OCUA BOD Email Vote Policy Proposal

Below is the OCUA email voting policy to be added to the OCUA policy manual. If you have any questions or comments on this proposed new policy please send an email to secretary@ocua.ca.

  1. A board member proposes a motion in an email message to the Chair.
  2. The chair decides whether the matter can be decided by email, or should wait for a meeting.
  3. For an email vote, the chair forwards the motion to board members and secretary, asking for a seconder.
  4. After a seconder responds (Reply All), the chair calls for voting via email.
  5. The subject line should include the word “Motion.”
  6. The first line of the body of the email should include the words “I move that the board approve/authorize/recommend …”
  7. The motion will expire in seven calendar days or at the start of the next board or membership meeting – whichever comes first.
  8. All board members, including the person who made the motion and the seconder, may vote. If a board member does not vote then that board member will be considered to have abstained.
  9. A majority of affirmative votes are required to approve an email motion.
  10. The secretary is responsible for tallying the votes and informing the board of the outcome. Votes must be circulated to all board members and the secretary. If a member fails to CC: other board members on his vote, the secretary should forward the email to the others. The secretary will be responsible for soliciting the vote of any board member without email and informing the rest of the board about that vote.
  11. Board members should include in the words “I vote No” or “I vote Yes” in the first line of their response.
  12. Email motions can only be voted up or down. They can’t be amended.
  13. The member who proposed the motion may withdraw it at any time prior to the announcement of the voting outcome by the secretary.
  14. If the motion doesn’t receive the required majority votes by the deadline it fails.
  15. The board should review any email motions, approved or unapproved, at the start of the next board meeting. The secretary should include that review in the minutes of the meeting.

Email approval is only suitable for straightforward motions. Email is not suited for the conduct of a deliberative process. Email doesn’t provide the opportunity for discussion or amendment of the motion that you would have in a face-to-face meeting. Members should feel free to say, “I vote No, because I think we should discuss it.” The member who proposed the motion shouldn’t take offense at such a response.