voice, ballot, rising 
• Proxy voting 
• Practice on debate
• Four types of votes
• Methods of voting 
• Voting based on members present means that if you're present and abstain, you're essentially voting in the negative. 
• Discretion sometimes plays a major role in decisions of the chair
• The chair can participate in debate by stepping down temporarily while the vice president takes the chair. 
• Abstentions are recorded only when having a roll call vote

What do you want to learn more about?

• More practice at chairing
• We'll definitely practice more!
• Elections
• pg. 438-446
• Times each vote types are used 
• A majority vote is most commonly used, including for handling normal business, Two-thirds is used whenever someone's rights as a member will be compromised. Unanimous consent is helpful for when no one objects to the business. pg. 400-406
• Absentee voting
• Check out pg. 423-429
• How do you choose by-laws for your group?
• 2 weeks...Session 12