What is Abstention?

An abstention occurs when a board member refrains from voting in favor or against a motion.

According to Robert’s Rules of Order, here are the guidelines for abstentions:
– Abstention votes are counted and documented but do not count as a “yes” or “no” vote.
– Abstention votes do not affect the voting results.
– Any board member has a right to abstain.
– If there is a conflict of interest, then the board member is mandated to abstain to maintain fairness.