What Exactly is a Proxy Vote?

In a recent CDP Convention Pre-Primary Endorsement Caucus process there was at least one occasion where a proxy vote was used by a delegate to endorse a candidate not supported by the person giving his proxy. This was unfortunate and partly the fault of the delegate who did not explain how the vote would be used and partly the fault of the proxy-giver for not asking. Either way, it seems that consideration should be given by the Rules Committee to a tightening up of the process.

Wikipedia definitions: Proxy voting is the delegation to another member of a voting body of that member’s power to vote in his absence. Proxy appointments can be used to form a voting bloc that can exercise greater influence in deliberations or negotiations. A person so designated is called a “proxy” and the person designating him is called a “principal.”

Proxy voting is automatically prohibited in organizations that have adopted Robert’s Rules of Order or The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure as their parliamentary authority, unless it is provided for in its bylaws or charter or required by the laws of its state of incorporation.

Riddick’s Rules (Riddick’s Rules of Procedure is a manual on parliamentary procedure written by Floyd M. Riddick. based on Riddick’s experience as parliamentarian of the United States Senate as well as the procedures of assemblies using parliamentary manuals such as Robert’s Rules of Order) notes that under proxy voting, voting for officers should be done by ballot, citing the difficulties involved in authentication if a member simply calls out, “I cast seventeen votes for Mr. X.”

While Riddick opines that “proxy voting properly belongs in incorporate organizations that deal with stocks or real estate, and in certain political organizations,” it also states, “If a state empowers an incorporated organization to use proxy voting, that right cannot be denied in the bylaws.” Riddick further opines, “Proxy voting is not recommended for ordinary use. It can discourage attendance, and transfers an inalienable right to another without positive assurance that the vote has not been manipulated.”

Riddick’s Rules seems to ban delegated voting, noting, “Proxy votes are non-transferable, containing the name of the member transferring the proxy, the person to whom the proxy is granted, and the name of the person for whom he wishes the vote to be cast or the opinion desired by the transferring member.”

US Senate definition of proxy voting – The practice of allowing a Senator to cast a vote in committee for an absent Senator. Senate Rule XXVI provides that proxies may not be voted when the absent Senator has not been informed of the matter on which he is being recorded and has not requested that he be so recorded.

Your ideas are welcomed and suggestions for improving the process of proxy voting can be forwarded to Gary Shay, Rules Committee at gss1@aol.com.