Tabling a Motion vs. Postponing: Why Most People Get This Wrong

"Let's Table That" Probably Doesn't Mean What You Think

In casual conversation, "let's table that" means "let's deal with it later." Maybe next week. Maybe next month. Maybe never.

In Robert's Rules of Order, "lay on the table" means something very different. It means "set this aside right now because something urgent needs our attention, and we'll come back to it shortly." It's a temporary pause, not a polite way to kill an idea.

I bring this up because in my 12 years as a parliamentarian, this is the single most misused motion I encounter. At least once a month, I watch a board member move to "table" something when they actually want to postpone it. Or worse, a chair treats a motion to table as a motion to kill, and the original proposer watches their idea disappear with no debate and no future date to revisit it.

The difference between tabling and postponing matters. Using the wrong one can lead to procedural challenges, hurt feelings, and decisions that get overturned later.

What "Lay on the Table" Actually Means

The formal name is "lay on the table." Under the Robert's Rules Association's guidelines (RONR, 12th Edition, Section 17), this motion temporarily sets aside a pending motion so the assembly can deal with something more urgent.

Key characteristics: - Requires a second - Not debatable (you vote on it immediately) - Not amendable - Requires a majority vote - Can be applied to the main motion and everything attached to it

The critical detail: A tabled motion doesn't disappear. It sits in a holding area (metaphorically, "on the table") waiting to be picked up again. The assembly can "take from the table" at the same meeting or the next regular meeting. If nobody takes it from the table by the end of the next regular meeting, the motion dies.

When you'd actually use it: Your board is debating a budget allocation when the fire alarm goes off. Or a special guest has arrived who can only stay for 15 minutes, and you need to handle their agenda item now. Or new information just came in that changes the discussion, and the chair needs five minutes to review it. Those are table-worthy situations.

What Postponing Means

Postponing is the motion you probably want when you say "let's table that." There are two types:

Postpone to a Certain Time (Postpone Definitely)

This is the most common and most useful. "I move to postpone the motion to the April meeting."

Key characteristics: - Requires a second - Debatable (but debate is limited to whether postponing is appropriate, not the merits of the main motion) - Amendable (the group can change the date) - Requires a majority vote - The motion comes back automatically at the specified time as "unfinished business"

When to use it: You need more information before deciding. A key person is absent and their input matters. The topic is sensitive and the group needs time to think. The meeting is running long and this item isn't urgent.

Postpone Indefinitely

This one is sneaky. "I move to postpone indefinitely" sounds like you're kicking the can down the road. In practice, it kills the motion for the rest of the session.

Key characteristics: - Requires a second - Debatable (and debate can go into the merits of the main motion, which is unusual for a subsidiary motion) - Not amendable - Requires a majority vote - If adopted, the motion is effectively dead for the current session

When to use it: You oppose the main motion and want to dispose of it without a direct "no" vote. This is sometimes called a "face-saving" motion because it lets the group avoid a recorded vote against someone's proposal. It also serves as a test vote. If postpone indefinitely fails, the opponents know they don't have the numbers to defeat the main motion either.

The Side-by-Side Comparison

Here's how these three motions stack up:

Lay on the Table: - Purpose: Temporary pause for urgent business - Debatable: No - Comes back: Only if someone moves to take from table - If not retrieved: Dies after next regular meeting - Common misuse: Treating it as a way to kill or postpone a motion

Postpone to a Certain Time: - Purpose: Delay to a specific future meeting - Debatable: Yes (on the question of postponing) - Comes back: Automatically at the specified time - If not retrieved: Not applicable (it's automatic) - Common misuse: Rarely misused because it's straightforward

Postpone Indefinitely: - Purpose: Kill the motion without a direct vote on its merits - Debatable: Yes (including the merits of the main motion) - Comes back: Doesn't (dead for the session) - If not retrieved: Not applicable - Common misuse: Thinking it means "postpone to some later undetermined time"

Why the Misuse Matters

"So what if someone says 'table' when they mean 'postpone'? Everyone knows what they mean."

Fair question. Here are three scenarios where the difference actually bites:

Scenario 1: The disappearing motion. A member proposes funding for a community event. Another member moves to "table it." The motion passes. Nobody ever moves to take it from the table. Two months later, the original member asks what happened to their proposal. The answer: it's dead. It died automatically because nobody brought it back. If they had properly postponed it to a future meeting, it would have come back automatically.

Scenario 2: The debate that never happens. A controversial proposal comes up. An opponent moves to table it. Since tabling is not debatable, the motion is set aside immediately with no discussion. But if the opponent had moved to postpone, the group could have debated whether postponing was the right move and when to revisit the topic.

Scenario 3: The procedural challenge. A member moves to table a motion "until the June meeting." That's a contradiction. Tabling doesn't include a time. If the chair allows it, any member can raise a point of order and the whole thing unravels. The correct motion is to postpone to the June meeting.

I've witnessed all three of these scenarios in real board meetings. The third one is especially painful because it stops the meeting cold while the chair, the secretary, and possibly a parliamentarian sort out what actually happened.

How to Handle It as a Chair

If you're chairing a meeting and a member says "I move to table this until next month," you have two good options:

Option 1 (preferred): Restate the motion correctly. "It sounds like you'd like to postpone this matter to next month's meeting. Would you like to move to postpone to the April meeting?" Most members will say yes because that's what they meant in the first place.

Option 2: Ask for clarification. "Would you like to lay the motion on the table, which would set it aside temporarily, or would you like to postpone it to a future meeting?" Then explain the difference briefly.

What you should not do is accept a motion to "table it until June." That motion is internally contradictory. Tabling doesn't have a time element. The chair's job is to help the member express their intent in proper procedural form, not to enforce technicalities. See our guide on chairing meetings for more on this referee role.

Regional Differences

One more wrinkle. In some countries and in some American legislative bodies, "table" means the opposite of what it means in Robert's Rules.

In the British parliamentary tradition (and in many Canadian and Australian legislative bodies), to "table a motion" means to bring it forward for discussion. It's the opposite of the American usage. If you work with international colleagues, be aware that "let's table this" might mean "let's discuss this right now" in their frame of reference.

Within the United States, some state and local legislatures use "table" as a shorthand for killing a motion. This usage has leaked into everyday language, which is why most Americans think "table" means "shelve forever."

The National Association of Parliamentarians has published guidance on this specific confusion, noting that the colloquial use of "table" is one of the most common sources of procedural misunderstanding in American organizations.

The Quick Reference

Next time someone says "let's table that," here's your mental checklist:

• Do they want to pause for something urgent? That's tabling (lay on the table).
• Do they want to deal with it at a future meeting? That's postponing to a certain time.
• Do they want to kill it quietly? That's postponing indefinitely.
• Do they just want to stop talking about it? Ask them to clarify, then guide them to the right motion.

For the full rules on how motions interact with each other, including precedence and what can interrupt what, see our guide to how motions work. For the official source, RONR covers "lay on the table" in Section 17 and "postpone" in Sections 14 and 11.

Practice both motions in the RoRules simulator to feel the difference firsthand. When an AI participant moves to table vs. postpone, you'll see how the meeting flow changes depending on which motion is on the floor.