diff --git a/examples/game_werewolf/werewolf_utils.py b/examples/game_werewolf/werewolf_utils.py
index d0a91ce71..9b8b1e22f 100644
--- a/examples/game_werewolf/werewolf_utils.py
+++ b/examples/game_werewolf/werewolf_utils.py
@@ -39,14 +39,22 @@ def update_alive_players(
 
 def majority_vote(votes: list) -> Any:
     """majority_vote function"""
-    unit, counts = np.unique(votes, return_counts=True)
+    votes_valid = [item for item in votes if item != "Abstain"]
+    # Count the votes excluding abstentions.
+    unit, counts = np.unique(votes_valid, return_counts=True)
     return unit[np.argmax(counts)]
 
 
 def extract_name_and_id(name: str) -> tuple[str, int]:
     """extract player name and id from a string"""
-    name = re.search(r"\b[Pp]layer\d+\b", name).group(0)
-    idx = int(re.search(r"[Pp]layer(\d+)", name).group(1)) - 1
+    try:
+        name = re.search(r"\b[Pp]layer\d+\b", name).group(0)
+        idx = int(re.search(r"[Pp]layer(\d+)", name).group(1)) - 1
+    except AttributeError:
+        # In case Player remains silent or speaks to abstain.
+        logger.warning(f"vote: invalid name {name}, set to Abstain")
+        name = "Abstain"
+        idx = -1
     return name, idx