Okay. I'm trying hard to follow along.

Does MVT refer to the highest number of people that vote on a particular ballot, or will it be tracked by individual question? That's the first thing I want to know before thinking about abstentions.

David! I never see you anymore!

pops up from behind bush of constant hiding and waves furtively

How much longer is this discussion open, btw? Two more days?

Does MVT refer to the highest number of people that vote on a particular ballot, or will it be tracked by individual question? That's the first thing I want to know before thinking about abstentions.

edited because I wasn't paying enough attention to Dana's question

I think we're discussing setting the MVT for all votes. Not just a particular ballot or question.

17 is the ONE TRUE NUMBER. NILLY SHALL SHOW YOU THE WAY!!!

It's better than Jesse's 50, I'll give you that.

On abstaining -

I can understand people voting because they want the people who care, to get enough votes to count, but don't feel strongly enough to vote one way or the other.

I recommend, if someone abstains, their vote is counted toward the minimum vote total, but is not included when figuring out majority.

So say 18 was our minimum vote total. We're voting to give me a million dollars, cash, American. 8 fucking losers vote "no". 9 beautiful people who'll be remembered in my will, vote "yes". One whacko can't make up her mind, but thinks the vote ought to count, so we don't talk about it again for X number of months, so she votes, "abstain".

We've reached our minimum vote total of 18. The vote counts. Out of those who entered an opinion, the 9 very RIGHT ones win.

I thought about adding three to that, but didn't want to get into the majority issue. And really, six is what I've seen most people advocating, so it seemed to me like something we could get decided without dragging this process on much longer.

No, we have people enter a number of seconds between 1 and 31536000 (1 year, except for leap years). And then average and round to the nearest second.

But seriously, I'd like the tabling issue to wait until after at least this ballot.

Hmm-- Dana I would think the entire ballot. Because I don't know that we are ever going to have so many questions on one ballot ever again.

I recommend, if someone abstains, their vote is counted toward the minimum vote total, but is not included when figuring out majority.

Right. That's my thinking too.

No, Dana's got something there. Say we have an MVT of 40. If there are three questions on the ballot, and 65 people vote on number one, 59 on number two, but only 35 on number three, is question three invalidated?

[oops, slow connection and x-posts]

Yes, but does MVT apply to an entire ballot, or is it judged on a question-by-question basis?

Arg. I've erased an explanation three times.

I guess it depends on how the ballot is constructed. If, for whatever reason, I don't feel like answering Question 4, can I abstain by not putting in an answer?

Edit: Or, what brenda said.

I think it should be question by question.