An ex-officio member is one who is required by law to be on a board, but doesn't have a vote on that board. For example, a governor is required by law to sign off on any contracts worth $100,000 or more, so he/she is an ex-officio member of any boards that deal with contracting. However, the governor doesn't get a vote on whether to approve or disapprove these contracts. If there are no votes against including an ex-officio member on a board, then that person can expect a letter from the organization soon after they're added to the board.