CHAPTER 68
The Secret Ballot
REG. 68-1
RESTRICTIONS ON BALLOT.
No ballot shall be taken on
a petition for the degrees, an application for affiliation, or an application for restoration at any other
than a stated communication.
1. No ballot shall be taken in less than
twenty-eight days from the time the petition or application was received by the
lodge.
2. No ballot shall be taken until the report
of the Grand Secretary has been received by the lodge.
3. No ballot shall be taken until a
Committee of Investigation shall have reported thereon unless otherwise
provided by law.
4. A secret ballot on any subject taken in
violation of the law of this Grand Lodge is illegal and void.
5. Another secret ballot on the same subject
shall not be taken until it has been authorized by the Grand Master, and then
only at a stated communication. [43-3.7; 45-3.4; 45-3.4.B; 45-3.4.C; 45-3.4.D; 59-2.12; 65-1; 65-8; 65-9; 68-8; 68-11; 68-8.2; 73-3; 75-11.1; 78-2.2; 78-2.2.D; 78-2.2.E; 81-2; 101-6].
After the report of the
Committee of Investigation on a petition or an application has been received,
there shall be a secret ballot unless Regulation 66-2, 67-4, and 67-6 apply. The Master may in his
discretion postpone the ballot thereon until the next stated communication
unless otherwise provided by law, but there shall be no further postponement
except by unanimous consent of the lodge. [59-2.12; 63-4; 68-14; 73-3].
After the reports of the
Grand Secretary and the Committee of Investigation have been received the
ballot shall be taken as follows.
1. When a ballot
has begun it shall not be suspended or postponed, nor shall it be interrupted
by the admission or withdrawal of any brother, except the Tyler, to
vote, and the brother who relieves the Tyler, but brethren shall be permitted
to enter or retire between ballots on different persons or propositions.
2. A ballot has
begun when the Master announces the name of the person to be balloted on or the
proposition to be balloted on, and is not completed until the Master has announced
or declared the result. [63-5.4; 63-11; 68-3.18].
3. Not more than one petition or proposition shall be voted on at the same time, and the simultaneous use of different or multiple ballot boxes on different petitions or applications or propositions is hereby prohibited. [44-7 (Art.21E); 45-21.5]. (This section amended, effective January 1, 2006)
4. The Master
shall order the Senior Deacon to prepare the ballot.
5. The Senior
Deacon, after preparing the ballot box, shall pass it in turn to the Junior
Warden, to the Senior Warden and then to the Master, that they may see that it
is properly prepared.
6. Immediately prior
to balloting the Master shall state clearly to the lodge the following: [68-3.1]
A. The
full name of the petitioner or applicant,
B. His
age, occupation, and the address of his residence and his business,
C. Names
of the brethren who recommend him if recommenders are required by law, and
D. The
character of report made by the Committee of Investigation.
7. The Master
shall then announce
A. the
name of the person whose petition is about to be balloted upon, or the proposition
to be balloted upon, and
B. state
that white balls elect and black cubes reject, requesting each
member who favors the reception of the candidate or the adoption of the
proposition to deposit a white ball and each one who opposes the same to
deposit a black cube, cautioning him to be careful and avoid mistakes. [59-2.45].
8. The Master
shall then cast his ballot, and the Senior Deacon shall pass the box to the
Senior Warden and then to the Junior Warden, each of whom, in turn, shall then
cast his ballot.
9. The Master may
order the Senior Deacon to pass the ballot box to a member within the lodge who
is physically unable otherwise to cast his ballot, and this should be done
before the ballot box is placed on the altar for voting. To pass the ballot box
to a member in the anteroom is irregular, it not being in the room proper. A
brother in the anteroom is absent from the lodge. If the Tyler is qualified to
vote, he should be relieved by a brother and should enter the lodge to vote. [63-11;
68-3.9; 63-5.4].
10. The box shall
then be placed upon the altar or upon a pedestal near the altar, and the Senior
Deacon shall cast his ballot, after which the other officers and members
present shall approach and cast their ballots.
11. When all have
voted the Senior Deacon shall exhibit the ballot first to the Junior Warden,
then to the Senior Warden, and finally to the Master.
12. If the Master
finds that the ballot is clear, or that there is more than one black cube, he
shall ask the Wardens how they find the ballot and not until then, shall he
proclaim the result.
13. In case only
one black cube appears, the Master shall not then declare the result but
immediately at the same communication order a reballot without discussion on
the part of the members or any intervening act or business, the result of the
reballot shall be declared, and it shall be final except as provided in
Regulation 68-8. [63-5.4; 68-8.2].
14. If the Wardens
disagree in their report, the Master shall examine the ballot box carefully and
order it returned to the Warden whose report was in error. When the reports of
both Wardens and the Master agree and are correct, the Master shall declare the
ballot. [59-2.45].
15. In any secret
ballot white balls are affirmative votes and black cubes are negative
votes. A unanimously favorable ballot of white balls shall be required to
elect a petitioner or an applicant, or to adopt any proposition submitted to
the secret ballot. [42-9; 65-1; 75-11.2; 75-11.3; 75-11.4; 75-11.5].
16. No member of
the lodge shall be excused from voting in a secret ballot. [63-4; 68-3.9; 68-3.1; 45-23.17].
17. The Master
shall decide and declare the result of a secret ballot at once, and he shall
then destroy the ballot to preserve its secrecy. [63-5.4].
18. In the event an
error, mistake, or irregularity in connection with a secret ballot comes to the
attention of the Master while the balloting is in progress and before
the ballot has been announced or declared by the Master as required in
Subdivisions 68-3.13 and 68-3.14 of this regulation, the Master
shall immediately stop the balloting when the matter comes to his
attention. The ballot shall not be examined by anyone, but it shall be
destroyed at once and another ballot shall be taken immediately complying fully
with Regulations 63-5.4, 68-3.13, 68-3.14, and 68-3.1 provided no member has
entered or retired from the lodge room, except the Tyler and the brother
relieving him and that the brother relieving the Tyler has returned to the
lodge room.
19. A secret ballot
is begun when the Master announces the name of the person, or the proposition,
to be balloted on. It is not completed until the Master has announced or
declared the result. [68-3.14].
20. After the Master
declares the result of a secret ballot, no further balloting on that particular
petition or application or specific proposition just balloted on shall take
place, except by order of the Grand Master as provided in Regulations 68-8 and 68-8.2.
REG. 68-4
NOTICE TO PETITIONER OR APPLICANT.
The Secretary of the lodge
shall notify the petitioner or the applicant of the action by the lodge.
[Official Forms 20 and 21].
In every case of a secret
ballot it shall be unmasonic for any brother to make known in any way the
character of his vote or purposely seek out the character of another’s vote, or
if known to him, to reveal it to another, the penalty for which, upon
conviction, shall be expulsion. The intention of this Regulation is to
preserve to the lodge and the Craft the full benefits and results of a secret
ballot. Each member voting is the sole judge of what his vote shall be, and he
shall not be questioned therefor or on account thereof. [86-2.6].
1. It is a Masonic offense for a brother,
during a secret ballot, to exhibit his ballot, in any way, that it can become
known to another, or to seek in any manner, to ascertain the total number
of ballots cast. If convicted, the penalty shall be expulsion. [86-2.6;
Chapter 100].
2. No officer or member shall disclose at
any time the number of black cubes cast. [86-2.6].
REG. 68-6
EXPLANATORY REMARKS.
Explanatory remarks to a
very limited extent and in proper terms before balloting on a petitioner
for the degrees or applicant for membership are admissible, but would be
unmasonic after the ballot has been taken. No debate shall be permitted
in open lodge upon the merits or demerits of any candidate at, or before, or
after the time of balloting. The secret vote of each member is the only legal
expression of his opinion. [67-4.4].
The ballot of a lodge upon
a petitioner for the degrees or an applicant for affiliation over whom it has
no jurisdiction, or who is not qualified, shall be void and of no effect.
1. If a lodge
should discover, after a ballot is had on a petition for degrees and before the
Entered Apprentice degree or the Fellow Craft degree or the Degree of Master
Mason has been conferred, that does not have jurisdiction, it shall not proceed
further until it has been authorized by the Grand Master to act. [42-7.1;
42-9; 42-4].
2. With the Grand
Master’s authorization the lodge may proceed as provided in Regulation 42-4. [42-5; 75-1; 75-8].
REG. 68-8
GRAND MASTER’S AUTHORITY.
The Grand Master shall not
have the power to grant a dispensation authorizing another ballot on the same
petition or application after it has been rejected by the lodge and so declared
by the Master except when it is made to appear to the satisfaction of the Grand
Master by positive and unquestionable evidence that the ballot was clearly
and grossly illegal, or void, or that the lodge actually balloted on the
wrong person, or could have done so through similarity of names, improper
announcement by the Master or other cause whereby the actual and correct
identification of the petitioner or applicant being balloted on was not made
clear.
1. In such cases
the Grand Master may authorize a reballot at a stated communication.
2. The
dispensation authorizing the reballot shall contain a proviso that all members
of the lodge shall be given not less than ten days’ notice by first-class mail
under sealed cover of the reballot and the time and place therefor.
3. No such
reballot shall be had after two months from the date of rejection. [59-3.6;
68-11].
One clear ballot shall
entitle the petitioner to the three degrees except
when a candidate is in default,
when objection is made to his initiation,
when an Entered Apprentice or Fellow Craft of a defunct
lodge transfers his membership to another lodge. In these cases the petitioner
or applicant for the degree or degrees must again pass the ordeal of the
ballot. [65-1; 65-5; 68-3.15; 69-2; 71-1; 73-1; 73-3; Chapter
73].
Every lodge shall have a
ballot box so constructed as to enable every member to cast his vote secretly
and it shall be equipped with a sufficient number of white balls and
black cubes to enable every brother to express his preference freely. A
white ball shall constitute an affirmative vote, and a black cube
shall constitute a negative vote.
REG.
68-11 NO NOTICE OF PETITION.
A lodge shall not give
notice through the mail or otherwise that a ballot will be had on the petition
or application of a person named in such notice except a notice shall be given
for a reballot as provided in Regulation 68-8. [43-3.7; 68-1; 68-8.2].
REG.
68-12 PETITIONER WHO MOVES.
A lodge has the right to
ballot on the petition for the degrees of one who has moved from its
jurisdiction after the reception of his petition. [42-5; 42-13; 66-3].
REG.
68-13 LOST PETITION OR APPLICATION.
If a petition or
application becomes lost after it is received, the lodge may proceed upon a
duplicate thereof.
REG.
68-14 ORDER OF VOTING ON PETITION.
Petitions or applications
need not be balloted on in the order in which they are received. [59-2.12; 68-2].
REG.
68-15 PROTEST MEMBER OF ANOTHER LODGE.
A lodge having lawful
jurisdiction shall be the sole judge of its petitioner’s or applicant’s
qualifications, subject to the law of this Grand Lodge. Protests from a member
of another lodge should receive the fullest consideration, but further than
that they cannot prevail. [13-4.4; 41-10.4; 66-2].
REG.
68-16 NO VOTE EXCEPT BY BALLOT.
No vote shall be taken nor
any means be used to ascertain, directly or indirectly, the sense of the lodge
as to whether a petition for the degrees or an application for membership will
probably be rejected, accepted, or otherwise disposed of.
REG.
68-17 NO APPEAL FROM A BALLOT.
No persons rejected for any
purpose by a secret ballot shall have the right to appeal from, or in any
manner whatever contest, the result thereof. [Chapter
63].
REG.
68-18 PETITION VOID - TWELVE MONTHS.
If a petition for the degrees has been read and received in open lodge and the petitioner is not elected or rejected within a period of twelve months the petition shall be null and void and if the petitioner desires to again petition a lodge, he can do so only by presenting a new petition in regular form which shall take the same procedure governing the original petition for the degrees. [59-2.47; 65-6; 67-2].
REG. 68-19 BALLOTING ON APPLICATION FOR AFFILIATIONS.
Applications for affiliations (Form 18) may be voted on collectively. If there is an objection or one or more negative votes are cast, the balloting will commence on each aplication individually following the procedure in Regulation 68-3.