Constitution Section 189 — Voting in Houses, power of Houses to act notwithstanding vacancies and quorum
Part VI — THE STATES — Conduct of Business
Constitutional
Summary
All questions in a State Legislature are decided by a majority vote of the members who are present and voting. The Speaker or Chairman does not vote initially, but can cast a deciding vote if the votes are tied. The House can still function even if some seats are empty, and its proceedings remain valid even if it is later found that someone who was not entitled to do so took part. Unless the State Legislature makes a different law, at least ten members or one-tenth of the total members (whichever is larger) must be present for a meeting. If there is not enough members during a meeting, the Speaker or Chairman must either adjourn the House or pause the meeting until enough members are present.
Official Text
(1) Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all questions at any sitting of a House of the Legislature of a State shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting, other than the Speaker or Chairman, or person acting as such.The Speaker or Chairman, or person acting as such, shall not vote in the first instance, but shall have and exercise a casting vote in the case of an equality of votes.
(2) A House of the Legislature of a State shall have power to act notwithstanding any vacancy in the membership thereof, and any proceedings in the Legislature of a State shall be valid notwithstanding that it is discovered subsequently that some person who was not entitled so to do sat or voted or otherwise took part in the proceedings.
(3) Until the Legislature of the State by law otherwise provides, the quorum to constitute a meeting of a House of the Legislature of a State shall be ten members or one-tenth of the total number of members of the House, whichever is greater.
(4) If at any time during a meeting of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council of a State there is no quorum, it shall be the duty of the Speaker or Chairman, or person acting as such, either to adjourn the House or to suspend the meeting until there is a quorum.