What is the minimum number of members required to conduct business?

• A. Majority
• B. Quorum
• C. Roll call
• D. Ballot

Answer: (B)

Quorum refers to the minimum number of members who must be present for a meeting to legally conduct business. It protects the legitimacy of decisions by ensuring that actions aren’t taken by too small a group. The other terms describe different ideas: a majority is about the voting threshold (more than half of the votes or of the full membership, depending on context), roll call is a method of recording attendance, and a ballot is a way of voting. By defining a quorum in the bylaws, an organization sets the attendance needed before business can proceed; without reaching that number, the meeting can’t transact official business and may need to be adjourned or rescheduled. For example, if the bylaws specify a quorum of a majority of the membership, and not enough members are present, no formal decisions can be made until more members attend.