Abstain Voting
The Abstain Voting feature allows committee members to formally record their decision not to vote on a poll, as opposed to not responding at all. This provides transparency in distinguishing between members who actively chose not to participate and those who did not respond.
Overview
When the "Allow Abstain Option" is enabled for a poll, eligible voters can choose to abstain from the entire vote. Abstaining is different from not voting—it represents an active decision to opt out while still being counted as a participant.
Key Features
Poll-Level Abstention: Voters abstain from the entire poll, not individual questions
Transparency: Abstained votes are counted and displayed separately from votes cast
Voter Privacy: When pseudo-anonymity is disabled, poll administrators can view who abstained
Participation Tracking: Abstentions contribute to overall participation metrics
Understanding Abstain vs. No Response
It's important to understand the distinction between abstaining and not responding:
Action
Active decision to opt out
No action taken
Participation
Counted as participated
Not counted as participated
Visibility
Tracked and displayed in results
Shown as pending or no response
Intent
Clear signal of choosing not to vote
Unclear (may have missed notification)
Best For
When you want to be recorded as declining to vote
When you genuinely did not see the poll
Enabling Abstain Voting
Poll administrators can enable the abstain option when creating or editing a poll.
During Poll Creation
Navigate to Collaboration > Voting in the PCC.
Click Create Vote.
In the Create New Poll form, locate the Allow Abstain Option checkbox.
Check the box to enable abstain voting.
Complete the rest of the poll details and click Save.
Poll Form Settings
The abstain option appears as a checkbox in the poll creation form with the following details:
Label: "Allow Abstain Option"
Tooltip: "Enable voters to abstain from the entire vote, opting not to answer any questions."
Default: Unchecked (disabled)
How Voters Abstain
Once a poll with abstain voting enabled is active, eligible committee members can choose to abstain.
Abstaining from a Poll
Access your LFX Individual Dashboard or click Vote Now in the email notification.
In the Individual Dashboard, locate the voting notification under Activities.
Click on the poll name to view the poll details.
Instead of selecting choices, check the I choose to abstain from voting checkbox.
Confirm your decision to abstain from the vote.
Abstaining is final. Once you submit an abstain vote, you cannot change it to a regular vote (and vice versa) unless the poll administrator extends the deadline and allows revotes.
Viewing Abstain Results
Poll administrators can view abstain voting results in the poll results page.
Results Display
When viewing poll results for a poll with abstain voting enabled, you'll see:
Summary Metrics
At the top of the results page, two key metrics are displayed:
Votes Cast: Number of committee members who submitted actual votes (excluding abstentions)
Click to view list of voters (when pseudo-anonymity is disabled)
Abstained: Number of committee members who chose to abstain
Click to view list of abstained voters (when pseudo-anonymity is disabled)
Voter Details
When pseudo-anonymity is disabled, administrators can:
Click on the Votes Cast card to see which members voted
Click on the Abstained card to see which members abstained
View voter information including:
Member name
Organization
Role
Voting status
Timestamp of submission
With Pseudo-Anonymity
When pseudo-anonymity is enabled:
Vote counts are still displayed
Individual voter identities are hidden in the PCC interface
"View voters" links are disabled
Vote data remains linked to users via API for auditing purposes
Use Cases for Abstain Voting
When to Enable Abstain Option
Consider enabling the abstain option when:
Conflict of Interest: Members may need to abstain due to conflicts
Formal Governance: Organization bylaws require tracking abstentions
Quorum Requirements: Need to distinguish participation from agreement
Transparency: Want clear records of who declined to vote
When Voters Should Abstain
Committee members should consider abstaining when:
They have a conflict of interest on the topic
They lack sufficient information to make an informed decision
They want to be present but neutral on the matter
Organization rules require abstention in certain situations
Best Practices
For Poll Administrators
Clear Communication: In the poll description, explain when abstaining is appropriate
Consider Pseudo-Anonymity: Decide if abstention visibility is necessary for your use case
Set Expectations: Clarify whether abstentions affect quorum or decision thresholds
Review Participation: Use abstain data to understand overall engagement
For Voters
Abstain vs. Ignore: Choose abstain if you want to formally decline; otherwise, simply not responding is acceptable
Timely Decision: Abstain before the deadline if you've decided not to vote
Understand Impact: Know how your abstention affects the poll outcome per your organization's rules
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Does abstaining count toward quorum? A: This depends on your organization's governance rules. Abstentions are counted as participation but not as votes cast. Check with your organization's policies.
Q: Can I change my abstention to a vote? A: Generally no, once submitted. However, if the poll administrator extends the deadline and enables revoting, you may be able to change your response.
Q: Can I abstain from individual questions? A: No, abstention applies to the entire poll. You cannot abstain from some questions and vote on others.
Q: Will others see that I abstained? A: Only if pseudo-anonymity is disabled for the poll. Poll administrators with proper permissions can then see who abstained.
Q: How are abstentions displayed in results? A: Abstentions are shown separately from votes cast, with their own count and optional voter list. They are not included in choice percentages or vote tallies.
Q: Can I send reminders to members who abstained? A: The "Send Reminder" feature targets members who have not voted. Members who have already abstained are considered to have participated and will not receive reminders.
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