Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Voting rights

[Brian Bartholomew (bartholomew.brian]

 Sharon Villines writes:

> We have back up majority vote but I doubt if we would ever use
> it. But personally, I am glad we have it. Sometimes there is one
> person [...] who is not reasonable and will not have their
> objections resolved.

In one condo-organized community in my area, one person kept refusing
a major action that, from my outside perspective, seemed entirely
reasonable. Eventually she was declared legally not competent due to
mental illness by a judge, presumably backed up by a medical doctor.
The person appointed to manage her interests then agreed to the action.

R Philip Dowds writes:

> My personal view is that the possibility of vote is a significant
> stimulus for compromise and unity.

Exactly, voting is the elephant in the room. If it's easy to vote
then what you get from participants are negotiating positions built
upon the expected eventual vote; you do not get consensus. You will
only receive consensus for decisions which are expected to never be
overridden by a vote. If you desire a lot of consensus, then make
voting harder.

Brian