Before any vote to change the bylaws it should be explained that an abstention is equivalent to a ‘no vote’ since CLA WSO bylaws use the terminology “members present”.
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However in regards to typical motion voting, although an abstention may count to establish quorum, it does not get counted or included in the total to determine passage.
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CLA WSO Bylaws
Section 1. Procedure
These bylaws may be amended at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the delegates and executive committee members present at any regular or special meeting of CLA WSO, provided the proposed amendment(s) have been announced in the previous CLA WSO meeting and made available to the membership at least one month prior to the vote
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Do abstention votes count?
The phrase “abstention votes” is an oxymoron, an abstention being a refusal to vote. To abstain means to refrain from voting, and, as a consequence, there can be no such thing as an “abstention vote.”
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In the usual situation, where the rules require either a “majority vote” or a “two-thirds vote,” abstentions have absolutely no effect on the outcome of the vote since what is required is either a majority or two thirds of the votes cast. On the other hand, if the rules explicitly require a majority or two thirds of the members present, or a majority or two thirds of the entire membership, an abstention will have the same effect as a “no” vote. Even in such a case, however, an abstention is not a vote and is not counted as a vote. [RONR (12th ed.) 44:1, 44:3, 44:9(a); see also p. 66 of RONR In Brief.]
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How Abstain Votes Affect Vote Outcomes
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In most cases, an abstain vote is not counted as either a “yes” or a “no” when determining the outcome of a vote. Instead, it reduces the total number of votes cast for or against a motion, influencing the calculation of the majority. For instance, if a motion requires a simple majority, abstentions are excluded from this calculation. If ten people are eligible to vote, and five vote “yes,” three vote “no,” and two abstain, the motion passes with five out of eight votes cast, not five out of ten.
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This principle remains consistent for supermajority votes, such as a two-thirds majority, where abstentions are not included in the “votes cast” total. The threshold for passage is based on the active “yes” and “no” votes. However, some organizational bylaws or specific rules might define abstentions differently, potentially counting them as “no” votes if the majority is based on the total number of members or those present. Consult the specific governing documents of an organization to understand the precise impact of abstentions.