Quorum
Glossary·Verified 2026-07-10
Definition
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a board or council who must be present for that body to legally conduct business. Unless a charter or state law says otherwise, quorum is usually a simple majority of members.
Why it matters
Quorum rules stop a small faction from acting for the whole body. But they can also be used strategically: members opposed to an item sometimes skip a meeting to deny quorum and block a vote, stalling action without anyone voting no on the record.
Seen in the wild
In 2021, Texas House Democrats broke quorum by leaving the state to block a voting-rights bill, a widely documented case of the same quorum-denial mechanic used at the state legislative level.1