A quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present for the assembly to conduct business validly. The number is fixed by the group's bylaws; if none is set, the common-law default is a majority of the members.

What is the difference between a majority vote and a two-thirds vote?

A majority vote means more than half of the votes cast. A two-thirds vote means at least two-thirds of the votes cast — that is, at least twice as many in favor as opposed. Two-thirds is required for motions that limit members' rights, such as closing debate or suspending the rules.

Do abstentions count as votes?

No. An abstention is a refusal to vote, so it is not counted for or against. Because thresholds are based on votes cast, abstentions do not change whether a majority or two-thirds is reached, though they can affect whether a quorum acts.

Who can preside over a meeting?

The presiding officer is the chair — usually the president. The role is filled per meeting, so a vice-president may preside when needed, for example if a matter concerns the president personally.

How are an organization's bylaws changed?

Bylaws are first adopted by a majority vote. Once in force, amending them requires a two-thirds vote (with previous notice), which protects the rules from being changed by a bare majority on short notice.

How a Meeting Runs Under Common Parliamentary Rules

A practical, plain-English guide to common parliamentary rules — enough to take part in your first organizational meeting, understand the classes of motions, and know how each one works.

By Bandy LLC · Last updated June 14, 2026 · Based on common rules of order

What parliamentary procedure is

Parliamentary procedure is a set of rules that lets a group of people make decisions together, fairly and efficiently. The common rules of order used by most clubs, boards, and associations in the United States grew out of long-standing legislative practice and rest on a few enduring principles:

One question at a time. The assembly considers a single main question until it is disposed of.
The majority decides — but only after the minority is heard through debate.
Every member has equal rights to make motions, speak, and vote.
The rights of absentees are protected — which is why changing adopted rules takes more than a bare majority on short notice.

Key terms in 30 seconds

Assembly: The members meeting together to act as a body.
Chair: The member presiding over the meeting (usually the president). "The chair" also refers to that authority.
The floor: The right to speak, granted by the chair to one member at a time.
Motion: A formal proposal that the assembly take some action or position.
Second: A second member's signal that the motion is worth the assembly's time. It is not agreement.
Quorum: The minimum number of members who must be present to do business — set by the bylaws.
The chair stating the question: Once a motion is moved and seconded, the chair states it; only then is it before the assembly for debate and a vote.

How to run a first organizational meeting

When people come together to form a new club, board, or association, the founding ("organizational") meeting follows a well-worn sequence. Each numbered step is itself carried out by motion and vote:

Call to order. Someone acting as temporary convener starts the meeting and confirms a quorum is present.
Elect a temporary chair ("chair pro tem") to preside until permanent officers exist.
Elect a temporary secretary to record the minutes.
Form a bylaws committee. The assembly adopts a motion to create a committee and refer the drafting of bylaws to it.
Recess so the committee can meet and prepare its proposed bylaws.
Adopt the bylaws. The committee reports; the assembly debates, amends, and adopts the bylaws — article by article — by a majority vote.
Enroll members. Those who subscribe to the adopted bylaws become charter members.
Elect permanent officers under the new bylaws. The officers take office at once — and the new president takes the chair.

Why bylaws are the property of the assembly. In a well-run society the quorum and the slate of officer positions are not set by whoever started the group — they are part of the bylaws, adopted by the assembly and amendable only by a two-thirds vote. The founder's special authority ends the moment the assembly elects its first chair and becomes sovereign over itself.

The five classes of motions

Common parliamentary rules sort motions into five classes. The first four have a fixed order of precedence: while one motion is pending, only motions of higher rank may be made. This is what lets an assembly handle urgent business without losing track of the main question.

1. Main motions

Bring a new item of business before the assembly (for example, a resolution). A main motion is in order only when nothing else is pending.

2. Subsidiary motions

Act on a pending main motion — to change it or dispose of it. Examples: amend, refer to a committee, postpone, limit debate, or close debate (the previous question).

3. Privileged motions

Urgent matters unrelated to the pending question that take precedence over everything else — such as a recess or to adjourn.

4. Incidental motions

Questions of procedure that arise out of the business at hand and must be settled at once — such as a point of order or an appeal from the chair's ruling. They have no fixed rank among themselves.

5. Motions that bring a question again before the assembly

Reopen a question already decided — such as to reconsider, to take a matter from the table, or to rescind or amend something previously adopted.

Common motions at a glance

These are the motions most groups actually use. "Vote" is the threshold needed to adopt the motion. Bandy implements each of these with these characteristics.

Common parliamentary motions and their characteristics under common rules of order.
Motion	Class	Second?	Debatable?	Amendable?	Vote	What it does
Main motion (resolution)	Main	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority	Proposes a new action or position.
Amend	Subsidiary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority	Changes the wording of the pending motion.
Refer to a committee	Subsidiary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority	Sends the question to a committee to study.
Postpone to a certain time	Subsidiary	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority	Puts off the question to a later time.
Limit or extend debate	Subsidiary	Yes	No	Yes	Two-thirds	Sets or changes limits on debate.
Previous question (close debate)	Subsidiary	Yes	No	No	Two-thirds	Ends debate and goes straight to a vote.
Lay on the table	Subsidiary	Yes	No	No	Majority	Sets the question aside temporarily.
Recess	Privileged	Yes	No	Yes	Majority	Takes a short break.
Adjourn	Privileged	Yes	No	No	Majority	Closes the meeting.
Point of order	Incidental	No	No	No	Chair rules	Calls attention to a breach of the rules.
Appeal	Incidental	Yes	Yes	No	Majority	Asks the assembly to overturn a ruling of the chair.
Suspend the rules	Incidental	Yes	No	No	Two-thirds	Sets aside a rule for a specific purpose.
Election	Main	No	Yes	No	Majority	Fills an office by nomination and vote.
Rescind / amend something previously adopted	Bring back	Yes	Yes	Yes	Two-thirds*	Undoes or changes a past decision. *Majority with previous notice.

How votes are decided

Thresholds are calculated on the votes cast, ignoring abstentions:

Majority vote — more than half of the votes cast. (10 in favor and 9 opposed passes; 9 to 9 fails.)
Two-thirds vote — at least twice as many in favor as opposed. Required when a motion takes away members' rights, such as closing debate, suspending the rules, or amending adopted bylaws.

A motion to adopt usually needs only a majority. The higher bar exists precisely where a fast majority could otherwise silence the minority or rewrite the rules out from under absent members.

Frequently asked questions

What is a quorum?

A quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present for the assembly to act. The number is fixed by the bylaws; if none is set, the default is a majority of the members.

What does it mean to second a motion?

A second is one other member's indication that the assembly should consider the motion. It is not agreement — only a signal that more than one member wants to spend time on the question. Most motions need a second before they can be debated or voted on.

Majority vs. two-thirds — what's the difference?

A majority is more than half the votes cast. A two-thirds vote is at least twice as many in favor as opposed. Two-thirds is required for motions that limit members' rights.

Do abstentions count?

No. An abstention is a refusal to vote, so it counts neither for nor against and does not change whether a threshold is met.

Who presides over the meeting?

The chair — usually the president. Because the role is filled per meeting, a vice-president can preside when needed, for instance if a matter concerns the president personally.

How are bylaws changed?

Bylaws are adopted by a majority vote, then amended only by a two-thirds vote with previous notice — so the rules can't be changed by a bare majority on short notice.

Run your meetings by these rules — automatically

Bandy is a web app that runs your group's meetings under common parliamentary rules: motions, debate, votes, elections, and committees, with quorum and majority and two-thirds thresholds handled for you. Hold a full organizational meeting, adopt bylaws, and elect an executive board — all online.

Get started — $3/month