Subj : Re: 2022 FTSC Standing Member Election - Votes Received
To   : Richard Menedetter
From : Shaun Buzza
Date : Fri Mar 11 2022 06:20 am

 RM>  SB> Are the abstentions not being counted toward the total number of
 RM>  SB> votes?
 RM> 
 RM> One can vote for, against or abstain (ie. not vote at all) per person.
 RM> 
 RM> Persons with more yes than no votes get in.
 RM> 
 RM> Why do you want to count an abstain as a vote??
 RM> Abstain simmply means that that person neither voted yes or no. (ie.
 RM> because there were people for YES and also for NO in the region of that
 RM> RC)

I've already mentioned one reason why. Discarding abstentions literally makes
an option for abstention pointless, and therefore shouldn't be an option at
all.

Also, there are *zero* 'no' votes, at least in this current election. Does
that mean a single 'yes' vote would mean a win? Or the flip side; if everyone
abstains on a candidate, except one 'no' vote, does that candidate
automatically lose? How does that make any more sense than discarding
abstentions?

There is a reason that real-world politics count abstentions along with yes
and no votes. It has to be a majority vote; the majority of *all* votes,
including abstentions, must be either yes or no.

I get that this isn't real-world politics. But does that mean we shouldn't
emulate a system that has worked around the world for literal centuries?

However, I am not privy to the internal workings of this election, which is
why I asked for clarification in the first place.

McDoob
SysOp, PiBBS
pibbs.sytes.net

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