Impartial Elections and Court-Ordered Meetings

“[T]he voting and counting procedure must be precisely established in advance and should be prescribed in detail….The persons selected as tellers must perform their work with particular care.”

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th ed.), page 428

Many organizations are choosing to forgo in-person, annual elections in favor of mail or electronic ballots. While these types of elections might increase membership/shareholder participation, not having the appropriate internal controls in place might cause disgruntled individuals to call the results into question. Additionally, in today’s increasingly litigious society, some organizations are faced with threats of judicial receivership or court-ordered meetings, requiring the use of an impartial presiding officer.

Our Principal combines his expert knowledge of Robert’s Rules with his professional work experience to help associations and corporations address these issues. Outside of being a Professional Registered Parliamentarian, our Principal has served as a Chief Election Officer in Virginia’s largest county for over 5 years. He will use the same level of scrutiny in your organization that he uses for local, state, and federal elections.

Below are examples of typical engagements under this category of service. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions or would like a quote.

Election Inspector, Teller, or Judge

Allow us to consult at your next annual membership or shareholder election. For in-person meetings, this can include services such as: proxy auditing, quorum determination, voter / member check-in, ballot design, ballot counting, voting tabulation, and certification of results.

Mail or Electronic Ballot Administration

Organizations that use electronic or mail ballots must take special care to ensure that 1) all members entitled to vote are able to vote, and 2) only valid ballots are counted. We can provide a suite of services to ensure your next election goes on without a hitch! This can include: membership roster auditing, ballot and envelope design, postage, the collection of ballots, vote counting, and certification of results.

Impartial Presiding Officer / Impartial Chairman

For particularly contentious meetings (or meetings convened under legal settlement), organizations may find it beneficial to have an impartial person serve as the presiding officer. This can help ensure that the meeting is ran appropriately without personal bias. A Parliamentarian can preside over these meetings to ensure that the rules and Bylaws are being complied with.