Have you ever had questions about parliamentary procedure? Is the procedure hard to understand and confusing at times? Well this table and explanation of how parliamentary procedure works will hopefully help you to better understand the basics.
Parliamentary procedure is a commonly used form of debate and conduction of meetings in the political, business, and world at large.
These motions are listed are in order of precedence:
|
Adjourn the meeting
|
"I move to adjourn"
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Majority
|
No
|
|
Call an intermission
|
"I move to recess for..."
|
No
|
Yes
|
No (1)
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
No
|
|
Complain about heat, noise, etc
|
"I rise to a question of privilege"
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No Vote
|
No
|
|
Temporarily suspend consideration of an issue
|
"I move to lay the motion on the table"
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Majority
|
No (2)
|
|
End debate and amendments
|
"I move to the previous question."
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
2/3
|
Yes (3)
|
|
Postpone discussion for a certain time
|
"I move to postpone the discussion until..."
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
Yes
|
|
Give closer study of something
|
"I move to refer the matter to committee"
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
Yes (4)
|
|
Amend a motion
|
"I move to amend the motion by..."
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes (5)
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
Yes
|
These motions have no order of precedence:
|
Vote on a ruling of the chair
|
"I appeal from the chair's decision."
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
No
|
Majority
|
Yes
|
|
Suspend rules temporarily
|
"I move to suspend the rules so that..."
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
2/3
|
No
|
|
Avoid considering an improper matter
|
"I object to consideration of this motion."
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
2/3 (7)
|
Yes (2)
|
|
Verify a voice vote by having members stand
|
"I call for a division," or "Division!"
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No vote
|
No
|
|
Request information
|
"Point of information..."
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No vote
|
No
|
|
Take up a matter previously tabled
|
"I move to take from the table..."
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Majority
|
No
|
Notes: (1) Unless moved when no question is pending. (2) Affirmative votes may not be reconsidered (3) Unless vote on question has begun (4) Unless the committee has already taken up the subject (5) Unless the motion to be amended is not debatable (6) Unless the chair submits to the assembly for decision (7) A 2/3 vote in Negative is needed to prevent consideration of the main motion (8) Only if the speaker has the floor but has not actually begun to speak (9) Unless the motion to be reconsidered is not debatable.