Re: SUO: Re: Gathering Questions (No vs. Abstain) -- resend
Frank,
When talking about the "effect" of a vote, we must draw a clear
distinction between what the vote expresses and what effect it has
on the committee's actions. Each of the three voting options
expresses a different intention:
1. Voting yes is a statement to accept the proposal.
2. Voting no is a statement to reject the proposal.
3. Voting to abstain is a statement that (a) one is present
and (b) one chooses not to make a decision to accept or reject
the proposal.
The effect varying proportions of these three options is determined
by how the how the committee uses the information provided by the vote.
In the case of the SUMO vote, there were several unresolved
procedural issues:
1. What is the difference between a "working paper" and a
"candidate for a standard"?
2. How are the votes counted to determine a quorum, a plurality,
or a majority for (a) acceptance, (b) rejection, or (c) deferral
of a decision?
3. Is there any difference between a rejection (i.e., a majority
of negative votes) and a deferral (i.e., no majority for either
acceptance or rejection)?
For example, the committee might decide that a rejected proposal could
not be brought up for another vote until some fixed time period had
elapsed. However, there might be no such time limit for a deferred
proposal. That kind of procedural rule would make a very clear
difference in effect.
In the case of the SUMO vote, there were no clear guidelines for
any of thee issues. And many, if not most of the voters did not
know exactly what effects their votes would have.
John Sowa