The result of abstaining from voting. Because the __________ is not voting, it does not count as a vote cast.

• A. Abstaining
• B. Abstention
• C. Nonvoting
• D. Decline to vote

Answer: (B)

Abstention is the act of choosing not to vote yes or no. In parliamentary procedure, when a member abstains, the abstention is not a vote cast, so it does not count toward the tally of yes or no votes. That’s why the sentence uses the noun form "abstention" to describe the result. The other options don’t fit as cleanly: “abstaining” is the act itself but sounds less natural as the subject here; “nonvoting” isn’t the standard term used in the rules; “decline to vote” is a phrase rather than a single technical term. Therefore, abstention is the correct fill.