Quorum

[2] In a deliberative assembly (a body that uses parliamentary procedure, such as a legislature), a quorum is necessary to conduct the business of that group.

In modern times a quorum might be defined as the minimum number of voters needed for a valid election.

[4] However, quorums have been criticized by social choice theorists for their pathological behavior, including an absurd result called a no-show paradox, where a proposal may pass because too many members oppose it.

Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised states that the quorum set in an organization's bylaws "should approximate the largest number that can be depended on to attend any meeting except in very bad weather or other extremely unfavorable conditions.

[10] Because it is difficult to determine exactly when a quorum was lost, points of order relating to the absence of a quorum are "generally not permitted to affect prior action; but upon clear and convincing proof, such a point of order can be given effect retrospectively by a ruling of the presiding officer, subject to appeal.

[11] In legislatures and other assemblies that have the legal power to compel the attendance of their members, the call of the house procedure may be used to obtain a quorum.

In the National Council of Austria at least one-third of the representatives must be present, so that they may decide on a simple law (participation quorum of 33.3%).

There is no need for quorum when the attendance of the House is requested in the Senate of Canada, for example, when royal assent is being given to bills.

The quorum for the panels, committees and subcommittees is, nevertheless, one-third or three members, whichever the greater, as according to the Rules of Procedure.

One of the pro-Beijing members nevertheless stayed in the chamber to call for the quorum to be counted, effectively forcing the meeting to be adjourned.

The resignation was intended as a de facto referendum across all five geographical constituencies of the territory, involving the entire electorate, which would not be officially recognised anyway.

On 18 June 2015, when the LegCo was due to vote on a resolution to amend the provisions for the election of the territory's Chief Executive, pro-Beijing members left the chamber to force a quorum roll call to make sure that a sick member could be able to rush back to the chamber.

[47] Quorum-busting and attempts to thwart it are also a common feature during the annual motion debate related to the 1989 Tiananmen massacre moved by pro-democracy Members.

Article 64 of the Italian Constitution prescribes that the quorum for both houses of Parliament is an absolute majority of their membership.

In Congress of the Philippines, half of the membership (13 in the Senate and 159 in the House of Representatives) is needed to muster a quorum.

If someone contests the lack of quorum, a roll call shall be done, and if there is indeed less than a majority of members present, the meeting shall be adjourned.

Both majority and minority blocs in Congress have used the lack of quorum in defeating bills that they do not want to be passed without putting it to a vote.

According to article 96 of the Turkish Constitution, unless otherwise stipulated in the Constitution, the Turkish Grand National Assembly shall convene with at least, one-third of the total number of members (184 out of 550) and shall take decisions by an absolute majority of those present; however, the quorum for decisions can, under no circumstances, be less than a quarter plus one of the total number of members (138 out of 550).

[51] Historically, the quorum was a select group of the justices of the peace in each county in early modern Britain.

[53][54] The rules of the United Nations Security Council make no provisions for quorum, but nine votes are in all cases required to pass any substantive measure, effectively meaning that a meeting with fewer than nine members in attendance is pointless.

After a cleaning woman gave a tip that Senator Robert Packwood of Oregon was in his office, Giugni opened the door with a skeleton key.

Packwood was subsequently carried feet-first into the Senate chamber by three plainclothes officers and sustained bruised knuckles.

[57] Prior to 1988, the last time the procedure had been used was during a 1942 filibuster over civil rights legislation:[57] Southern Democrat senators had spent days filibustering legislation to end poll taxes, days after the midterm elections had resulted in the Democrats losing of nine seats.

Mark Trice, to the apartment of Democratic Senator Kenneth McKellar of Tennessee at the Mayflower Hotel.

By the time the car reached the Senate entrance, McKellar shot out and barreled through the corridors to find the source of his summons.

Democratic House Representatives in Texas fled the state on the 12th of July 2021 to block the passage of a bill that would change voting rules.

[62] After 38 days quorum was regained when three Democrats, Garnet Coleman, Armando Walle and Ana Hernandez returned, though with Coleman providing quorum from home due to serious illness and Republican Steve Allison isolating in a side room of the chamber due to contracting COVID-19.

Then-Representative Mark Hass participated in the walkout and later noted that although the tactic worked, Democrats "got beaten up pretty hard.

"[65] Beginning in May 2019, Republican state senators in Oregon made a series of walkouts in opposition to an emissions trading bill.

"[66] The similar tactic of a disappearing quorum—refusing to vote although physically present on the floor or walking out before a vote–was used by the minority to block votes as a filibuster in the United States House of Representatives from 1842 (when a speaking time limit was introduced) until 1890, when Speaker Thomas Brackett Reed ordered that members who were present would count for the purpose of a quorum even if they did not reply to the roll call.