Proposal: Abstain votes must include explanation
 

Since it appears that the current TB will not remove the abstain option during voting, I believe that it's time to officially introduce some accountability to the process.

I propose that the guidelines be amended to say that a TB member who votes Abstain must provide a written explanation detailing their need for abstaining to the TB President within 48 hours of their vote, and that the explanation be posted along with the final vote count. Failure to provide this explanation will invalidate the member's vote and cause them to be counted as a non-participant.

If their is truly a legitimate need for the Abstain vote like several have asserted, they should have no problem with this proposal.

A note to the teacher? Sounds positively elementary.

IMHO there already is accountability in the form of a ballot box and should a TBer, for example, opt to abstain five times in a calendar year I will hold them accountable for their choices should they stand for re-election.

Just MHO, of course and naturally YMMV.

While I don't believe that it should be legistlated, I wouldn't have a problem with this.

That said, I'm fairly certain that everytime someone has abstained, they've explained themselves.