Cam Gordon wrote, "Here's a (revealing my ignorance) technical
question I am curious about. This came up at a meeting I was at the other
day when several people decided to abstain. Please share both what is
'standard' procedure and/or what you feel is the best way to operate.
"Did the question still need 7 to pass or could it have passed with
11 abstentions, 2 for and 1 against?"
[BRM] Under Robert's and every other major parliamentary authority,
the basis for determining a vote's result is the number present and voting.
An abstention does not affect the result because it is not a vote--it is, in
effect, a nonvote. Thus in Cam's example, on a vote whose result is two
ayes, one nay, and eleven abstentions, the question passes in the
affirmative--that is, the ayes have it and the question is adopted. The
relevant issue is only whether the yeses outnumber the noes (or, in the case
of a motion that takes a two-thirds vote or some other supermajority,
whether the yeses outnumber the noes in the required proportion). An
abstention does not affect the result.
There is an exception where an applicable rule explicitly
establishes a different basis for the result than the number present and
voting--for example, a rule may require a majority of the members present,
or a majority of all ballots cast, or a majority of the entire
membership--in which case an abstention does affect the result, since the
abstaining member is counted in the denominator, and the abstention
effectively operates as a vote against the question. But that exception
applies only where there is an explicit rule; absent such a rule, the basis
for determining the result is assumed to be the number present and voting.
BRM
Brian Melendez
St. Anthony West (Ward 3)
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