Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, commonly referred to as Robert's Rules of Order, RONR, or

simply Robert's Rules, is the most widely used manual of parliamentary procedure in the United States.
[1 Slaughter, Jim; Ragsdale, Gaut; Ericson, Jon L. (2012). Notes and Comments on Robert's Rules
(Fourth ed.). Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press. p. 160] It governs the
meetings of a diverse range of organizations—including church groups, county commissions,
homeowners associations, nonprofit associations, professional societies, school boards, and trade
unions—that have adopted it as their parliamentary authority2 - The Official Robert's Rules of Order
Web Site. Retrieved 2015-11-28
The manual was first published in 1876 by U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert, who adapted the
rules and practice of Congress to the needs of non-legislative societies. Ten subsequent editions have
been published, including major revisions in 1915 and 1970. The copyright to Robert's Rules of Order
Newly Revised is owned by the Robert's Rules Association, which selects by contract an authorship
team to continue the task of revising and updating the book. The 11th and current edition was published
in 2011.

In determining the result of a vote, what constitutes a majority?

-The word “majority” in this context means, simply, more than half.

What is the proper way to break a tie during an election of officers?

According to Robert's Rules of Order, the president always votes in a ballot vote. Therefore, he cannot
break a tie vote because he cannot vote twice. The president should have announced that the vote was a
tie vote and that the members would keep voting until someone received a majority vote. If an
organization wants their president to be able to cast the tie-breaking ballot, if such a situation occurs, he
or she must hold hir or her ballot until the result of the vote is announced. The president then
announces the result of the vote with his ballot.

The president can vote to make or break a tie vote, can cast a ballot vote, and can vote in a roll call
vote. The president does not vote at other times because his or her vote can influence the other
members and how they vote. The president is to remain impartial. Because a ballot vote is secret, the
president's vote cannot influence others, which is why the president can vote at the same time as
members. In a roll call vote, the assembly demands that eac member vote and that each state how he or
she is voting of the record. When the president's vote will affect the result, the president has no choice
but to vote in this

connecticut-spl election
delaware-spl (position deemed vacant in case of te)
indiana https://casetext.com/case/youngblood-v-marr?q=tie%20vote
%20election&PHONE_NUMBER_GROUP=C&sort=relevance&p=1&type=case&tab=keyword&jxs=
Vermont-court

Montana – governor breaks the tie same with PH 3branches

North Carolina -50k
Tennesse
West Virginia

 Arkansas is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each officer's term is four years long. Office holders
are term-limited to two full terms plus any partial terms before the first full term.

https://ballotpedia.org/Article_6,_Arkansas_Constitution

Text of Section 1:
Executive Officers

The executive department of this State shall consist of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of
State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State and Attorney General, all of whom shall keep their offices in
person at the seat of government and hold their offices for the term of two years and until their
successors are elected and qualified, and the General Assembly may provide by law for the
establishment of the office of Commissioner of State Lands.

AR - Arkansas Code AnnotatedTitle 7 ElectionsChapter 5 Election Procedure GenerallySubchapter 7

— Returns and Canvass

7-5-704. Votes for legislative, judicial, and executive officers — Tie vote.
(a) It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, in the presence of the Governor, within thirty (30) days
after the time allowed in this subchapter to make returns of elections by the county board of election
commissioners, or sooner, if all the returns have been received, to cast up and arrange the votes from
the several counties for each person who received votes for any legislative, judicial, or executive office,
except the offices named in Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, § 3. The persons who have received the
greatest number of legal votes for Justice of the Supreme Court and Commissioner of State Lands,
within the state; judges of the Court of Appeals and of the circuit courts, and prosecuting attorneys, in
their respective districts or circuits; judges of the county and probate courts, circuit clerk, county clerk,
sheriff, coroner, surveyor, and assessor, in their respective counties; and all other officers required by
law, shall be commissioned by the Governor.
(b)
(1) If two (2) or more persons have an equal number of votes for the same office and a higher number
than any other person, the names of the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes for
any legislative or executive office, except those offices named in Arkansas Constitution, Article 6, § 3,
and constables, shall be certified to a special runoff election which shall be held four (4) weeks from
the day on which the general election is held.
(2) The special runoff election shall be conducted in the same manner as is now provided by law, and
the election results thereof shall be canvassed and certified in the manner provided by law.
(c) Subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to the offices of Justice of the Supreme Court,
Judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit judge, or district judge.
Text of Section 3:

Election of Executive Officers

The Governor, Secretary of State, Treasurer of State, Auditor of State, and Attorney General shall be
elected by the qualified electors of the State at large, at the time and places of voting for members of
the General Assembly; the returns of each election therefore shall be sealed up separately and
transmitted to the seat of government by the returning officers, and directed to the Speaker of the
House of Representatives; who shall, during the first week of the session, open and publish the votes
cast and given for each of the respective officers hereinbefore mentioned, in the presence of both
houses of the General Assembly. The person having the highest number of votes, for each of the
respective offices, shall be declared duly elected thereto; but if two or more shall be equal, and highest
in votes for the same office, one of them shall be chosen by the joint vote of both houses of the
General Assembly, and a majority of all the members elected shall be necessary to a choice. [4]

-rticle 6, Arkansas Constitution

\

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=QF9QAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA717&dq=election+tie&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-
sK6796DoAhUqK6YKHYTHApEQ6AEIMzAB#v=onepage&q=election%20tie&f=false

https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=QF9QAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA717&dq=election+tie&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi-
sK6796DoAhUqK6YKHYTHApEQ6AEIMzAB#v=onepage&q=election%20tie&f=false

  You have probably heard it said a million times: "every vote counts."

the word chosen and elected

drawing of lots:
https://books.google.com.ph/books?id=pJFmAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT196&dq=need+to+abolish+drawing+of+lots+in+election&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAu-
OXhqHoAhVCK6YKHdASDZsQ6AEIMjAB#v=onepage&q=need%20to%20abolish%20drawing%20of%20lots%20in%20election&f=false

cases of election ties in PH

(NEWS)
https://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2019/230848-tie-votes-mayor-araceli-palawan

MAJORITY

respects the election outcome of the majority.

DEMOCRATIC?

You could have the candidates compete in some way, like playing a game of pool. Of course,
that doesn’t have anything to do with the job at hand (much less the ability to campaign,
which is really what elections measure). It certainly isn’t democratic.
PROS CONS
DEMOCRATIC COSTLY
 WILL TAKE MORE TIME

here has always been a gray area around those hard vote totals in the way that zooming in on a photograph makes it seem blurrier and blurrier.

Not all close races should be settled by drawing lots, of course, but there’s nothing wrong with
 
using that system to settle races in which the generally arbitrary accumulation of votes
resulted in a tie.

Elections are imprecise, which only matters on occasion. In the event of an actual tie, it’s
better to accept elections are imprecise and we can’t perfectly measure the will of the people
than to continue to pretend they aren’t and force a different — and equally imprecise — result.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER:

. Is drawing a name less democratic than hoping one of the 100 people who voted the first
time around doesn’t vote this time?
Is holding another election in the context of a prior tie necessarily a better reflection of which
person people want to see serve as mayor than the 50-50 split the first time around? Why is a
non-tied result, however it is obtained, necessarily better than a tie in which the result is
settled by a coin toss?

CONNECTICUT

Sec. 9-332. Adjourned election in tie vote. Withdrawal of candidate. If the electors fail to choose a candidate for any office by
reason of an equality of votes at any election, and no provision is otherwise made by law for the election of a candidate to such
office, such election shall stand adjourned for three weeks at the same hour at which the first election was held. Ballots of the
same form and description as described in sections 9-250 to 9-256, inclusive, except that such ballots shall contain only the
names of the candidates for whom the same are to be voted, shall be used in the election on such adjourned day, and the election
shall be conducted in the same manner as on the first day, except that the votes shall be cast for such officer only. Ballots for such
election shall be provided forthwith by the clerk of the municipality wherein such election stands adjourned, and such clerk shall
furnish the Secretary of the State with an accurate list of all candidates to be voted for at such adjourned election. The clerk of the
municipality wherein such election so stands adjourned shall, at least three days prior to the day of such adjourned election, give
notice of the day, hours, place and purpose thereof by publishing such notice in a newspaper published in such municipality or
having a circulation therein. No such election shall be held if prior to such election all but one of the candidates for such office
die, withdraw their names or for any reason become disqualified to hold such office, and, in such event, the remaining candidate
shall be deemed to be lawfully elected to such office. No withdrawal shall be valid until the candidate who has withdrawn has
filed a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate with the Secretary of the State or, in the case of a municipal office, until the
candidate who has withdrawn has filed a letter of withdrawal signed by such candidate with the municipal clerk. When such an
election is required to be held under the provisions of this section for any office other than a municipal office, and prior to such
election all but one of the candidates for such office die, withdraw their names or for any reason become disqualified to hold such
office, the Secretary of the State shall forthwith notify the clerk of each municipality wherein such election was to have been held
of such fact, and shall forthwith direct each such clerk that such election shall not be held. In the case of a multiple opening office
only the names of those candidates whose votes are equal shall be placed on the ballot of the adjourned election.
CHAPTER 149* -CONNECTICUT GENERAL STATUTES

ELECTIONS AND PRIMARIES: CONTESTED

https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_149.htm#sec_9-332 – 3/22

WASHINGTON
Note: gen. Draw lots, however there are some municipalities that does not practice tbis.

Turns out, Funkstown isn't the only local municipality that doesn't allow for a run-off election if there is a tie for mayor
or council.

Funkstown recently resolved a tie for the last Town Council opening by appointing someone to the vacant seat.

Six of Washington County's nine municipalities, including county seat Hagerstown, have charters that don't
specifically address what to do in the event of a tie. The others are Funkstown, Hancock, Keedysville, Smithsburg
and Williamsport.

Boonsboro, Clear Spring and Sharpsburg have town charters that call for run-off elections.

"Maryland is not a 'game of chance' state," said Roger Schlossberg, attorney for the Washington County Board of
Elections.

Rather than flip a coin or draw a straw, in almost all cases ties are treated as creating vacancies, Schlossberg said.
The election is over and the appropriate official or officials appoint someone.

Hagerstown Councilman Lew Metzner, who was re-elected by seven votes in 2016, said if he had been tied with
fellow incumbent Penny Nigh, he would have offered to flip a coin with Nigh.

In actuality, the City Council could appoint someone to the vacancy, even if it wasn't one of the candidates in the tie.

Learning that, Metzner said it would be a good idea to amend the charter and he was sure city officials would take a
look at it in the future.

It's worth noting that when county election board and some towns' officials were asked how to deal with ties, many of
them had to do some research. Some towns didn't respond, leaving Herald-Mail Media to check town charters posted
on the Maryland Municipal League website to review whether ties are addressed and learn procedures to fill
vacancies.

Ties are rare

Ties for local office are a rare occurrence.

There was the tie on May 7 between Funkstown Councilwoman Lorraine Smith and challenger Gary E. Middlekauff
Sr. They each had 48 votes.
And there was a tie among two Clear Spring council candidates in November 2008, Town Clerk Juanita Grimm said.
That tie was resolved by a special election.

In the run-off election, Pamela M. Sasser beat Walter D. Irvin Jr. by two votes to win the council seat, according to
Herald-Mail Media archives.

After a tie in an Aberdeen, Md., town council election in November 2015, Jim Peck with the Maryland Municipal
League did some research on municipal election ties. Over the course of 10 years, there were approximately eight
ties, Peck recalled.

The Aberdeen tie was an unusual case that left the Harford County town without a council member for five months
and led to state legislation requiring municipalities to fill a vacancy resulting from an election tie within 90 days.

Aberdeen's attorney advised that the mayor should appoint someone, with council concurrence, to the vacancy,
according to Baltimore Sun reports. Because of ensuing disagreements over who that appointee should be, it took
five months to fill that vacancy. Neither of the men who were tied for the seat in the election were appointed.

In the interim, Maryland Del. Mary Ann Lisanti, D-Harford, sponsored a bill requiring municipalities statewide to
establish a procedure for resolving election ties.

But that part of the bill didn't make it into law. The part that did survive was the requirement for towns to fill such
vacancies within 90 days.

"The point of the matter is there has to be contingency plans. Government has to go on," Lisanti said Thursday.

If re-elected, Lisanti said she will probably revisit the issue.

The Maryland Municipal League opposed Lisanti's proposal requiring towns to create a procedure to deal with ties
because its legislative committee didn't want the state interfering with local issues, Peck said.

Peck said he has always encouraged town officials, when they are reviewing or updating their charter, to consider
addressing election ties.

He has been with the league for 34 years.

After the Funkstown Town Council voted 4-1 on May 14 to appoint Smith to the vacancy, Councilman Barry I.
Warrenfeltz challenged his colleagues to amend the town charter.

"The way it was done left a lot of interpretation and favoritism. I don't think it was fair," Warrenfeltz told his colleagues
during the May 14 meeting. "I think flipping a coin and drawing straws to find out who's going to call the coin was a lot
better than what we did tonight."
Mayor Paul Crampton Jr. asked Assistant Mayor Sharon Chirgott to take on the job of reviewing a possible charter
amendment.

Countywide offices

How countywide office vacancies that are created by election ties are handled in a variety of ways.

For ties in primary partisan elections, the party's central committee nominates someone to be on the general election
ballot, said Barry Jackson, Washington County's deputy election director. The central committee must fill that slot by
the 60th day before the election.

If there is a tie in the primary for the last board of education nominee, then those tied for that last slot all proceed to
the general election, according to state law noted by Schlossberg.

A general election tie for school board is treated like a vacancy.

For the last vacancy on the school board, a nominating commission was created to send to three names to the Board
of County Commissioners.

That was last year after the Maryland State Board of Education ordered Karen Harshman be removed from the local
school board. The commissioners appointed Linda Murray.

How to address such a vacancy for the county commissioners gets a little fuzzy.

Typically the central committee for the political party of the commissioner who's seat is vacated gets to nominate a
candidate for the governor to appoint, Schlossberg said.

But what happens when that vacancy is created by a tie?

Schlossberg wasn't sure exactly, saying that when a vacancy is created by a commissioner who isn't affiliated with a
political party, the governor picks the person.

"Maybe that's the way they would treat (a tie). I don't know," Schlossberg said.

How election ties are resolved among Washington County local offices

Boonsboro
A run-off election is held in the event of a tie. The run-off is to be held after 14 days from the initial election but not more than 60 days.
If by some quirk of fate the run-off also results in a tie, the remaining council members pick a winner.

Clear Spring
If there's a tie, a run-off election may be held within 30 days.

Funkstown
The charter doesn't address a tie. The mayor and Town Council, on the advice of the town attorney, let the incumbent's term expire
and then appointed someone to the vacancy.

Hagerstown
The charter doesn't address a tie. For a vacancy for mayor or council, the council appoints someone.

Hancock
The charter doesn't address a tie. If the mayoral post is vacated, the most senior council member with the most votes when elected
becomes mayor. A council vacancy is filled by the remaining council members appointing someone. Vacancies are to be filled within
15 days.

Keedysville
The charter doesn't address a tie. A vacancy for mayor or council is to be filled by appointment by the remaining council members.

Sharpsburg
If there's a tie, a run-off election is to be held within 15 days.

Smithsburg

The town doesn't have a provision for ties. A vacancy for mayor or council is to be filled by appointment by the remaining council
members.

Williamsport
The town charter doesn't address a tie. If the mayoral post is vacant, the assistant mayor becomes mayor. Any council vacancies,
including the assistant mayor, are filled by appointment by the remaining council. Vacancies are to be filled within 15 days.

Washington County Board of Education

Per state election law, if there is a tie in the primary election for the last nomination, then those tied for that last slot all proceed to the
general election.

If there is a tie in the general election for the last slot, the seat is considered vacant. For the most recent vacancy, a nominating
commission was created to forward up to three names to the Board of County Commissioners to consider for appointment.

Washington County Board of Commissioners

A tie in the primary for the last commissioner seat creates a vacant nomination for the general election. The central committee for that
political party has until 60 days before the general election to fill the empty nomination.

A tie in the general election creates a vacancy. For a vacancy, the central committee representing the political party of the person who
vacated the seat nominates someone for the governor to appoint. However, it is not clear how that would be handled if the vacancy is
created by a tie.

Washington County Sheriff

A tie in the general election creates a vacancy and the governor appoints someone.

Washington County State's Attorney

If there's a tie, it's treated like a vacancy. The Washington County Circuit Court judges pick a state's attorney.

Washington County Clerk of Court

If there's a tie, it's treated like a vacancy. The Washington County Circuit Court judges select someone for the position.

Sources: Municipal charters posted at the Maryland Municipal Leagues' website, Washington County Deputy Election Director Barry
Jackson; county election board attorney Roger Schlossberg, and state law.
Staff writers Tamela Baker, C.J. Lovelace and Sherry Greenfield contributed to this story.

https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/local/it-s-a-draw-
Staff writer C.J. Lovelace contributed to this story.
now-what-solving-an-election-tie/article_4f01dc64-6c1d-5b51-9395-579f5e2e565b.html 3/22