Parliamentary Procedures Cheat Sheet

Parliamentary Procedures Cheat Sheet To: You say: Adjourn Recess Complain about noise, room temp., etc. Suspend further consideration of something End debate Postpone consideration of something “I move that we adjourn” “I move that we recess until...” “Point of privilege” “I move that we table it” Amend a motion Introduce business (a primary motion) Interrupt Speaker Second Needed Debatable Amendable Vote Needed Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes No No Majority Majority Chair Decides Majority “I move the previous question” “I move we postpone this matter until…” No No Yes Yes No Yes No Yes 2/3 Majority “I move that this motion be amended by…” “I move that…” No Yes Yes Yes Majority No Yes Yes Yes Majority No No Yes No The above listed motions and points are listed in established order of precedence. When any one of them is pending, you may not introduce another that is listed below, but you may introduce another that is listed above it. To: You say: Interrupt Speaker Second Needed Debatable Amendable Vote Needed Object to procedure or personal affront Request information Ask for vote by actual count to verify voice vote “Point of order” Yes No No No Yes Must be done before new motion Yes No No No No No No No No No Chair decides None None unless someone objects 2/3 “Point of information” “I call for a division of the house” Object to considering some undiplomatic or improper matter Take up matter previously tabled “I object to consideration of this question” “I move we take from the table…” Yes Yes No No Majority Reconsider something already disposed of Yes Yes Majority No Yes Only if original motion was debatable No No Consider something out of its scheduled order “I move we now (or later) reconsider our action relative to...” “I move we suspend the rules and consider.. No 2/3 Vote on a ruling by the Chair “I appeal the Chair’s decision” Yes Yes Yes No Majority The motions, points and proposals listed above have no established order of preference; any of them may be introduced at any time except when meeting is considering one of the top three mailers listed from the first chart (Motion to Adjourn, Recess or Point of Privilege).