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Voting

At the heart of the FSC system is the democratic process of voting on the motions. In order for a motion to pass there must be consensus between the three chambers: economic, social, and environmental. The balanced voting process differentiates the FSC system from other schemes. 

for members
FSC AC / Geoff Howe

During the members’ assembly each motion is usually discussed for ten or fifteen minutes. After the debate closes, members begin voting. 

For the 2022 General Assembly, members attending both in-person and online will cast their votes electronically using the voting platform.  

Members will have the possibility to vote at the time the motion is put to vote by the Presiding Officer and until it is announced that the voting period will close.  Once a member cast their vote it cannot be changed. 

If the electronically computed results show that there is a 66.66% overall majority of votes in favour of a motion (by members voting in-person/virtually/through proxies), and quorum is reached the motion is approved. If not, the motion fails. 

The FSC Statutes establish the below conditions on voting. 

  • The general assembly shall strive to adopt decision by consensus. 

  • Consensus is defined as the absence of sustained opposition but does not require unanimity. 

  • In case of a vote, a decision is made when: 

  1. A quorum of more than 50 per cent of the voting power of the members of each of the chambers referred to in the Statutes of the Organization is present (either physically or by proxy), and when; 
  2. the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the voting power registered by members in good standing less votes abstaining in each chamber present at the time of the vote is reached, and when; 
  3. the affirmative vote of two thirds of the voting power of all members in good standing present at the time of the vote less votes abstaining is reached and this constitutes the absence of sustained opposition. 

FAQ

  1. Who can vote?

    Only FSC members in good standing are eligible to vote. If not, you can still observe the proceedings without voting or speaking.

  2. How do I submit my vote?

    Voting will take place through the FSC Voting App, whether you are joining in person or virtually. You can access the app on your laptop, tablet, or mobile phone. Please find the instructions on how to download and use the voting app here.

    The voting application can also be downloaded through the following links:

  3. How will the voting process work?

    • Following the close of the debate of each motion, the Presiding Officer shall call for the vote.
    • At that time, all members eligible shall be invited to vote according to the voting procedure described in the approved GA Rules of Procedure which you can find on the FSC Members’ Portal  here.
    • When a motion is put to vote, the Presiding Officer will invite members to vote to indicate support (Yes) or opposition (No) to a motion, or their abstention.
    • The motion up for vote will be displayed on screen in English and Spanish.
    • Voting will remain open for 30 minutes. If after 30 minutes, we do not reach quorum, Members’ will be informed, and the voting period will be extended for 16 hours.
    • Five minutes will be allowed in-between the announcement of motions opened for voting.  This time will be for participants to prepare their voting applications to get ready for voting. A limited number of laptops will also be available in the room for those Members’ who do not have a personal device or who may experience issues with using their own devices to vote.
    • Once the five minutes is over, the next motion up for voting will be announced and the process will be repeated until the end of the Members’ Assembly session of that day.

     

  4. When will the voting results be announced?

    Once the voting period closes and quorum is reached, the Secretariat will gather and maintain evidence of the electronic votes and will determine, with the assent of the Electoral Committee if the motions are, or not, approved.

    Motion voting results will be announced:

    • At the end of the Members’ Assembly Session - For motions that reach quorum during the Members’ Assembly
    • At the beginning of the Members’ Assembly Session - For motions where voting was extended from the previous day
    • The results for each motion will be displayed on the screen prior to being uploaded to the GA website Motion Outcomes page, and Members’ Motions Platform.

  5. How does quorum and voting power work?

    Quorum: Is calculated on the number of votes cast. Therefore, you must vote For, Against, or Abstain

    A quorum is: 50% + 1 of the members in good standing of each chamber

    An Affirmative Vote is a vote of: A simple majority of each chamber who voted plus 2/3 of all members who voted

    Abstentions count towards Quorum, but not in the calculation of a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ overall vote