Packmates Mutual Aid: Quorum and Voting Process
To make sure that each selection we make reflects our collective values and intentions and to preserve transparency and fairness, we employ a voting system. In essence, our quorum and voting process ensures that decisions within Packmates Mutual Aid are inclusive, reflective of our collective values, and democratically determined.
Understanding Quorum:
A quorum is the minimum number of individuals required to make an official decision. For Packmates voting process, our quorum is currently set at a minimum of 3 (three) votes. This means that for any decision to be valid, at least three members must participate in that voting.
Voting Process:
- Initiation of Vote: After an aid request is submitted/selected, a voting process is initiated. All active members are notified, and each person have the time limit of 48 (forty-eight) hours to cast a vote.
- Majority Rules: When the voting period ends, the decision is made based on a simple majority. In other words, if more than half plus 1 (one) of the votes are in want of approving or denying the aid request, that decision is implemented.
- Notification: During the voting period, all aid volunteers are notified to ensure awareness, and encourage participation.
- Re-entering Discussion: If the vote fails to reach a majority, especially if the voting is close, we can go back to the drawing board. This means re-entering into discussion to address any concerns, gather more information, or seek amendments to the proposal.
- Re-introduction of Action: After discussion, if the action is reintroduced for voting, it should either have produced an amendment or changed someone’s mind. This ensures that we learn from our discussions and make informed decisions.
Non-financial Requests:
For non-financial requests there is no voting, but rather it is down to our ability to find a volunteer willing and able to fulfill the request. We attempt to get all general (non-financial) aid requests connected with volunteers whenever possible.