election of officers on the board

It is my understanding that the president does not vote and only votes if there is a tie. So if the president voted for secretary, if you remove his or her vote, you would not need another vote. In this case, since it was a secret ballot, you will have to have another vote but this time make sure the president does not vote. The board member not present will not be breaking the tie, you will just be having another vote.

Charles

I am not nor do I play a lawyer especially in FL

The original vote was a tie. That vote is over. I say a total new vote (including nominations and seconds) should be called for when the BOD is next in session.

In many cases a President does not vote or only gets to vote when there is a tie. In some cases the President votes on everything. What is your procedure? What do your docs say?

Only is a Board strictly follows Robert's Rules of Order does the president not have a vote. And even if abiding by Robert's, presidents of Boards of fewer than 12 or so often vote in all cases.

Do your governing documents or state law say otherwise Allison? Or did your board vote to have the president refrain from voting? Please cite your source(s).

With John46, it seems to me you simply vote for the office of secretary all over again at your next meeting. I believe this is covered in Robert's Rules if your Board adheres to it, Charles.

That is an absolutely false statement!

If the presiding officer (the president) is a member of the assembly (an elected director) he or she has the same right to vote as any other member, and usually always does so when the vote is by ballot (see Roberts Rules, 11th ed., Page 405). In other cases, to preserve the neutrality of the chair, the president normally should only vote when the vote would affect the result. However, this is not the same as saying the president does not have a vote. Furthermore, on page 407 of Roberts Rules: "It is a fundamental principle of parliamentary law that each person who is a member of a deliberative assembly is entitled to one - and only one - vote on a question." And, on page 3 you will find: "A member of an assembly, in the parliamentary sense, as mentioned above, is a person entitled to full participation in its proceedings, that is, as explained in 3 and 4, the right to attend meetings, to make motions, to speak in debate, and to vote."

Thus, strictly following Roberts Rules, the president, if a member of the assembly, does have a vote; not the other way around.

From what I have been told by legal counsel is that directors, not officers, vote on all matters brought before the Board. In California, parliamentary procedures only apply to membership meeting, unless your documents say otherwise, and I doubt very much if many do.

Oh for Pete's sake, flip a coin, cut cards or draw straws. Or at the next meeting revote and if you still have a split then how about eenie meenie miney moe pick a secretary by their toe?

And before people complain that I'm being flippant, I've heard of tie political votes being decided by a game of chance.