If an issue gets several NPs, it's worth taking note that a high degree of ambivalence exists on the issue.

This is my concern. If the NP makes up a majority of the vote results then I believe that the vote shouldn't pass. If that many people are ambivalent about the issue then it should be tossed back to discussion. Another way to do this is with simple majority. To win an issue must get at least 51% of the total vote count. So if an issue had three 5 people vote, 1 NO, 2 YES, and 2 NP, then it would not pass since the 2 YES would not be greater that 51% of the total vote count of 5.

In my view, the purpose of the quorum is not to make sure 42 people are either FOR an issue or AGAINST an issue. Rather the quorum is to make sure 42 people are on actual notice of an issue by being present for the vote.

This is how I see NP. I have voted 'Present' on a couple of issues not because I didn't care, but I wanted to let the majority of interested parties rule. I wouldn't vote Yes or No to a rules change in a thread where I didn't participate, but I would vote NP to validate the vote.

FWIW, 42 still seems like a perfect number to me. I don't think things have changed significantly since we decided on that number.

Another way to do this is with simple majority. To win an issue must get at least 51% of the total vote count. So if an issue had three 5 people vote, 1 NO, 2 YES, and 2 NP, then it would not pass since the 2 YES would not be greater that 51% of the total vote count of 5.

That doesn't work with things like thread creation because voting NP becomes equivalent to voting No.

Another way to do this is with simple majority. To win an issue must get at least 51% of the total vote count. So if an issue had three 5 people vote, 1 NO, 2 YES, and 2 NP, then it would not pass since the 2 YES would not be greater that 51% of the total vote count of 5.

I think that's a pretty elegant solution, one that I hadn't heard or considered before. Again, without knowing what the tallies of previous votes were, would this have changed any of the issues on which we've voted?

eta: I see Jon's point. Hmmm... ignore my comment.

Seems to me that NP legitimizes the vote as X number of Buffistas were interested enough to vote on the issue, but the majority should be yes/yes+no.

That doesn't work with things like thread creation because voting NP becomes equivalent to voting No.

Actually it isn't the same. A majority NO vote would shut it down for the next six months, whereas no vote getting the majority would leave it open. If nothing wins a majority it could go right back into lightbulbs for an additional 4 days and then another vote.

If nothing wins a majority it could go right back into lightbulbs for an additional 4 days and then another vote.

Ahh OK. This is where the Cheesebutt was confusing. I thought once a vote was closed there was a six month moratorium no matter the outcome.

To win an issue must get at least 51% of the total vote count.

How would that apply to the subsidiary votes (whitefont policy and so forth)? We have had majority No Preference results on some of those - when shall we close the Veronica Mars thread, for example had results of:

Immediately 18
One Month after DVDs 20
No Preference 20

BTW, since it seems useful, I started making a spreadsheet of voting results but it is not quite as simple as I had hoped. But it's at [link]

Ahh OK. This is where the Cheesebutt was confusing. I thought once a vote was closed there was a six month moratorium no matter the outcome.

That is the current case, I am proposing this as an alternative. Right now it is most YES or NO votes wins and either way the issue is close for 6 months, even if the YES or NO votes do not constitute a majority of the overall votes. I'm proposing that the YES or NO votes should constitute a majority of the overall votes.

How would that apply to the subsidiary votes (whitefont policy and so forth)?

My bias would be that subsidiary votes could stay as they are. It would end up being part of the lightbulbs 4 day process to work out which sections of a proposal are subsidiary votes and which parts new issues. We could do something along the lines of each new issue is numbered and each subsidiary issue is a decimal of that issue. For example.

1. The board should be a new color
1.1 Color should not be yellow

2. The board should be shaped like a goat

etc. etc.