Meetings and minutes
Dissent
A member voting against, or recording disagreement with, a decision.
Dissent means disagreement. In a meeting context the word is used for a member voting against the majority, or recording that they do not join in the decision.
Why it belongs in the minutes
Accountability. In boards and other bodies where members can be held responsible, being able to show that you did not stand behind the decision is decisive. Without the dissent in the minutes, the decision is in practice unanimous.
Decision quality. The person who disagreed often had a point. When the matter is evaluated later, the written objection is frequently the most precise account of what went wrong.
Honesty. Minutes that smooth over all disagreement are less useful, not more harmonious. If there were serious objections to a decision, that is worth knowing when the matter comes up again.
How it is recorded
The simplest form, in ordinary minutes:
Decision: [...]
Ola Berg voted against, holding that the delay gives the competitor a head start.In formal bodies with vote counts:
Vote: carried by 5 votes to 2, with 1 abstention.
The minority consisted of [name] and [name].If the member wants their reasoning documented in their own words, that is a statement for the record.
In working meetings
Formal dissent belongs in decision-making bodies. But the principle applies to all minutes: write down disagreement where it matters. One sentence is enough.