Parliamentary procedures are a set of rules which, if used correctly, help a group run meetings without confusion and without waste of time or effort.
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What are Parliamentary Procedures?
There are three basic ideas behind rules:
- All persons in the group are equal; the rights of one are the rights of all.
- The will of the majority will be carried out, but only after the minority has had a fair chance to have its say.
- Plain old fashioned common sense.
How do I learn Parliamentary Procedures? And how much do I have to know?
If you are able to make a simple motion, to make an amendment to a motion, to take a vote, and use the special emergency procedures designed to protect an individual member’s rights, you will know 90% of what is necessary to run the usual organization meeting, or to participate as a member. Once you can do these few things smoothly, you can lean the rest as you go along.
How do I make a motion?
There are seven steps in completing a motion — any motion. This is the very heart of parliamentary procedures and takes care of most business in most meetings.
These seven steps are:
- Member addresses the “Chair”…..
- Chair recognizes member….
- Member states motion “I move that……”
- Another member (without waiting to be recognized) seconds the motion “I seconded the motion”
- The Chair repeats the motion and calls for discussion: “It has been moved and seconded that…” Is there any discussion?
- After discussion, the Chair puts the motion to a vote: “If there is nothing new to be added to the discussion, we are ready to vote. All those in favour (show of hands); those opposed (show of hands), pause for the count.
- Chair counts the votes and announces the outcome. “The majority have voted in favour and the motion for….. has been passed.”
How do I make an amendment to a motion?
An amendment to a motion is made by following the same seven steps listed above. Once the you are recognized by the Chair, you state your amending motion by saying what to change first, or main motion. An amendment must be made before the final vote is taken, of course.
Amendments may be made in any one of three ways:
- by adding words, “I move to amend the motion by adding words…..”
- by dropping words, “I move to amend the motion by dropping the words……”
- by substituting new words for some of the original words, “I move to amend the motion by substituting ……. for ………”
What about that amending an amendment business?
In a meeting where parliamentary procedures are being used, only two amendments may be offered as motions before one of them must be voted upon. Only one motion at a time may be discussed, and they are voted upon in order, beginning with the last motion made.
MAIN MOTION: “I move that we have a picnic in June.”
1st Amendment: “I move to amend the motion by adding ‘on the first Saturday’.”
2nd Amendment: “I move to amend the amendment by substituting ‘second Saturday’ for ‘first Saturday’.”
The second amendment is discussed and voted upon first; if it is passed, then the first amendment will be changed to read: “I move that we amend the motion by adding ‘on the second Saturday’.” If the second amendment does not pass, then the first amendment is ready to be discussed and voted on in its original form.
The first amendment is then discussed and voted upon. If it is passed and the second amendment was also passed, then the main motion will read: “I move that we have a picnic on the second Saturday in June.” If the amendments did not pass, then the main motion is ready to be voted on in its original form.
After both amendments have been voted upon, then the Chair states the main motion (as amended if either amendment passed) and asks for discussion. “The motion before us now is that we have a picnic on the second Saturday in June, is there any discussion?” The motion may be amended further at this time if the members wish.
What is there to know about counting votes?
Voting may be done in any one of four ways:
- by voice vote — “those in favour say ‘yes’
- by a show of hands — “those in favour raise their right hands”
- by a standing vote — “those in favour please stand” (a standing vote may or may not be counted)
- by a written ballot. If a member feels that a voice vote cannot be decided accurately they may ask for a “division”. Then the Chair shall ask for a standing vote or a show of hands. To have a counted vote a motion requires a majority vote.
A tie vote — when both sides have an equal number of votes — is counted as a ‘no’ vote and the motion is defeated.
The Chair may vote only to “make or break” a tie. If a vote is exactly 50-50, the motion is lost unless the Chair chooses to vote ‘yes’ and pass the motion. There is no sense in the Chair’s casting a ‘no’ vote because the question is already defeated.
If a vote is 50 ‘yes’ to 49 ‘no’, the motion is passed unless the Chair chooses to vote ‘no’ and make a tie, thereby defeating the motion. Again, there is no sense in the Chair’s voting ‘yes’ because the motion has already passed without his vote.
The Chair is never required to vote unless they chose to do so.
What is the difference between a majority and a plurality vote?
A majority vote is, simply, more than half of all the votes cast. A plurality vote is, simply, “more than anyone else got”, but can be less than half. For example: if three candidates are running for office and [A] gets 45% of the total vote, [B] gets 35%, [C] gets 20%, then [A] has a plurality but not a majority vote.
In some cases the rules require that if no one candidate receives a majority vote, a run-off election must be held and no one can be elected with less than a majority.
When do you have to have a two-thirds vote?
Check with your By-laws or book on parliamentary procedures to find the vote needed on any particular motion, but the rule-of-thumb is that a majority vote is required for almost all ordinary business; a two-thirds vote is required when the members’ rights are to be suspended, as in a motion to end debate or when decisions which have already been made are to be reversed. For example: two-thirds vote is required to change the order of business for a meeting after the order has been approved, or to make changes in the By-laws.
What about those special emergency procedures designed to protect my rights?
There are six of these special emergency procedures. “Special” because they are not used in the ordinary handling of business. “Emergency” because they are used to take care of something which can’t wait. “Procedures” because they are not ordinary motions — they do not require a second, they may interrupt other speakers and other business, and they usually must be taken care of immediately. They should not be used to interfere with the rights of others, or to frustrate business, but if they are used properly, they can be very helpful in insuring the rights of each member to participate fully in the business of the meeting and in making decisions.
The six special emergency procedures are:
- point of order
- appeal from the decision of the Chair
- parliamentary inquiry
- request for information
- point of privilege, and
- objection to consideration
- Point of Order. This is used when you believe that a member or the meeting is not proceeding properly and you want to call the Chair’s attention to the matter.
Member: “Mr/Ms Chair, I have a point of order….”
Chair: “What is your point of order?” or “What is your question”
Member: “The motion before the meeting is that we have our picnic on Saturday;
the member is talking about getting newspaper publicity for the picnic. I think this discussion is out of order at this time.”
Chair: “Your point is correct. The speaker will confine his/her remarks to the date
for the picnic. The speaker may continue.” - Appeal from the decision of the Chair. This is used when you feel that the Chair has made a wrong decision. In the example above, if the Chair had answered, “Your point is not correct, the member is discussing the picnic, which is the question before the meeting, and the speaker may continue,” and if you thought the Chair’s opinion was not right, your reply would be: “I appeal the decision of the Chair”.
When a member “appeals the decision of the Chair” in this way, the Chair is required to ask the meeting for a decision. Chair: “The Chair’s ruling has been appealed. All those in favour of the Chair’s ruling say ‘yes’”. Pause for voting. “The majority have voted ‘no’ and the Chair is overruled. The speaker may continue.” - Parliamentary inquiry. This is use when you need parliamentary information.
Member: “Mr/Ms Chair, I have a parliamentary question.”
Chair: “State your question.”
Member: “I believe that we would have a better attendance at our picnic if we had children’s games instead of a baseball game. May I move now to make this change in the motion?”
Chair: “The Chair believes such a motion would be proper at this time, and you may make your motion.” - Request for information. This is used when it is necessary to have a certain piece of information before continuing with the business of the meeting.
Member: “Mr/Ms Chair, I have a question for information.”
Chair: “What is your question?”
Member: “What time do we have to leave to catch the bus back to Calgary?” or “Can we phone check the rental cost of the ballroom before we vote on a final decision to have our party there?” - Point of privilege. This is used when, for some reason, you are unable to take part in the proceedings of the meeting comfortably, or completely.
Member: “Mr/Mrs Chair, I have a question of privilege.”
Chair: “What is your question?”
Member: “Those of us in the back of the hall cannot hear the speaker.”
Chair: “Your privilege is granted. Will the engineer please turn up the public address system, and will someone close the door to the kitchen.” - Objection to consideration. This is used when some ill-advised, embarrassing time-wasting, or simply stupid question is raised.
Chair: “Is there any further business?”
Member: “I move that we take back our invitation to Mr. Jones to show his slides at our next meeting.”
Another Member: “I second the motion.”
Chair: “It has been moved and seconded that we take back the invitation to Mr. Jones to show his slides at our next meeting. Is there any discussion?”
Member: “I don’t think we should let him come to our meeting. I heard rumours from members that I don’t want to name who said that Mrs. Jones….”
Member (interrupting): “I object to consideration of this question.”
Chair: “Objection has been made to considering this question. Those opposed to considering the question, raise your hands.” Pause. “This takes a 2/3’rds vote to approve the objection. We have a 2/3’rds vote and the question cannot be considered and is dropped. Is there any new business?”
The objection to consideration should be used only when other more usual motions (such as to refer to question to a committee, to postpone consideration, to close debate, etc.) would not be sufficient. This procedure can be used only at the very beginning of a discussion and cannot be raised after the discussion has gone beyond a reasonable point. It should not be used when a question should be defeated, but only when the question should not have been raised at all.
How can I remember all this?
You don’t need to remember it all. You only need to understand the reasons for the rules. That is not difficult — just common sense. Parliamentary procedures are, first of all, based on common sense. It provides ways for handling only one thing at a time, for “doing something” with each piece of business — that is, passing it, killing it, or putting it aside in a definite place for later consideration. Once you understand a few basic rules and the reasons for their use, it is easy to look up the specific rules in a book on parliamentary procedure as you need them.
But it scares me to think about it, I’ll look foolish if I make a mistake
Understandably, you are scared the first time. Being brave means that you have done it before. What gets this all together is practice for both members and officers. It’s like learning to drive a car; you can read a book, listen to a lecture, watch somebody else drive, but you won’t really know how until you get in the car, turn the key and put your hands on the wheel and drive.