what does it mean to vote present

To vote "present" means that a member of a legislative body participates in the vote but does not take a side by voting yes or no. Instead, they indicate their presence without directly supporting or opposing the issue at hand. This type of vote does not count toward the tally of yes or no votes and therefore does not affect whether a bill or motion passes, but it does count toward the quorum, which is the minimum number of members required to conduct business legally. Voting "present" is often used when a member wants to abstain from a decision due to a conflict of interest, political strategy, or neutrality on a controversial issue. It is a deliberate choice to neither support nor oppose the measure being voted on.