Parliamentary Procedure -- What you think you know is often wrong

From time to time I'll post some parliamentary procedure information, things that most people are "sure" they know but what they think they know is inaccurate.

Call the Question

For example, many people have been in meetings where someone yells, "Call the question," and the presiding officer says, "The question has been called so no further discussion is allowed." Most people think this is correct, but it is absolutely not correct. The citations are listed so anyone who questions the corrections to the myths can look them up.

According to Robert's Rules of Order New Revised, 11th edition, 2011 (the latest edition), if someone yells, "Call the question," they are out of order and should be told to be quiet. If someone wants to end debate and proceed to vote, here are the general rules for how you do it:

1. Someone raises a hand and waits to be recognized by the Chair.
2. He or she then says, “I move the previous question on the motion to xxxxxxx” or “I move to close debate and proceed to vote on the motion to xxxxxxx.”
3. Someone else yells out "second" (or the Chair can ask if there is a second).
4. This motion is undebatable and cannot be amended.
5. The Chair takes a vote and if ⅔ are in favor, debate on that motion is ended and a vote is taken immediately. If there aren't ⅔ in favor, debate continues.
6. Motions to close or limit debate are not in order in committees. Debate goes on until all have said what they wish.

If you think about this it's logical, as just about all of the rules in Robert's Rules. What right does one person have to force everyone else to stop discussing a motion? However, ⅔ do have that right.

Citation: RONR (that's the official citation for Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, latest edition) at page 202.

Abstentions

Another thing that most people think is right but it's not: 

Myth - Abstentions count and should be recorded.

Abstentions are failures to vote and should never be considered in any way. When a majority or ⅔ vote is required, that refers to votes cast and by definition that does not include abstentions, so if a vote is 5 in favor and 6 abstaining, it's a unanimous vote in favor. 

When the Chair calls for votes in favor or against, he or she should never ask for abstentions and abstentions should never be recorded in the minutes. 

This is also logical. If someone chooses to abstain from a vote, that mean he or she wants nothing to do with that vote. If you want your stand on a motion to count, you vote "yes" or "no." If you abstain it means you're not involved and therefore your abstention shouldn't be counted or even mentioned anywhere.

If a member of the group has a conflict of interest, the correct thing to do is not to merely say you're abstaining, but to tell the group of the conflict of interest and then leave the room during the entire discussion of that subject, and that fact should be recorded in the minutes.

Citation: RONR at page 45