What is a quorum? Rules and examples

A quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present before a meeting can conduct business. Without a quorum, the group cannot make binding decisions, however many people are in the room. The number is set by the bylaws, the charter or the governing documents of the organisation, so the first step is always to read those.

Robert’s Rules of Order, the most widely used guide to parliamentary procedure, gives a default: where the bylaws do not set a quorum, it is a majority of the membership. The Robert’s Rules FAQ states that the bylaws should specify the quorum and that the majority default applies only when they do not.

Quorum in numbers

The default is “more than half” of the membership, so it is a whole number rather than a fraction. For a group of 25 members, the quorum is 13 under the default, because 13 is the smallest number that is more than half of 25. A group of 30 needs 16. The quorum calculator on Votense does this arithmetic for you.

Your bylaws may set a different number, such as a fixed count, a third of the membership, or a share of the board. Use that number, not the default, when it is stated. The quorum calculator works with any member count, and it lets you enter the fraction your bylaws require.

Quorum is not the same as a vote

Two checks happen at different times. Quorum checks that enough people are present to act. A vote checks whether enough of the people present support a motion. A meeting of 25 with 13 present has a quorum, but a motion still needs its own majority of the votes cast. Keep the two separate when you record the minutes, so the record shows both.

Checking quorum at the meeting

Count at the start of the meeting and again before any vote. People leave early, and a vote taken after a few people have gone can fall below quorum. Write down the time and the number present, so the minutes show the meeting was properly constituted when each decision was made.

Video attendance can count toward quorum in some organisations, and not in others. The Robert’s Rules FAQ and your bylaws decide this, so settle it before the meeting, not during it.

What to do when you are not sure

If the bylaws are silent or unclear, follow the default and say so in the minutes. For a decision that matters, such as an election or a change to the rules, ask someone who knows the governing documents. For a board or HOA, state law may also set rules; this guide does not give legal advice, and local rules differ.

For the counting steps once quorum is confirmed, see plurality vs majority vs supermajority. For a full election checklist, see how to run a club or HOA election.