The Complete Guide to Online Voting Rules for Churches
How to modernize your congregational meetings without breaking your bylaws or Robert's Rules of Order.
Executive Summary
Most church bylaws were written before the internet. To vote online legally, you typically need to: 1) Check state laws on "remote participation", 2) Adopt a "Special Rule of Order" to authorize electronic voting, and 3) Ensure your platform guarantees voter identity and secrecy.
1. Does Your Constitution Allow Online Voting?
The first step is auditing your current governing documents. Most older constitutions specify that voting must happen "in person" or "at a called meeting."
- "Present and Voting": If your bylaws say a measure passes by a majority of members "present and voting," this strictly implies physical presence unless you've adopted remote meeting rules.
- Silence is Not Permission: In parliamentary law, if a method isn't authorized, it is generally prohibited. You cannot assume online voting is okay just because it isn't forbidden.
2. navigating Robert's Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (12th Edition) added specific guidance for electronic meetings.
3. Security & Anonymity Requirements
For issues like pastoral calls or board elections, the integrity of the ballot is sacred. A Google Form is rarely sufficient for two reasons:
- Lack of Anonymity: You can't easily verify a voter and keep their vote secret simultaneously with basic forms.
- Duplicate Voting: Public links can be shared, leading to non-members casting votes.
Synod’s platform handles this by generating unique, one-time-use credentials for every member, ensuring one person = one vote, while cryptographically separating identity from the ballot choice.
4. How to Update Your Bylaws
If you need to update your documents to allow for hybrid or online meetings, consider this sample language for a resolution:
"Meetings of the membership may be held by means of the Internet or other electronic communications technology in a fashion pursuant to which the members have the opportunity to read or hear the proceedings substantially concurrently with their occurrence, vote on matters submitted to the members, pose questions, and make comments."