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Kinds of Motions

8 Things to Know About a Motion

Motions in Detail

Motion	Applies to the Following Motions	May Interrupt Member Who Has the Floor	Mover Must Be Recognized First	Requires a Second	Debatable	Vote Required	May Be Renewed	Motions that May Apply to It
Fix the time of the next meeting	None	No	Yes	Yes	Not when privileged	Majority	Not for the same time	Amend, reconsider
Adjourn	None	No	Yes	Yes	Not when privileged	Majority (not a quorum)	Yes, after progress	None
Question of privilege	None	Yes, if necessary	No	No	No, but resulting motion may be	Decided by Chair	After progress	None, but all may apply to resulting motion
Call for orders of the day	Any order	Yes, for a special order	No	No	No	None, but 2/3rds vote to postpone special order	Yes, after pending matter disposed of	None, except to postpone orders
Rise to a point of order	Any motion or act	Yes	No	No	No, but appeal is debatable	None, unless appealed	No	None, but see appeals
Appeal the ruling of the chair	Any decision of the Chair	Yes	No	Yes	No, unless underlying matter is debatable	Majority	No	To lay on the table, to close debate, to reconsider
Suspend the rules	Any motion where needed	No	Yes	Yes	No	Usually 2/3rds	No, except by unanimous consent	None
To create special orders	Main motion	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	2/3rds	After progress	All
Motion to Ballot	Any motion that may be voted	Interrupts Chair	No	Yes (for motion to ballot)	No	Majority	No	None
Object to Consideration	Yes	No	No	No	No	2/3rds in negative	No	Reconsider
Motion to Table	Main motion, appeals, questions of privilege, reconsider	No	Yes	Yes	No	Majority	After progress	None
Motion to take from table	Only a motion that was tabled	No	Yes	Yes	No	Majority	After progress	None
Close or limit debate	Any debatable motion	No	Yes	Yes	No	2/3rds majority	After progress	Reconsider
Postpone to a certain day	Main motion, questions of privilege, reconsider	No	Yes	Yes	Yes (only as to propriety of postponement)	Majority (unless special order)	After progress	Amend, reconsider, limit or close debate
Refer to a committee	Main motion, questions of privilege	No	Yes	Yes	Yes (limited issues)	Majority	After progress	Amend, reconsider, limit or close debate
Amend	Main motion, limit debate, refer, postpone definitely, fix time of next meeting	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority	No	Amend, reconsider, limit or close debate
Postpone Indefinitely	Main motion, question of privilege	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Majority	No	Limit or close debate, reconsider
Reconsider	Any motion except adjourn, suspend rules, lay on the table	Yes, for entry	No	Yes	Yes	Majority	No	Limit or close debate, lay on the table, postpone indefinitely
Rescind	Main motions, appeals, questions of privilege	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	2/3rds or majority on notice	Not at same session	All

Last Modified: October 2, 1996
fnft@aurora.alaska.edu