What is a quorum?

• A. A unanimous consent of the body.
• B. The maximum number of members allowed to vote.
• C. The minimum number of members required to conduct business.
• D. The group of officers presiding over the meeting.

Answer: (C)

Quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present for a meeting to legally conduct business. This ensures that decisions reflect a sufficient portion of the group and aren’t made by too small a subset. The exact number is usually set in bylaws or a parliamentary authority and can vary based on the size of the body.

So, the statement that the minimum number of members required to conduct business best captures what quorum means.

For context, if a board has ten members and the quorum is five, at least five must be present to vote or take official action; if fewer attend, the meeting can’t proceed with official business. It’s not about unanimous consent (everyone agreeing), not about the maximum number who can vote, and not about the officers who run the meeting.