> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ink-finance.gitbook.io/ink-finance-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ink-finance.gitbook.io/ink-finance-guide/getting-started-with-ink/role-selection/dao-member.md).

# DAO Member

A non-managing DAO member participates in governance by voting on the ***Open Proposals*** in the DAO, which requires that the user has staked the DAO token in this DAO's staking pool. Any portion of this user's staked tokens can be ***pledged*** to back a user's vote, which will be calculated into certain number of ***votes*** casted by this user.

During the period while the Proposal is open for voting, the *pledged* tokens in the staking pool are locked from withdrawing. Only after the Open Proposal expires can the user release the pledges. A voter is always rewarded by the staking mechanism.

If a DAO requires its members to possess its *badges* to cast any votes, the DAO managers will go through [**Badge Distribution**](/ink-finance-guide/getting-started-with-ink/dao-token-and-badge/badge-distribution.md) to make sure that the voting members will get them before any voting takes place.