DETERMINING MAJORITY AND
TWO-THIRDS VOTES

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By Shane D. Dunbar, MEd, PRP, PAP
Professional Registered Parliamentarian, and
Professional Accredited Parliamentarian

dunbar@northwest.net.

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Number of Votes Cast Majority Vote Two-Thirds Vote 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 4 3 3 5 3 4 6 4 4 7 4 5 8 5 6 9 5 6 10 6 7 11 6 8 12 7 8 13 7 9 14 8 10 15 8 10 16 9 11 17 9 12 18 10 12 19 10 13 20 11 14 21 11 14 22 12 15 23 12 16 24 13 16 25 13 17 26 14 18 27 14 18 28 15 19 29 15 20 30 16 20 31 16 21 32 17 22 33 17 22 34 18 23 35 18 24 36 19 24 37 19 25 38 20 26 39 20 26 40 21 27 41 21 28 42 22 28 43 22 29 44 23 30 45 23 30 46 24 31 47 24 32 48 25 32 49 25 33 50 26 34

Number of Votes Cast Majority Vote Two-Thirds Vote 51 26 34 52 27 35 53 27 36 54 28 36 55 28 37 56 29 38 57 29 38 58 30 39 59 30 40 60 31 40 61 31 41 62 32 42 63 32 42 64 33 43 65 33 44 66 34 44 67 34 45 68 35 46 69 35 46 70 36 47 71 36 48 72 37 48 73 37 49 74 38 50 75 38 50 76 39 51 77 39 52 78 40 52 79 40 53 80 41 54 81 41 54 82 42 55 83 42 56 84 43 56 85 43 57 86 44 58 87 44 58 88 45 59 89 45 60 90 46 60 91 46 61 92 47 62 93 47 62 94 48 63 95 48 64 96 49 64 97 49 65 98 50 66 99 50 66 100 51 67

• A majority vote means more than half of the votes cast (not including members who abstain) at a legal meeting with a quorum being present.
  
• A two-thirds vote means at least two-thirds of the votes cast (not counting members who abstain) at a legal meeting with a quorum being present.
  
• Members who abstain at a meeting are those who choose not to vote.
  
• A quorum is the minimum of members that must be present before business can be legally transacted at a meeting.
• A tie vote means equal number of affirmative and negative votes, and the motion is not adopted since it is not a majority (or two-thirds).
  
• To use the table, find the number of votes cast and then read the majority or two-thirds vote to the right to determine if the motion is adopted. Example: Assume there are 20 members present at a meeting and 17 members cast a vote for a main motion. it would require a minimum of 9 affirmative votes to adopt it (majority). To adopt a motion such as the Previous Question would require at least 12 affirmative votes out of 17 votes cast by members (two-thirds).
  
• An initial rising vote (Division of Assembly) is used when voting on motions requiring a two-thirds vote to pass.