Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
I wanted to take the opportunity on a point of order at our first public meeting since the election of our officers to raise an issue for clarification at future meetings regarding the manner in which the vote occurred for the position of chair of this committee.
As you will recall, when the roll call was being announced, and my name was inquired about, I indicated an abstention. My intention in saying “abstention“ was that I wished to abstain from voting for that particular issue on the floor.
The clerk who was conducting the vote responded with I think—and I don't want to put too much supposition into this—the idea she was focused on how to record the results of the vote. She indicated an abstention was not permitted, and that there must be a yea or a nay. I believe from conversations with the clerk her intention was to say an abstention would not be recorded, but only a yea or a nay would be recorded. What she said I think was one could not abstain, but one must vote yea or nay.
Faced with that choice and what I regarded to be a ruling from the individual who was conducting the ballot, I then voted in the negative.
The first point I wanted to put on the record for the purpose of future meetings and votes, having checked and having had some discussion with the clerk, is that it is in fact the case that one may abstain from a vote for the office of an officer of a committee. If one does so, one's abstention will simply not be recorded in a recorded vote. Only those who vote yea or nay will be recorded, but there is nothing to prevent an individual from abstaining from issuing a vote.
The second thing I should mention is that I've received the blues of that meeting, and the exchange I had with the clerk in that regard is not recorded in the transcript. So first of all, I hope I'm accurately reflecting what the exchange was. It's certainly as I remember it, but I will be asking for the transcript to be made complete with that exchange in it. I know my vote cannot be changed at this point, and I know if I had thought I could abstain, it would have simply not been recorded at all, but I would like the transcript to reflect the fact that my intention was not to cast a vote. Only after being confronted with what seemed to be a choice between yea or nay did I cast a ballot.
I will be asking whoever is in charge of the blues to include that in the transcript, as it was said at the meeting. If any support is required from the clerk on that, I hope it will be forthcoming.
My main point in this point of order is just to make it certain that for future reference, if we are ever in that position again, it is clear a member has the right to abstain from voting. Simply in that case they will not be mentioned in a recorded vote. I hope that's a correct understanding. If it's not I wish to hear so now, and if it is I hope all others will profit from my experience.
Thank you.