How should our members vote – by voice or ballot?

Voice votes should not be used for voting members of your nonprofit.

Voice vote does not comply with Minn. Stat. 317A. Legally, the organization must maintain a roster of its members; and the right to vote is only conferred on those with voting rights under the statute and the bylaws. Therefore, we have an obligation to ensure only eligible members are voting. Checking in members and verifying that they are in fact our members is a more solid strategy.

Voice votes are not best practice for several reasons:

•  A voice vote could allow guests or others who are not members at all to voice a vote.
•  There is no audit trail for a voice vote.
•  Voice votes and other raised hand type votes can lead to social pressure.

A paper or electronic ballot is a better fit because they:

• Allows you to check in people and verify they are a member , ensuring only members with the right to vote are given a voting ballot.
• Avoids social pressure.
• Provides an audit trail that the board can verify, recount, etc.
• Avoids any issues from close votes where it might come down to a few ballots.
• Avoids any problem of some folks being “loud” and others being quiet in their voting which could influence the determination.

Ballot voting is the most legally compliant and least disruptive to any member event. Legally, what is required is that the organization know who its members are and afford them the opportunity to vote on the matters the members have a legal right to vote on.

It’s important to note that the rights of members to vote are limited by law and the bylaws. If you are unsure whether the members need to vote on a particular issue, please schedule a member call for us to discuss!