Once debate closes, committee moves into voting. There are two different kinds, and they don’t follow the same rules.
Procedural votes
Things like setting the agenda or moving into a caucus. No abstentions: every delegate votes yes or no. These generally pass by simple majority.
Substantive votes
Adopting an amendment, adopting the resolution itself. Abstentions are allowed here, and mirroring real UN practice, abstentions aren’t counted in the denominator when figuring out whether a majority was reached. If you answered “present and voting” at roll call, you’ve given up the option to abstain on these.
Simple vs. two-thirds majority
- Simple majority: more yes-votes than no-votes among those actually voting.
- Two-thirds majority: required for some substantive actions, and echoes how the real General Assembly treats “important questions” (peace and security, budget matters, admitting or expelling members).
Which threshold applies to adopting a resolution itself is genuinely one of the most conference-variable numbers in all of MUN procedure. Some treat two-thirds as the standard for any resolution, others reserve it only for specific “important” topics the way the real UN does, defaulting to simple majority otherwise. Don’t assume either without checking.
Roll call votes
Any delegate can usually request one, and most rule sets require the chair to grant it. Delegations are called alphabetically (from a randomly chosen starting point) and state their vote aloud. Beyond plain Yes/No/Abstain, some conferences also allow:
- Yes/No with rights: explaining your vote, sometimes used when a delegate votes against their country’s real-world position and wants to note why.
- Pass: defer your vote to the end of the list, though you’ll have to vote yes or no (no abstaining) when your turn comes back around.
Real UN cross-check: the actual General Assembly defaults to an unrecorded show-of-hands vote, and a roll call only happens if specifically requested. Majorities there are calculated only from members “present and voting,” the same abstention-excluded logic MUN inherited.
Next: Glossary