A187 Amend HOD Rules of Order XIV

Resolved, the House of Deputies amends House of Deputies Rules of Order XIV as follows:

  1. Every Deputy must vote when a matter is put to a vote, except the Chair. If the Chair is a Deputy, the Chair should not ordinarily vote on any matter unless the Chair’s vote will affect the outcome of the matter, the vote is a vote by orders, or the vote is being conducted by a secret ballot.

Explanation

One of the primary roles of the Chair is to appear impartial before any debate, except in limited circumstances. One of the ancient traditions that helps preserve this impartiality is that a Chair should not ordinarily vote unless the Chair’s vote would affect the outcome of the matter. This rule clarifies this tradition