Nay is sometimes used to mean 'no' when talking about people voting against something or refusing to give consent for something.

What does it mean when someone says nay?

1 : denial, refusal. 2a : a negative reply or vote The nays outnumbered the ayes, and so the measure did not pass. b : one who votes no He voted with the nays.

Why do they say yay or nay?

Yea indicates a yes vote. Nay indicates a no vote. Yay is an affirmative exclamation, and is also used concurrently with a hand gesture to indicate size. It is not used for voting.