Which type of voting is performed by a member who is not in attendance at the meeting, and the bylaws must expressly authorize before it is allowed?

Which type of voting is performed by a member who is not in attendance at the meeting, and the bylaws must expressly authorize before it is allowed?

• A. Absentee voting
• B. Abstain
• C. Acclamation
• D. Adjourn

Answer: (A)

Absentee voting is used when a member cannot be present at the meeting. It can be used only if the organization's bylaws expressly authorize it, which is how Robert's Rules ensures there’s a defined and approved process for voting from outside the meeting. This approach keeps a member’s participation possible even when they’re absent, while still maintaining formal control over how votes are cast and counted. It’s different from abstaining, which means choosing not to vote at all despite being present; from acclamation, which is a voice vote by general agreement without a formal ballot; and from adjourn, which simply ends the meeting.

Absentee voting is used when a member cannot be present at the meeting. It can be used only if the organization's bylaws expressly authorize it, which is how Robert's Rules ensures there’s a defined and approved process for voting from outside the meeting. This approach keeps a member’s participation possible even when they’re absent, while still maintaining formal control over how votes are cast and counted. It’s different from abstaining, which means choosing not to vote at all despite being present; from acclamation, which is a voice vote by general agreement without a formal ballot; and from adjourn, which simply ends the meeting.