Voting by E-Mail

E-mail can save us from meetings, round robin telephone calls, faxes and conference calls. It’s especially time saving when we want to avoid the traditional meeting for something that seems so simple or mundane. We avoid getting in the car driving to a meeting just to say “I move that we approve the carpet cleaning contract.” That’s silly when you could just send out an e-mail and ask for everyone’s vote.

It might read: “Is everyone OK with Bob’s carpet cleaning bid? We can get a really good deal if we sign with him today. Let me know ASAP.” You get a quick response and business is accomplished right from your desk, or your smartphone. There’s just one problem. It’s illegal. No, I don’t mean you’ll get arrested. I mean that voting by e-mail isn’t enforceable. Let’s say you are the President (or committee chair) of a local charity, chamber or foundation, and you send out that carpet cleaning e-mail. A majority of your board (committee) members approve without comment. You sign the contract.

Your regular meeting comes up the next week, and a couple of the members (who were on vacation when the e-mail went out) arrive with information about Bob the carpet cleaner. While he’s inexpensive, he’s also a convicted felon and he’s been known to say some pretty unflattering things about your organization. More importantly, a board member’s uncle is in the business and made a major contribution last year. Let’s give the contract to uncle Vinnie, they say; and before you know it, Vinnie is hired. But you already signed the contract in reliance on that e-mail.

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