Originally Posted by empedocles
2. Sept. 9 Election Cut-off
The vote on this resolution was 3 in favor, 1 against, 3 abstaining, and 2 not voting. This resolution was considered passed, as of the 4 yes/no votes, 3 were in favor. My question is this: What of the abstentions? What is the difference between abstaining and not registering a vote at all? According to this vote, there is no difference.
Abstaining means you are present for the vote, but for one reason or another do not wish to vote yes or no. However, you indicate that you are there and, by abstaining, you have participated in the vote for purposes of not being sanctioned (if a TalkBoard member misses too many votes, the other TalkBoard members could decided to vote on dismissing this TalkBoard member for that reason).
That is one practical difference between abstaining and not registering a vote at all.
Originally Posted by empedocles
This bystander fails to understand how the TalkBoard considers the Sept. 9 resolution to be successful. A simple majority of the TalkBoard failed to vote for or against it, and based upon the TalkBoard Member comments on the thread devoted to this vote, at least 4 of the members either did not support the resolution or felt it was not within the TalkBoard's purview. How can any reasonable individual look at this 3-1-3-2 vote and declare this resolution successful?
It's the same in many legislative bodies around the world, and I am pretty sure that there might be some reasonable individuals in those as well. If those who abstained had not wanted the motion to pass, they could have voted against.
Originally Posted by empedocles
It is interesting that a resolution that achieved a simple majority of the Talkboard membership fails, and yet a resolution in which a simple majority of the TalkBoard membership fails to even vote yea or nay passes...
I think there was no impropriety in how the votes were decided.