Board meeting minutes example with motions, seconds and votes

Board meeting minutes for a public body record the time of call to order, who was present, each motion with who moved and seconded it, how each member voted, the outcome, and the time of adjournment. The example below shows each of those lines, with invented names, and then shows how Minutes Draft produces the same lines from a recording.

Minutes differ by state, by body and by the bylaws you follow, so treat this as a layout to adapt, not as a form that meets any particular statute. This page is not legal advice.

What does a board meeting minutes example look like?

This is an action-minutes layout for a fictional Maple Township Board. Every name is made up.

MAPLE TOWNSHIP BOARD
Regular meeting, September 22

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Supervisor Whitfield, Clerk Lindqvist, Treasurer Ostrowski,
Trustees Chen, Natarajan and Holcomb.
Absent: Trustee Easley.

1. Motion by Trustee Chen, seconded by Trustee Holcomb, to approve
   the minutes of the August meeting.
   Vote: carried by voice vote, no dissent heard.

2. Motion by Treasurer Ostrowski, seconded by Trustee Natarajan,
   to pay the bills as presented.
   Vote: Aye: Whitfield, Lindqvist, Ostrowski, Chen, Natarajan.
   Nay: Holcomb. Absent: Easley. Carried.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

What must each motion line contain?

Each motion line needs four things: the mover, the seconder, the wording of the motion and the result. Add the vote by name whenever your body records votes by member.

• Mover and seconder by name and title.
• The motion, in the words that were voted on.
• The vote, by member for a roll call, or "carried by voice vote" for a voice vote.
• The outcome: carried, failed or tabled.

Whether you must name each member's vote, and how, depends on your state and your body's rules, so confirm that before you drop the names.

How do I write the vote when it was a voice vote?

For a voice vote, say that it was a voice vote and record the result the chair announced. If nobody dissented, "carried by voice vote, no dissent heard" is accurate and does not invent a count. For a roll call, list each member's answer as the clerk read it.

How does Minutes Draft produce these lines from a recording?

It reads the motions, seconds and votes spoken in the usual phrasing and prints them in the layout above. The header carries the municipality, body, meeting type and date. It prints the call to order and adjournment times from the first and last speech in the recording, and the members present and absent from the attendance you ticked.

• Speakers. It splits the recording by voice; you name each voice once from your member list.
• Unclear motions. A motion with a part it could not match is marked to check, and a vote it did not hear is printed as "not heard".
• Style. Action minutes print what is above. Summary minutes add a heading per agenda item and who spoke and for how long.
• Format. The draft is a Word file or a PDF, labeled draft until you mark it reviewed.

The sample runs this on a fictional meeting with five motions, including a roll call and a motion no one seconded. It needs no account.

What are the common mistakes in board minutes?

Most errors are small and come from working from memory. Check for these before you post.

• A vote with no mover. Every motion line should name who moved it. If the recording does not make that clear, mark it and ask.
• A tally that does not add up. The ayes, nays and abstentions plus the absent members should equal the board. Count them.
• A motion reworded. Use the words voted on. If the chair restated the motion, use the restated version.
• Missing times. The call to order and adjournment times are what let a reader place the meeting.
• A name or title that changed. A new trustee or a new chair should appear with the right title from the first line.

What should I check before posting?

Check every motion against the recording, starting with those marked to check. Then check the names and titles, the attendance, and the times. The draft is a starting point: you decide what is posted and you remain the custodian of the official minutes.

For a blank version you can fill by hand, see the committee meeting minutes template. For how the drafting step works from audio, see the meeting minutes generator. For tools that do more than this one, see minutes of meeting software.

FAQ

Do board meeting minutes have to list how each member voted?

It depends on your state and your body's rules. Many bodies record a roll call by name and a voice vote as carried, so check your own requirement before you decide.

Should minutes include what people said?

Action minutes do not; they record motions, votes and outcomes. Some bodies keep a summary of discussion as well. Minutes Draft does not paraphrase discussion, so that part is yours to write.

Can the draft be edited after it is generated?

Yes. Every mover, seconder, wording, vote and outcome can be changed before you mark the minutes reviewed.