Since we had 2 members bring this up recently….here are some facts.
Summary of SCNA Voting History
Since its founding, the SCNA’s voting participation has consistently been far below a majority of the total membership, regardless of the method used.
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Pre-2015: Voting was conducted in person at the annual Louisiana show. Typically, around 20 members were present and eligible to vote. These were the only votes cast for elections and organizational decisions.
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2015–2019: Voting remained limited and never approached a majority of the membership. Even during years with higher membership totals, participation stayed comparatively low.
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2018 Membership Context:
The SCNA had 380 members. A 51% quorum would have required 194 votes, a level that was never reached at any point in the organization’s history. The 2018 election had the highest vote count of any election with 125. Still not 51%. -
2020 and After:
The SCNA moved to secure online voting, which improved convenience but did not significantly increase turnout. As shown in Graphic 1, no election or vote since 2020 has ever exceeded 90 ballots submitted.
Even before online voting, historical records show that no vote has ever exceeded 120 ballots. -
Current Membership (2025):
The SCNA has approximately 550 adult members. A 51% threshold would require 281 votes—a number that has never been achieved and is not realistically attainable based on 15+ years of voting trends.
Because of this long-standing and well-documented pattern of low participation, the CBL Committee will be updating the bylaws language to align quorum and voting requirements with the actual voting behavior of the membership and ensure the organization can continue to function effectively.
