Motions

Categories of Motions

• Main motions: These introduce new, substantive business or relate to past or future business of the assembly. A main motion is the lowest-ranking motion, and a member may make one only when no other business is pending.
• Subsidiary motions: These assist the assembly in handling a main motion. Motions in this class rank above the main motion and lower-ranking subsidiary motions but rank lower than privileged motions.
• Privileged motions: These do not relate to the pending motion but deal with special matters of immediate and overriding importance. Motions in this class rank above the main motion, subsidiary motions, and lower-ranking privileged motions.
• Incidental motions: These change the procedure for handling a motion but do not change what the assembly is considering. They also relate to pending business or business the assembly will conduct in the future. Incidental motions do not have rank but are incidental to the other motions. They must be decided immediately, before proceeding with further business.
• Motions that bring a question again before the assembly: These bring back business that has been previously decided. Members usually introduce them when no other business is pending.

How Motions Are Described

• Second: Does the motion require that another member second the motion?
• Amendable: Can members modify the motion?
• Debatable: Is it possible for the members to debate the merits of the question?
• Majority vote: Does adoption of the motion require a majority vote or a greater percentage?
• Reconsiderable: Can the motion be considered again?
• Interrupt: May a member interrupt another member to offer the motion?
• Precedence: Does the motion fall into an order of precedence or rank? To which motions does it yield, and over which motions does it take precedence?
• Applicability: To which motions is it applicable, and to which motions may it apply?

Thirteen Ranking Motions

Main Motion (1)

• Original main motion: A motion that introduces a substantive question as a new subject.
• Incidental main motion: A motion either incidental to or relating to business of the assembly or its past or future action (e.g., to take a recess at a certain time).
• Resolution: A main motion submitted in writing due to its length, complexity, or importance.
• Preamble: An optional clause(s), preceding the resolving clause(s), that includes background infor­mation or reasons to adopt the resolution. Each clause is indented, begins with “Whereas, . . . ,” and ends with a semicolon. After the end of the last clause, the words “now, therefore, be it” are added.
• Resolving clause(s): The actual proposed motion, preceded by the words “Resolved, That.” If more than one resolving clause exists, the word “and” is added before the last resolving clause.

Subsidiary Motions (2–8)

1. Postpone indefinitely: A motion to reject a main motion without a direct vote, or kill it in order not to consider it at that session.
2. Amend: A motion to alter or modify the wording of a main motion. A primary amendment modifies the motion; a secondary amendment modifies the primary amendment. Members vote on amendments in reverse order (secondary, primary, and then motion). A member can amend a motion in three ways:
   1. Insert or add words or a paragraph.
   2. Strike out words or a paragraph.
   3. Strike out and insert words or substitute a paragraph.
3. Commit or refer: A motion to send a main motion to a small group (committee) for further study and report.
4. Postpone to a certain time (postpone definitely): A motion to delay consideration of a main motion until later in the same meeting or until the next regularly scheduled meeting.
5. Limit or extend limits of debate: A motion to change the number of times each member may speak, the time consumed by each speech, or the total time for debate. Unless otherwise specified, this motion applies only to the immediately pending question. However, a motion to limit debate also applies to any subsidiary motions, motions to reconsider, or debatable appeals that arise regarding the pending question.
6. Previous question: A motion to close debate, or call for the question, so that the pending motion will come to an immediate vote.
7. Lay on the table: A motion to set aside a main motion temporarily to take up a more pressing issue. Whenever a condition is attached to a lay-on-the-table motion, that motion becomes a different type of motion (e.g., a motion to lay the pending motion on the table until the next meeting is actually a motion to postpone to a certain time).

Privileged Motions (9–13)

1. Call for the orders of the day: A request by an individual member to follow the adopted agenda.
2. Raise a question of privilege: A motion to interrupt the discussion of business to bring up an urgent subject or motion. For instance, a member may call a problem with comfort level (noise, room temperature, etc.) to the attention of the chair. Raising a question of privilege may also give a member the ability to make an informed decision (receive handout materials, see a presentation, etc.). Also, an assembly may use this motion to consider a confidential subject by members only (executive session).
3. Recess: A motion to take a short intermission in the meeting.
4. Adjourn: A motion to close the meeting.
5. Fix the time to which to adjourn: A motion to set a time, date, and place to continue the business of the present meeting anytime before the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Incidental Motions

• Point of order: A motion that brings any violation of a rule of the assembly to the presiding officer’s attention. A member must raise the point of order immediately after the infraction, or the point cannot be raised. The presiding officer must rule that the point of order is either well taken or not well taken, or allow the assembly to decide.
• Appeal: An appeal from the decision of the chair must be made immediately after the presiding officer rules on a point of order. If the appeal is seconded, the assembly takes a vote to decide whether it agrees with the ruling. It votes not on the appeal but on the chair’s decision: “Shall the decision of the chair be sustained?” If the assembly decided the point of order, no appeal is allowed.
• Suspend the rules: A motion to temporarily set aside a rule that would prevent the assembly from taking up a certain question or action. An assembly may not, however, suspend bylaws, a statutory law, or rules of basic parliamentary law (e.g., that only members may vote). Also, the vote required to suspend the rules depends on the rule to be suspended.
• Objection to the consideration of a question: An objection to any original main motion. A member must offer the objection before any discussion has begun or subsidiary motion stated. The chair immediately takes the vote by asking, “Shall the question be considered?” Unless two-thirds of the assembly vote in the negative, the question is considered.
• Division of a question: A vote by the assembly to divide a pending motion into two or more parts capable of standing on their own merit (i.e., parts that are not dependent on the adoption of the other portion of the motion).
• Consideration by paragraph or seriatim: A motion to consider a lengthy motion by paragraph, article, or section. The presiding officer opens each part of the paragraph for debate and amendment separately, before considering the entire document.
• Division of the assembly: A demand by a member to retake a voice vote or vote by show of hands by taking a rising vote. A member can call out “Division!” if each side of a voice vote sounds the same or if that member doubts the result of a vote.
• Motion relating to methods of voting and the polls: A request by a member to change the method of voting or to close/reopen the polls in an election or ballot vote.
• Motion relating to nominations: A motion prescribing the method for making nom­inations (when the bylaws or rules fail to provide one) or dictating when to close or reopen nominations, while an election is pending.
• Request to be excused from a duty: A request by a member to be relieved of an obligation imposed by the bylaws or by duties of an office.
• Request or inquiry: A request or inquiry related to pending business or business that a member wishes to introduce.
  • Parliamentary inquiry: A request for the chair’s opinion on a point of procedure.
  • Point of information: A request for facts affecting the pending business.
  • Request for permission to withdraw or modify a motion: A request by a member to withdraw his/her own motion from consideration or to modify it.
  • Request to read papers: A request by a member to read (or have the secretary read) a paper or book as part of debate.
  • Request for any other privilege: A request for a privilege not covered by the above requests (e.g., a request to make a presentation when no motion is pending).

Bring Back Motions

• Take from the table: A motion to resume consideration of a main motion that was laid on the table during that meeting or the previous meeting.
• Rescind (repeal or annul): A motion to repeal a previously adopted action entirely.
• Amend something previously adopted: A motion to modify a previously adopted action.
• Discharge a committee: A motion to take a referred question out of a committee’s hands so that the assembly can consider it. A standing committee (one that has continuing existence) may be discharged from consideration of the question. If a question was referred to a special committee (one that ceases to exist after the completion of the task), the committee itself may be discharged.
• Reconsider: A motion to reconsider a previously decided motion.
  • A motion to reconsider is subject to time limitations. During a meeting, a member may make a motion to reconsider a previously decided subject, but the motion to reconsider must occur on the same day as the decision. During a session, the motion to reconsider must be made on the same (or following) day of that session.
  • The member offering the motion must have voted on the prevailing side (i.e., voted “yes” if it was adopted or “no” if it was defeated).
  • Making a motion to reconsider takes precedence over all other motions. However, the assembly may take up or consider the motion only when the original motion could be considered (according to the order of business).

Handling a Motion

1. A member makes a motion.

• The member says, “I move that . . . ,” “I move to . . . ,” or “I offer the following resolution . . .” and then is seated.

2. Another member seconds the motion.

• This member says, “Second,” “I second the motion,” “I second it,” or “Support.”
• A member neither has to be recognized nor has to be in agreement with a motion to second it. He or she merely agrees that the motion should come before the assembly.
• If no member seconds the motion, the chair may ask, “Is there a second?”
• If no member offers a second, the chair says, “There is no second, and the motion will not be considered.” If for some reason an assembly omits this step and is already debating the issue, beginning the vote, or has completed the vote, it is too late to raise a point of order. The fact that there was not a second is immaterial and does not affect the vote’s outcome.

3. The chair states the question.

• When the chair says, “It is moved and seconded . . . [repeats the motion],” the motion is officially placed before the assembly. At any time prior to this step, the member who made the motion may withdraw or modify it. But after the chair states the question, the motion belongs to the assembly, and the maker may withdraw or modify it only with the assembly’s approval.
• The chair may also request that a motion be submitted in writing.

4. Members debate the motion.

• The chair initiates debate by asking “Is there any discussion?”
• The maker of the motion is entitled to speak first if he or she seeks the floor. Members may speak twice to a question, for no more than 10 minutes each time. No member may speak a second time until all have had an opportunity to make a first speech.
• The assembly must confine all debate to the merits of the pending question.

5. The chair puts the question to a vote.

• The chair repeats the motion so that members know the question they are being asked to decide: “The question is on adoption of the motion (or resolution) . . . .”
• If the chair does not repeat the motion exactly as it was made, a member may raise a point of order. Otherwise, the verbiage used by the chair in putting the question to a vote is the same as will appear in the minutes of the meeting.

Methods for Taking a Vote

• Voice (viva voce): The usual method for a vote requiring a majority for approval
• Rising: The usual method for a vote requiring two-thirds for passage or for verifying a close voice vote
• Show of hands: An alternative to voting by voice or by rising

6. The chair announces the result of the vote.

Rules and Decorum in Debate

• A member must seek the floor and be recognized by the chair in order to speak.
• The member that makes the motion is entitled to speak first.
• No member is entitled to speak a second time until all other members who wish to speak for the first time have had the opportunity to do so.
• A member may not transfer his or her rights during a debate.
• A member may not yield to another member. The chair assigns who will speak next.
• If a speaker yields for a question, the time is charged to the speaker.
• Members must confine remarks to the merits of the pending question.
• A member’s motives must not be attacked.
• A member may not speak against his/her own motion (but may vote against it).
• All remarks must be addressed to or through the chair.
• Members may not speak directly to one another.
• The chair should alternate debate between the affirmative and negative positions.
• Only the assembly may grant permission to read from books, reports, and so on.
• A member interrupted by the chair must be seated.
• The chair may not participate in debate without relinquishing the chair.
• No member may comment adversely on any prior act of the assembly.
• The chair may close debate only with the consent of the assembly (two-thirds vote).

Determining Voting Results

• Two-thirds vote: At least twice as many in favor as opposed.
• Majority of the entire membership: More than half of all members (not just those present at the meeting).
• Unanimous consent (general consent): Agreement by the members present without taking a vote. The chair asks, “Is there any objection?” If there is no objection, the motion passes by unanimous consent.
• Three-fourths vote or 90 percent vote: An unusually high percentage of the vote required for approval. These types of votes are often reserved for special items of business in accordance with the bylaws.
• Plurality vote: The largest number of votes received, not necessarily a majority. Used when members have at least three choices of candidates or proposals.
• Tie vote: A lost vote, since neither the affirmative nor the negative received a majority.

Making Nominations

Methods for Making Nominations

• By the chair: The chair makes the nomination. This method is usually reserved for naming members of committees.
• From the floor (open nominations): Any member present at the meeting proposes the name of a candidate for nomination.
• By a committee: A nominating committee proposes candidates for election. Such a nominating committee must be established in the organization’s bylaws.
• By ballot: An alternative to nominating from the floor; all members present at a meeting may propose candidates by writing their names on ballots. All members who are nominated in this manner appear on the election ballot.
• By mail: Members nominate candidates for office by mail rather than in person. This method allows all members to have the ability to nominate, regardless of their presence or absence at meetings. The nominating ballot may be secret or signed in accordance with the requirements of the organization’s bylaws.
• By petition: Members nominate candidates for office by a nominating petition. This method requires a certain number of signatures on a petition for the candidate to receive a nomination.

Methods of Voting

• Voice (viva voce): The default method for taking a vote in a meeting.
• Show of hands: An alternative to voting by voice.
• Rising: The usual method for taking a vote requiring two-thirds for passage or for verifying a close voice vote.
• Counted rising vote: The usual method for verifying a close two-thirds vote.
• Voting cards: An alternative to voting by voice or rising. Only voting members receive a brightly colored voting card, which they raise at the chair’s direction.
• Roll call vote: An effective way to place on the record how each member or delegation votes (especially for representative bodies, such as local government boards, which are responsible to a constituency). A roll (a list of the members’ names) is called one by one, and the response may be “yes,” “no,” “present” (abstain), or “pass” (delay voting until all others have had the opportunity to vote).
• Ballot: A method in which each member marks his or her choice on a slip of paper. When voting by this method, tellers who report to the assembly count the ballots and report to the chair, who announces the result of the vote.
• Machine or electronic voting: An alternative to paper ballots in large organizations.
• Alternative methods of voting: An organization must outline in its bylaws how to vote outside of a meeting (e.g., by postal mail, email, fax, or proxy voting).