I have the responsibility of chairing a resident-owned corporation that governs a small apartment building in the city -- sort of condo, but under a different Ontario statute. I use Cannon's Rules of Order, and have studied it thoroughly, along with our own bylaws and the applicable statute. Most votes in most democratic assemblies are taken by show of hands. It's an... "efficiency" ... that allows the Chair to call the result of a vote quickly. (It is the Chair's responsibility to call for votes and to assess and announce the outcomes. Many votes are inconsequential or pro-forma -- adopting minutes, approving financial reports, reappointing the auditor, acknowledging and thanking contributors, etc. -- the outcome of a show of hands is immediately obvious to all in the room, and so the business of the meeting can progress quickly.) The point of a recorded vote (or a "counted ballot" in my building's case) is to allow the Chair (or City Council Speaker) to make a definitive call on the result of a vote that was not immediately obvious from a show of hands. Under Cannon's Rules, any member can request a counted ballot, but the decision on whether to call a counted ballot is left to the Chair -- although that decision can be challenged by any dissatisfied member.
Our City Council's Rules state that any member can call for a counted ballot, and the Speaker has no discretion on whether to allow it. This is the loophole that Former Mayor AssClown is taking advantage of. (The most salient criticism came from the new Mayor, who said he did not know what point RoFo was trying to make.)
ROFO called incessantly for recorded votes on motions as inconsequential as extending the speaking time of a councillor for five more minutes. Each show of hands takes about 10 to 15 seconds; each recorded vote takes four to eight times as long. Councillors' salaries, staff time, and office expenses all contribute to the cost of the fourfold to eightfold increase in costs required by unnecessary recorded votes. Rob Ford wasted huge amounts of our money on these stupid, unnecessary procedural follies. Gravy lives the high life in Ward 2.
