Question: haning troubble with a rule line

we are looking for someone who can help us a C.P.A. with voting in of a new officer for our bored that is tie vote and we need help the pres is over riding everything, and we knwo this is not aloud with riberts rules but we can find the rule it's self if you can help us please e-mail me at punky1947@woh.rr.com

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
The answer actually depends on how your vote was held. If it was a secret (paper) ballot and it ended up in a tie, Robert's Rules calls for a new vote, preferably held the same night. If it was a show of hands and the president, as the person presiding, didn't vote, then Robert's Rules allows the president to vote to break the tie. The important point here is that the president doesn't get to vote twice. If her vote was counted and the result was a tie, then you need a new election. If her vote was not counted, then her vote breaks the tie. In short, the president doesn't have any special powers to "decide the election." She simply gets to have her (one) vote counted if it hasn't been already. The portion of Robert's Rules that explains this most clearly is Chapter 13 (Voting), Section 44, under the subhead "Tie Votes and Cases in Which the Chair's Vote Affects the Result." If the situation is bad enough, you might contact the National Association of Parliamentarians (parliamentarians.org) and ask for a ruling on your specific case.