Propose an amendment
Create an amendment against an open motion — what changes, why — so it can be debated and voted on before the motion itself.
Goal
By the end you will have an amendment in Decidesk linked to its parent motion, with the proposed change described, ready for the chair to put it to a vote ahead of the motion.
Prerequisites
- An admissible motion that is still open for amendments (see Add a motion to the agenda).
- The right to submit amendments — usually the same membership/role that lets you submit motions for that body.
Steps
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Open the motion you want to amend and switch to its Amendments tab. Click Add amendment (or open Motions, find the parent motion, and add the amendment from there).
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Describe the amendment — a title, the proposer, and the change itself (the wording to add, strike, or replace, and the rationale). The amendment is linked to its parent motion automatically. Click Create.
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Open the amendment. Its sidebar has an Overview, a Parent motion tab (a shortcut back to the motion it modifies), and an Audit trail. The amendment starts in a submitted state.
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The chair reviews the amendment for admissibility, then transitions it to admissible. Multiple admissible amendments on one motion are ordered — typically the most far-reaching is voted first.
Verification
The amendment shows on the parent motion's Amendments tab, the amendment's Parent motion tab links back to the right motion, and the Audit trail records the submission and the transition to admissible.
Common issues
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| Can't add an amendment | The motion is past the amendment stage — once a vote is open on the motion, new amendments are no longer accepted. |
| Amendment isn't on the motion's Amendments tab | It was created without a parent motion — edit it and set the parent motion. |
| Two amendments conflict | That's normal — the chair sequences admissible amendments; voting one through can make a later one moot, in which case it is withdrawn. |
Reference
- Run a vote — vote the amendment through (or down) before the motion.
- Add a motion to the agenda — the motion this amendment modifies.