A member who abstains on a motion is not considered present and voting.

A member who abstains on a motion is not considered present and voting.

• A. Not Enough Information
• B. True
• C. Sometimes
• D. False

Answer: (B)

In Robert’s Rules, “present and voting” means a member is both present and actively casting a vote on the motion (yes or no). If a member abstains, they are still present at the meeting, but they do not cast a vote on that motion. So they are not counted as voting. That makes the statement true. Abstentions are counted as present for attendance, but they do not contribute to the for/against totals. They also don’t affect quorum, since the member is present; however, they reduce the number of votes actually cast, which can influence whether a motion passes depending on how the vote is tallied.

In Robert’s Rules, “present and voting” means a member is both present and actively casting a vote on the motion (yes or no). If a member abstains, they are still present at the meeting, but they do not cast a vote on that motion. So they are not counted as voting. That makes the statement true.

Abstentions are counted as present for attendance, but they do not contribute to the for/against totals. They also don’t affect quorum, since the member is present; however, they reduce the number of votes actually cast, which can influence whether a motion passes depending on how the vote is tallied.