To "abstain" means to refrain from doing something, and in this context it means to refrain from voting. In the general case, a motion requires a majority of the members present and voting for adoption.
Does she plan to just abstain from voting or to recuse herself from all consideration of the matter? To abstain means simply not to vote. A recusal, though not defined in RONR, is generally understood to mean that the member not only won't vote, but won't participate at all in the consideration of a motion.
Abstain versus Recuse from Voting - The Official RONR Q & A Forums
Do voting members need to abstain from voting to approve meeting minutes if they were not present at the previous meeting?
Members have the right to abstain from voting and do not have to give a reason any more than they have to give a reason for voting yes or no. It is strictly their own personal business.
For example, if a motion proposes that the organization enter into a contract with a commercial firm of which a member of the organization is an officer and from which contract he would derive personal pecuniary profit, the member should abstain from voting on the motion.
I don't disagree, but the question was worded as asking whether the president had (or presumably needed) permission to vote. If a president is opposed to an action, and the motion fails on a tie vote, he can abstain without having evaded his affirmative duty. Edited at 09:02 PM by Gary Novosielski Quote
Just note that, as you stated it, such a requirement is not the RONR standdard for a motiom to pass. A majority vote (and motion passes) might be 6 members present (a quorum) and 2 members vote in favor, 1 against and 3 abstain. And so on..