Public commenter urges Board of State Canvassers to follow Robert’s Rules and publish deliberative materials

At the start of the meeting, James Gallant of the Marquette County Suicide Prevention Coalition used his two minutes of public comment to press the Board of State Canvassers to follow Robert’s Rules of Order and to make clearer the board’s procedural records.

"Public bodies in Michigan must follow Robert's rules of order and a minimum motion second first that brings the business before the board," Gallant said, adding he wanted the board to publish "all that you said you addressed, all of it," including discussions of an attorney general opinion he described as 40 years old and more recent testimony he said bears on the issue.

Gallant also questioned how the board handled a 100‑word summary from a prior meeting, arguing the approval process should have included a motion and a second and that multiple amendments made it difficult to track decisions. The chair responded that the board would take his comments under consideration; staff did not commit to a specific publication action during the meeting.

Gallant asked the board to restore or clarify procedural practices and to post materials similarly to how recall petition documents are posted; the board took the comment under consideration before moving to the next agenda item.