Making a motion

In a live meeting, any director with a voting seat can put a motion to the board from their own device. You don't need to wait for the chair to type it in for you.

How do I make a motion?

1. Open the meeting's Run meeting cockpit (from the meeting page, choose Run meeting).
2. Under Motions on the floor, choose Make a motion. A panel slides up from the bottom of the screen.
3. Type your motion, for example "I move that we approve the FY27 operating budget." You can also tap one of your board's presets, such as "Approve the minutes as circulated", to fill it in.
4. Check the Agenda item. The item currently on the screen is chosen for you. Pick No agenda item for a general motion.
5. Choose Propose.

Your motion appears for everyone in the meeting with you named as the mover. It appears on everyone else's screen within a few seconds, without anyone reloading.

Who can make a motion? You need a voting seat. If you hold only a non-voting position, such as an ex officio seat, you can follow along but Make a motion won't appear. Staff liaisons and observers can't make motions either. If your board's rules say only officers can move motions, only the chair and board admins see Make a motion.

How do I second a motion?

When a motion needs a second, its card reads Awaiting a second and shows a Second this motion button. Choose it and your name is recorded as the seconder. The mover's own card reads Waiting for a second instead.

• You can't second your own motion. The button doesn't appear on your own motion.
• If two people choose Second at almost the same moment, the first one counts. The other person sees a message such as "This motion was already seconded by Priya Shah."
• Members without a voting seat don't see the Second this motion button.

Does every motion need a second?

That depends on your board's rules of order, in Settings → Rules of order (see Rules of order).

• Second required. This is the default for the Robert's Rules presets. A new motion shows Awaiting a second until someone seconds it.
• No second required. A new motion goes straight to Ready for the chair.

Each motion keeps the rule that was in force when it was proposed. If your board changes its settings mid-meeting, motions that are already on the floor aren't affected.

Can I withdraw my motion?

Yes, until the chair states the question. On your motion's card, choose Withdraw. Once the chair has put the question to the board, ask the chair to withdraw it for you.

A withdrawn motion stays on the record. It's listed on the meeting's Motions tab with a Withdrawn label, and the minutes note it too: "Motion by Priya Shah was withdrawn before a vote."

What does the chair do?

The chair sees every waiting motion in the Motion queue, oldest first, with who moved it, when, and whether it has been seconded. For each one the chair can:

• State the question. This puts the motion before the board for debate. Directors see it as Under debate. Only one motion can be before the board at a time, so the chair finishes or withdraws that one before stating the next.
• Call the vote, after choosing how the board votes: voice vote, general consent, show of hands or roll call. The choice starts on your board's default. See How votes are taken. For a roll call, Close voting when everyone has voted. See Voting from your phone and How do I call the vote and close it?.
• Rule out of order. The chair gives a reason, and the motion is recorded as Ruled out of order together with that reason.
• Withdraw the motion.
• Record a second for… a member who isn't on a device. The record shows both the member who seconded and the chair who recorded it.

The chair can also record a whole motion for a member who isn't on a device. To do this, the chair uses Quick motion on the current agenda item (see Running a meeting).

Every step (proposed, seconded, stated, vote called, closed, ruled out of order and withdrawn) is written to the board's audit log.