Quorum calculator
How many members must be present before the meeting can do business? Enter your membership and the rule from your bylaws, and see the quorum, whether you have it, and the votes a motion needs.
Quorum
13 members
of 25 voting members
- Half of 25 is 12.5; more than half is 13.
Quorate. 16 present: 3 could leave and the quorum would hold.
| Vote required | Means | Yes votes needed |
|---|---|---|
| Majority of members present | more than half of the 16 present | 9 |
| Two-thirds of members present | at least two thirds of the 16 present | 11 |
| Majority of the entire membership | more than half of all 25 members | 13 |
Your bylaws take precedence. If your constitution, bylaws or the law that governs your organisation sets a quorum, that rule applies, whatever any default says.
How the quorum is set
A quorum is the smallest number of voting members who must be present for a meeting to do business. Your constitution or bylaws normally fix it, and they take precedence over everything here. If they say nothing, Robert's Rules of Order sets the quorum at a majority of the members. Common wordings are a fraction such as one third, a fixed number such as ten, or a mix like “ten members or one tenth, whichever is lower”.
Rounding and thresholds
People come in whole numbers, so a quorum rounds up: at least one third of 31 members is 11, because 10 falls short of 10⅓, and more than half of 24 is 13. The calculator works with exact fractions and shows its working. The table of votes uses the same definitions: a majority vote is more than half of the votes cast, and a two-thirds vote is at least two thirds.
During the meeting
A quorum has to last, not just be reached. If members leave and it is lost, any member can point it out, and no further business may be transacted, although the meeting can still adjourn, take a recess or try to bring members back.
Sources
- Robert's Rules Association, Frequently asked questions, questions 2 to 6 (ex-officio members and the quorum, losing a quorum, majority and two-thirds votes, abstentions; RONR, 12th ed., 40:12, 44:1, 44:3, 49:8–9).
- C. Alan Jennings, Robert's Rules for defining a quorum, Dummies (the default quorum of a majority of the members, and what a meeting without a quorum can do).
Questions
Who counts towards the quorum?
Voting members who are present. Under Robert's Rules a president who is ex officio a member of every committee is not counted towards those committees' quorums, nor are certain outside ex-officio board members. Check your bylaws.
Is a majority vote the same as a majority of members?
No. A majority vote is more than half of the votes cast, so abstentions do not count. A majority of the members present, or of the whole membership, is a higher bar, where an abstention has the same effect as a no.
Can 67 votes out of 101 count as two thirds?
No. Two thirds means at least two thirds, and 67 of 101 falls short; 68 is needed. A quick check: the yes votes must be at least double the no votes.