How To Count The Vote

1. How To Count The Vote Or……….

2. How to Vote for The Count!

3. Eight Forms of Voting • Unanimous Consent • Voice Vote • Rising Vote • Show of Hands • Ballot • Roll Call • By Mail • By Proxy

4. Counting the Vote • In smaller groups or assemblies, the chair may perform counts of votes • For larger groups/assemblies, the chair should appoint Tellers to perform the count (recommended) • If a voice vote is inconclusive, the chair should ask for a rising vote.

5. Preferential Voting • Any number of voting methods by which, on a single ballot when there are more than two possible choices, the second or less-preferred choices of voters can be taken into account if no candidate or proposition attains a majority. • RONR §45, pp 425-426, ll 33-2

6. How It’s Done • Each ballot contains all candidate names for a particular office, or all choices being considered for a question. • Voter then selects their choices in ranking order from highest to lowest; 1-first choice, 2-second…..etc. • Ballots are collected and then placed in groups based on first preference for each candidate or choice. • The number of ballots in each group is counted. If mort than ½ of the ballots show one candidate or choice as first choice, then majority is obtained.

7. How It’s Done – cont’ • If no majority reached, a “process of elimination” takes place: • Beginning with the least popular (candidate receiving the least # of ‘1’-first choice ballots), those ballots are redistributed into the remaining groups based on their 2nd choice. A new count is made and if a majority is still not reached, then the process (above) is repeated until a majority for any (or the one) remaining candidate is established.

8. How It’s Done – cont’ • If a ballot having one or more names not marked with a number comes up for placement at any stage of the counting and all of its marked names have been eliminated, it should be set aside. • If at any point any candidates or propositions are tied for the least popular position, all ties are eliminated and not counted further. • In the event of a tie in the winning position – the election should be resolved in favor of the candidate or choice that was strongest in terms of first choices – by referring to the record of the first distribution.

9. Other Considerations • In cases where multiple positions are to be filled (e.g. 3 members on a board) the process of deciding is similar except that instead of deciding a single winner, the counting continues until the “top 3” candidates are determined. • Voters should be given thorough instructions on how to mark their ballots, and made sure they understand how the ballots will be counted. • Voters declining to mark a second or other choice are wrong to think this will give their choice an ‘advantage’.

10. Some Important Safeguards to Remember • Make sure to count member votes only! • When in doubt, do it again! • Written ballots (paper, mail, proxies, emails, etc.) should be counted at least twice, by more than one person, to ensure an accurate vote.

11. If Time Allows: Open Discussion • How is preferential voting different than voting to Fill In a Blank? • When more than one candidate or choice is offered, which way of deciding what option is chosen or which candidate gets elected is better?

12. Consider this: • Joseph Stalin once said “It does not matter who votes; it matters who counts the votes.” • But remember……….

13. Your Count is Voting on You!

15. Uses and Notes • DON’T INCLUDE THIS SLIDE! Read the information to the class! • MAKE THEM ACTIVELY LISTEN BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO QUIZ THEM ON THIS LATER!! • More complicated than other methods • Unless provided for in the bylaws, Preferential voting can NOT be used to elect officers. 426,ll9-11 • Preferential voting should not be used in cases where it is possible to follow the normal procedure of repeated balloting until one candidate or proposition attains a majority. P 428, ll17-20.