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Use the same format for vote threshold as vote results
Votes are displayed using absolute and percentage numbers for each option, but the "required" value is only displayed as a fraction. It would be better for users if this "required" value was also shown as absolute and percentage numbers. (So, for example, "3/5" in the Senate would also be shown as 60 votes or 60%, assuming the membership is at 100.)
There's a case where transforming 3/5 to a % is actually very difficult or impossible. Search for "duly chosen and sworn" in this PDF: http://www.senate.gov/CRSReports/crs-publish.cfm?pid='0E%2C*PLW%3D%22P%20%20%0A
What's the difficulty? Can't you just do 60% of the total number of people voting?
"In the case of a cloture vote, the key is the number of Senators voting for cloture, not the number voting against. Failing to vote on a cloture motion has the same effect as voting against the motion: it deprives the motion of one of the 60 votes needed to agree to it. "
Oh, unless you mean the difficulty is in determining whether there are vacancies? Don't we have that information?
The difficulty is determining which rule applies to the vote: 60% of senators present and voting, or 60% duly sworn.
It looks like the only 60% duly sworn votes are the ones relating to cloture. Can we not differentiate between those and others?