[CCWG-ACCT] Request for Clarification on Threshold Issue

[Nigel Roberts]

Thomas

With respect, this is arrant nonsense. At least in the English speaking 
world.


sich (der Stimme) enthalten
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The act of abstention is an act of omission. It is just non-voting. It 
is most definitely NOT the act of actively announcing an intention not 
to vote which is never required.

To arrive at the number of abstentions one does NOT positively count 
votes. One adds the postive and negative votes together, and the 
difference between that and the total electorate is the number of 
abstentions. To do otherwise is a mere fad of convenience.

In order to exercise a right to abstain one one may not be required to 
"positively vote neither 'Aye' nor 'Nay'. That is basic democracy in action.

Otherwise you should need a fourth category.



On 29/02/16 18:51, Thomas Rickert wrote:

> Also, I would like to clarify that - to me - the difference between
> abstaining and „doing nothing“ is that the former includes statement (I
> abstain) whereby the latter is just no response at all. The effect is


> the same. Let’s not further dwell on this. I did not mean to confuse or
> complicate matters.