ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER - CHEAT SHEET - Majority vote required

Oct 13, 2026

Concise two-page reference for applying Robert’s Rules of Order during meetings. Summarizes common motions and parliamentary points with exact phrasing, whether the speaker may be interrupted, whether a second is required, debate and amendment status, and the voting threshold (e.g., majority, two-thirds, or chair decision). Includes precedence guidance and special notes, such as when motions cannot be introduced and how division of the house works.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Motions and voting rules (Page 1)

Adjourn, recess, privilege, table, previous question, postpone

Refer to committee, amend, introduce primary motion

Motions and voting rules (Page 2)

Point of order, point of information, division, objection

Take from the table, reconsider, suspend rules, appeal chair decision

Pg 1 of 2 ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER"CHEAT SHEET" | | |
MAY YOU
INTERRUPT SPEAKER? | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | MUST YOU BE SECONDED? | IS THE MOTION DEBATABLE? | IS THE MOTION AMENDABLE? | WHAT VOTE IS REQUIRED? | | TO DO THIS: (1) | YOU SAY THIS: | | | | | | | Adjourn the
meeting | "I move we adjourn" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Not debatable | Not amendable | Majority vote
required | | Recess the meeting | "I move that we recess until " | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Not debatable | Amendable | Majority vote
required | | Complain about noise, room temp. , etc. | "Point of privilege" | May interrupt
speaker | No second needed | Not debatable (2) | Not amendable | No vote required (3) | | Suspend further consideration of something | "I move we table it" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Not debatable | Not amendable | Majority vote
required | | End debate | "I move the previous question" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Not debatable | Not amendable | Two-thirds vote required | | Postpone consideration of something | "I move we
postpone this
matter until…" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Debatable | Amendable | Majority vote
required | | Have something studied further | "I move we refer this matter to a committee/attny" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Debatable | Amendable | Majority vote
required | | Amend a motion | "I move that this motion be amended by…" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Debatable | Amendable | Majority vote
required | | Introduce business (a primary motion) | "I move that…" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Debatable | Amendable | Majority vote
required | (1) The motions or points above are listed in established order of precedence. When one of them is pending, you may not introduce another that's listed below it, but you may introduce another that's listed above it. (2) In this case, any resulting motion is debatable. (3) Chair decides. Pg 2 of 2 ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER"CHEAT SHEET" | | |
MAY YOU
INTERRUPT SPEAKER? | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | MUST YOU BE SECONDED? | IS THE MOTION DEBATABLE? | IS THE MOTION AMENDABLE? | WHAT VOTE IS REQUIRED? | | TO DO THIS: (1) | YOU SAY THIS: | | | | | | | Object to a procedure or to a personal affront | "Point of order" | May interrupt
speaker | No second needed | Not debatable | Not amendable | No vote required, chair decides | | Request
information | "Point of
information" | If urgent may interrupt speaker | No second needed | Not debatable | Not amendable | No vote required | | As for a vote by actual count to verify a voice vote | "I call for a division of the house" | May not interrupt speaker (2) | No second needed | Not debatable | Not amendable | No vote required unless someone objects (3) | | Object to considering some undiplomatic or improper matter | "I object to consideration of this question" | May interrupt
speaker | No second needed | Not debatable | Not amendable | Two thirds vote required | | Take up matter previously tabled | "I move we take from the table" | May interrupt
speaker | Must be seconded | Not debatable | Not amendable | Majority required | | Reconsider something already disposed of | "I move we now (or later) reconsider our action relative to…" | May interrupt
speaker | Must be seconded | Debatable if original motion is debatable | Not amendable | Majority required | | Consider something out of its scheduled order | "I move we suspend the rules and consider…" | May interrupt
speaker | Must be seconded | Not debatable | Not amendable | Two thirds vote required | | Vote on a ruling by the chair | "I appeal the chairs decision" | May not interrupt speaker | Must be seconded | Debatable | Not amendable | Majority required | (1) The m

FAQs

What information does the cheat sheet provide for each motion or point?

For each item, it lists the motion phrasing, whether you may interrupt the speaker, whether it must be seconded, whether it is debatable and amendable, and what vote is required.

Which motions on page 1 include the chart’s precedence limits?

The sheet notes that when the meeting is considering the top 3 matters on page 1—adjourn, recess, and point of privilege—you may not introduce motions listed below them, though you may introduce those above.

How does the cheat sheet address division of the house and objections?

It states that you call for a division of the house to verify a voice vote, and it specifies that no vote is required unless someone objects (then majority vote may be needed as described in the notes).

Oct 13, 2026

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