Abstention

A hand holding a pen hovers over an official ballot for a Board of Directors election. The abstain option is checked, clearly indicating an abstention from voting. The ballot instructs to vote for one candidate and to sign and return the form.

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Last Updated on July 8, 2026 by Hannah Seeley

A member intentionally decides not to vote with an abstention. This is a conscious decision someone makes to not participate in the election; it isn’t the same as simply forgetting to vote. Members can file an abstention when they feel they don’t have enough information, have a conflict of interest, or otherwise don’t feel comfortable voting on this initiative. Abstentions don’t count as a vote. In some cases, “Abstain” may be listed as an explicit option on the ballot itself; when a member selects this option and returns their ballot, it may count toward quorum since the member has participated in the voting process, even though it still does not count as a vote for any candidate or initiative.