A question we hear often from Board members is: “Can I vote on approval of minutes for a meeting I did not attend?” The definitive answer to this question is, “Yes!”
For clarity, the 11th edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised states: “It should be noted that a member’s absence from the meeting for which minutes are being approved does not prevent the member from participating in their correction or approval.”
By voting to approve a set of minutes, you are not attesting that you were in attendance during that meeting. Rather, you are voting to approve the minutes based on the trusted accounts of your counterparts and your review of the formatting of those minutes. Therefore, you are absolutely permitted to vote in favor of approving minutes for a meeting even if you were not in attendance.
