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Polling Issues (lack of participation)


XFlash
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I'm the commish for my league listed in my sigline.

 

I had past issues with owner not being active in poll votes. Currently we need a majority with all owners voting, but I want to change the rules for the good of the league.

 

It is a disservice to the rest of the owners who are voting. There is rumblings that some owners might be conspiring to swing the poll their way by not voting. Of course, there is no way to prove that and it is most unlikely to happen, but you know who rumors start.

 

All non-votes are neutral and will count towards the majority (if it is 4-5 count). Or instead of non-votes counting towards the majority, maybe the majority of the votes actually cast will win, even if the count is 3-2. I have seen too many good issues get axed due to lack of participation.

If owners do not want to participate, then they have to live with the results.

 

I know that I am not all powerful in doing whatever I want, but it is my duty to keep everything as fair as possible for all owners. Putting this to a vote has been attempted a few years ago and a few owners took offense and said either all owners vote or nothing is valid.

 

Any commish advice on this issue is great appreciated.

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It is a disservice to the rest of the owners who are voting. There is rumblings that some owners might be conspiring to swing the poll their way by not voting. Of course, there is no way to prove that and it is most unlikely to happen, but you know who rumors start.

 

All non-votes are neutral and will count towards the majority (if it is 4-5 count). Or instead of non-votes counting towards the majority, maybe the majority of the votes actually cast will win, even if the count is 3-2. I have seen too many good issues get axed due to lack of participation.

If owners do not want to participate, then they have to live with the results.

 

 

I don't understand how not voting would swing a vote in an owners way, if I want to swing it my way I vote yes or no as the case may be. Not voting leaves my "no vote" helping how the other voted. I assume the results aren't known until the polls close. How would they, the non voters, know which way the vote is swinging? Unless I am misreading something the logic is flawed.

 

As for the rule I would say be more proactive and not leave it for polls, I guess at the league website. I would and do personally email the league and all but demand an answer one way or the other. I generally get 90% to 100% response. Save the emails and when someone says I didn't get a vote you can say they had their chance etc...

 

I use a simple majority of voters for off season issues. But generally the votes are fairly lopsided 10-2 11-1 like that.

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Currently we need to have all owners voting. With a majority of all votes winning.

 

If owners did not vote at all, although a majority would still lead, it would be a failed motion due to not all owners participating. Thus a item for vote could simply fail due to non-participation.

 

If owners were conspiring, they could (in theroy) cause the vote to fail.

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I don't understand how not voting would swing a vote in an owners way, if I want to swing it my way I vote yes or no as the case may be. Not voting leaves my "no vote" helping how the other voted. I assume the results aren't known until the polls close. How would they, the non voters, know which way the vote is swinging? Unless I am misreading something the logic is flawed.

 

As for the rule I would say be more proactive and not leave it for polls, I guess at the league website. I would and do personally email the league and all but demand an answer one way or the other. I generally get 90% to 100% response. Save the emails and when someone says I didn't get a vote you can say they had their chance etc...

 

I use a simple majority of voters for off season issues. But generally the votes are fairly lopsided 10-2 11-1 like that.

 

 

I agree with lovegm....

 

Can you show us one other vote in humanity where without a 100% turnout, the vote was void? You're insane man. Post the issue, and the vote by date, and let it happen. There's your answer.

 

A null vote is a null vote. As in zero, nada, enter your language here.... Vote or don't beotch from hence forth.....

 

I guess I'm really missing something from your post....

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That makes more sense and should be changed I would think. Pretty much any option would be better than it is.

 

I would question the motives of anyone who resisted a unilateral change in that policy. Now understanding what you first wrote. Make the change now and if some don't like it find different owners. I bet when the change is made they will abide.

 

If you don't change it then there needs to be a punishment for not voting. The best solution is just change it.

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I usually leave a vote open for a few days (predetermined) and have all non-votes count as a 'yes'.

 

That's wrong. They count as "nothing". as in nill, nada, no-show.....to infer their intent in the positive is biased and patently unfair. Must be a Gore supporter..... :D

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That's wrong. They count as "nothing". as in nill, nada, no-show.....to infer their intent in the positive is biased and patently unfair. Must be a Gore supporter..... :D

 

 

In my mind, things should not be put to a vote unless there is a reason for them. I don't tally 'yes' votes, I tally 'no' votes. A certain amount of 'no's shoots down a proposal. If people don't care :D

 

But than... its an understanding I have with my ownership, so I am not sure how it can be 'wrong'.

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In my mind, things should not be put to a vote unless there is a reason for them. I don't tally 'yes' votes, I tally 'no' votes. A certain amount of 'no's shoots down a proposal. If people don't care :D

 

But than... its an understanding I have with my ownership, so I am not sure how it can be 'wrong'.

 

 

On some issues I do this as well, I couldn't figure out how to say it as briefly... :D

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I have the same problem with owners not responding. So I put a dead line on each vote stipulating that the majority of all votes cast by that date will determine if the issue in question passes or fails. If that is only 3 votes, so be it.

 

 

 

I'm thinking this is the best solution to change to.

 

If owners are not active or wanting to participate, they will have to live with the results.

 

I personnally think that some owners are just neutral about most items and don't care to express that opinion.

 

Thanks everyone for all the advice and points of view.

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This may be a day late, but I was on vacation.

 

In my main league, we stipulate that all rule changes are discussed and voted on during the post season party. We give at least 3 weeks notice on the date, and historically have held it on either the wild card weekend or divisional playoffs. All issues related to the meeting are discussed and voted on. Trouble is, of the 12 owners, typically only 5 show up. I'm not sure if it's due to apathy or what, but I always state after each league party what rules changes had been approved for the next season. I also tell the owners that didn't show up that if they don't like the results, to damn bad, they should have been there. They're adults, and I'm not holding anyones hand to gently guide them through the league.

 

In 12 years of doing things this way, we have not had a single owner quit because of their being unhappy with any rule changes.

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I've been in a league that required 2/3 (12 team league) of the members to vote for the results to be utilized and if less than 2/3 voted, the commish was allowed to make the rule change as he saw fit. So if only 6 members voted and it was 4-2, the commish could still adopt what the 2 voted for.

 

It seemed to work, but then again we usually had 10-11 people voting.

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maybe your owners just don't like polls. i'd recommend creating a new poll to see why the owners are not responding and let that guide your actions.

 

 

 

That is one of the problems.

 

Everyone always talks about getting involved and be an active owner, but then when it comes down to the voting, only few make the effort.

 

E-mailing, calling and getting other owners to put a boot in the rear have all been tried before with little result. Now I can not force owner to vote, but I can make it so that the owner who do vote can still get items approved.

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Robert's Rules of Order.

 

When a quorum [64] is present, a majority vote, that is a majority of the votes cast, ignoring blanks, is sufficient for the adoption of any motion that is in order, except those mentioned in 48, which require a two-thirds vote. A plurality never adopts a motion nor elects any one to office, unless by virtue of a special rule previously adopted. On a tie vote the motion is lost, and the chair, if a member of the assembly, may vote to make it a tie unless the vote is by ballot. The chair cannot, however, vote twice, first to make a tie and then give the casting vote. In case of an appeal [21], though the question is, "Shall the decision of the chair stand as the judgment of the assembly?" a tie vote, even though his vote made it a tie, sustains the chair, upon the principle that the decision of the chair can be reversed only by a majority, including the chair if a member of the assembly.

 

 

This all boils down to: as long as there is a quorum, not cast votes are disregarded, and the majority of the cast votes wins.

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