Meetings can be a nightmare. Honestly, we've all sat through those agonizing sessions where nobody knows who's in charge, and the election of a new board member turns into a three-hour debate about whether "abstaining" counts as a "no." It's messy. But if you're using a proper Robert's Rules of Order election of officers script, most of that headache just evaporates. You don't need to be a parliamentary scholar to get this right. You just need to know the sequence and, frankly, have the guts to stick to it when things get weird.
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), specifically the 12th edition, is the gold standard for a reason. It provides a roadmap. Without it, you’re just a group of people arguing in a circle. When it comes to elections, the script is your shield. It prevents "railroading" and ensures that the quiet person in the back has as much say as the loudest person in the front.
Why a Script Actually Matters for Your Board
Think about the last time a nomination was made from the floor. Did someone shout it out? Did someone else try to "second" it? Newsflash: you don't actually need a second for a nomination. That’s one of those myths that just won’t die. A Robert's Rules of Order election of officers script keeps you from making these little blunders that, while they seem small, can actually invalidate an entire election if a disgruntled member decides to bring a "point of order" later.
Precision is everything. If your bylaws say you elect by ballot, you elect by ballot. You can't just "decide" to do a show of hands because everyone is tired and wants to go home. That's how lawsuits start. Or, at the very least, how nasty emails get sent at 2:00 AM.
The script ensures transparency. It’s about the "will of the majority" while protecting the "rights of the minority." It sounds fancy, but it basically means you aren't allowed to be a jerk just because you have more friends in the room.
The Opening Act: The Nominating Committee Report
Usually, the process starts with a report. The chair of the nominating committee stands up and says something like, "The committee nominates Jane Doe for President and John Smith for Secretary."
That’s it. No second needed. The chair of the meeting then repeats those names. Now, this is the part where things usually get interesting. The floor has to be opened for further nominations. You can't just skip this. Even if Jane Doe is the most beloved person in the history of the organization, you still have to ask if anyone else wants the job.
Creating Your Robert's Rules of Order Election of Officers Script
Let's look at the actual words. If you're the presiding officer, you want to sound confident. You want to sound like you’ve done this a thousand times, even if you’re sweating under your collar.
The Call for Nominations
"The Nominating Committee has submitted the following names: [List Names]. Nominations are now open from the floor for the office of President."
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Wait. Give it a beat. Don't rush it.
"Are there any further nominations for President?"
If someone shouts out a name, you recognize them. "Member A is nominated." You don't need a vote to close nominations, by the way. You can just say, "Seeing no further nominations, nominations for President are closed." Simple. Clean. Effective.
Dealing with the "Uncontested" Election Trap
Here is where people trip up. What if only one person is nominated? Everyone wants to just say "aye" and move on. But wait. Check your bylaws. If your bylaws require a ballot vote, you have to do a ballot vote. You cannot move to cast a "unanimous ballot" unless your bylaws specifically allow for it. It's a weird quirk, but Robert's Rules is very protective of the secret ballot.
If you don't require a ballot, and there's only one candidate, the chair can simply declare them elected. "As there is only one nominee, Jane Doe is declared elected President." It feels a bit abrupt, but it’s perfectly legal and saves about twenty minutes of fumbling with scraps of paper.
The Ballot Process: Where Most Groups Fail
If you do have a contest—meaning two or more people want the same job—you’re heading into ballot territory. This is where the Robert's Rules of Order election of officers script becomes a lifeline. You need tellers. These are the people who hand out the slips, collect them, and count them. Don't pick the candidates' best friends for this. Pick people who are generally seen as neutral.
The chair says: "The tellers will please distribute the ballots."
Members mark their choice. The tellers collect them. Then, the tellers go to a quiet corner and count. This isn't a race. They need to be accurate. They have to account for "illegal votes." What’s an illegal vote? It’s when someone writes in "Mickey Mouse" or votes for two people when they were only supposed to vote for one. These count toward the "total votes cast" (which determines what a majority is) but they don't count for any candidate.
The Tellers' Report Format
The Tellers' Report should look exactly like this in your script:
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- Number of votes cast: 50
- Necessary for election (majority): 26
- Jane Doe received: 30
- John Smith received: 18
- Illegal votes: 2
The Teller reads the report but does not declare who won. That’s the Chair’s job. The Chair takes the paper, reads it again, and says, "Jane Doe, having received a majority of the votes, is elected President."
Nuances That Only Parliamentarians Usually Catch
There’s this thing called "Election by Plurality" vs. "Election by Majority." Most organizations require a majority. That means more than half of the votes cast. If you have three candidates and the votes are split 40%, 30%, and 30%, nobody won. You have to vote again. You don't just give it to the person with 40%.
That’s a common mistake that causes absolute chaos. You keep voting until someone crosses that 50% + 1 threshold. It can take all night. I’ve seen it happen. People start getting cranky, the snacks run out, and suddenly someone suggests "dropping the lowest candidate."
Wait! You can't do that unless your bylaws say so or the group votes to change the rules for that specific session. Under standard Robert's Rules, everyone stays on the ballot for the second round unless they voluntarily withdraw.
The Write-In Candidate Surprise
Can someone win who wasn't even nominated? Yep. If you're voting by ballot, members can write in anyone they want. If that "write-in" person gets a majority, they win. They have to actually accept the office, of course. You can't force someone to be the Treasurer just because the group thinks it's funny.
Handling Challenges and Points of Order
What happens if someone stands up and says the whole thing is a sham? First, stay calm. The script helps here too. You ask the member to state their "Point of Order." They explain what they think went wrong. You, as the chair, make a ruling.
"The chair rules that the point of order is well-taken (or not well-taken)."
If they don't like your ruling, they can appeal it to the whole group. Then the group votes on whether to sustain your decision. It’s democracy in action, even if it feels like a high-stakes legal drama.
The Importance of the "Minutes"
Your Secretary needs to be on their toes during this. They don't need to record every word said, but they must record the full Tellers' Report. Every single number. This is the official record. If someone questions the election next month, the minutes are the final word.
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Practical Steps for Your Next Election
If you’re staring down an upcoming election, don't wing it. Preparation is the difference between a 45-minute meeting and a 4-hour ordeal.
1. Print the script. Seriously. Give a copy to the Chair and the Secretary. Having the literal words in front of you prevents the "umm" and "uhh" moments that make a leader look unprepared.
2. Prepare the ballots in advance. Don't wait until the meeting starts to tear up sheets of notebook paper. Use uniform, small slips of paper. It keeps the vote anonymous and professional.
3. Appoint Tellers early. Talk to them before the meeting. Make sure they know they need to count "blanks" as nothing, but "illegal votes" as part of the total.
4. Review your Bylaws. Robert's Rules is the default, but your specific organization's bylaws always trump the manual. If your bylaws say you elect by carrier pigeon, you better start finding some birds.
5. Clarify the "Majority." Make sure everyone knows that a majority is based on the number of people who actually voted, not the number of people in the room. If 100 people are there but 20 abstain, the majority is based on 80 votes.
Managing an election using a Robert's Rules of Order election of officers script isn't about being stuffy or overly formal. It's about fairness. When everyone knows the rules, nobody can claim they were cheated. It creates a level playing field where the focus stays on the future of the organization, not the drama of the process.
To ensure your next board transition is seamless, draft your custom script today by inserting the specific titles and names into the standard parliamentary phrasing. Check the "Elections" chapter in the current edition of Robert's Rules (Section 46) to verify any specific wording for teller reports or plurality requirements unique to your jurisdiction or organization type. Once the script is finalized, distribute it to the current executive committee to ensure everyone is aligned on the flow of the meeting.