Principles of Parliamentary Procedure - Significance

Significance

RONR states that cumulative voting "must be viewed with reservation since it violates a fundamental principle of parliamentary law." All the major parliamentary procedure manuals (RONR, TSC, Demeter, Mason, etc.) contain commentary on the principles; and as the presiding officer and parliamentarian are expected to be reasonably familiar with the contents of their organization's parliamentary authority, they are likely to be exposed to these points of view. Thus, there is potential for even the nonbinding principles to influence an organization's leadership.

Moreover, RONR states that rules that embody fundamental principles of parliamentary law cannot be suspended, even by unanimous consent or an actual unanimous vote. An assembly cannot suspend the rules that allow only one question to be considered at a time; nor can it extend the right to vote to nonmembers, or authorize absentee or cumulative voting by suspending the rules. A bylaw amendment would be required to take such action. Likewise, rules protecting absentees or a basic right of the individual member cannot be suspended.