Voting and Quorum

If you abstain from a vote, what happens?

By Ann Macfarlane / April 17, 2015 /

A diverse group of hands of various skin tones, some choosing to abstain from joining, are raised against a blue sky backdrop.

A council member called me recently with one of the most common errors people make about Robert’s Rules of Order. She said, “We have a really controversial vote coming up, and if someone abstains, that counts as a ‘yes’ vote, right?” No, it doesn’t. Under Robert’s Rules of Order, you can vote “aye” or you…