diff --git a/frontend/src/App.svelte b/frontend/src/App.svelte
index fdd918d..bdff616 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/App.svelte
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
   import { EventsOn, EventsOff, WindowSetSize, ScreenGetAll } from '../wailsjs/runtime/runtime'
   import { GetParticipants, StartMeeting, GetSettings, SkipSpeaker, RemoveFromQueue, SwitchToSpeaker } from '../wailsjs/go/app/App'
   import { t, initLocale } from './lib/i18n'
+  import { attendance } from './lib/stores'
 
   let currentView = 'main'
   let timerState = null
@@ -222,6 +223,7 @@
   async function loadParticipants() {
     try {
       participants = await GetParticipants() || []
+      attendance.init(participants)
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('Failed to load participants:', e)
       participants = []
@@ -231,12 +233,16 @@
   async function handleQuickStart() {
     if (participants.length === 0) return
     
-    const ids = participants.map(p => p.id)
-    const attendance = {}
-    participants.forEach(p => { attendance[p.id] = true })
+    const att = attendance.get()
+    const presentIds = participants.filter(p => att[p.id]).map(p => p.id)
+    
+    if (presentIds.length === 0) {
+      alert($t('setup.noParticipants'))
+      return
+    }
     
     try {
-      await StartMeeting(ids, attendance)
+      await StartMeeting(presentIds, att)
       meetingActive = true
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('Failed to start meeting:', e)
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Setup.svelte b/frontend/src/components/Setup.svelte
index 3dbdefb..b8368e7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Setup.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Setup.svelte
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
   import { onMount, createEventDispatcher } from 'svelte'
   import { GetParticipants, GetMeeting, StartMeeting, AddParticipant, DeleteParticipant, ReorderParticipants, UpdateParticipant, UpdateMeeting } from '../../wailsjs/go/app/App'
   import { t } from '../lib/i18n'
+  import { attendance } from '../lib/stores'
 
   const dispatch = createEventDispatcher()
 
   let participants = []
   let meeting = null
   let selectedOrder = []
-  let attendance = {}
   let loading = true
   let newName = ''
   let newTimeLimitMin = 2
@@ -37,10 +37,7 @@
       meeting = await GetMeeting()
       
       selectedOrder = participants.map(p => p.id)
-      attendance = {}
-      participants.forEach(p => {
-        attendance[p.id] = true
-      })
+      attendance.init(participants)
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('Failed to load data:', e)
     }
@@ -95,8 +92,7 @@
   }
 
   function toggleAttendance(id) {
-    attendance[id] = !attendance[id]
-    attendance = attendance
+    attendance.toggle(id)
   }
 
   // Drag and drop state
@@ -152,14 +148,15 @@
   }
 
   async function handleStart() {
-    const presentIds = selectedOrder.filter(id => attendance[id])
+    const att = attendance.get()
+    const presentIds = selectedOrder.filter(id => att[id])
     if (presentIds.length === 0) {
       alert($t('setup.noParticipants'))
       return
     }
 
     try {
-      await StartMeeting(presentIds, attendance)
+      await StartMeeting(presentIds, att)
       dispatch('started')
     } catch (e) {
       console.error('Failed to start meeting:', e)
@@ -314,7 +311,7 @@
           {@const p = getParticipant(id)}
           {#if p}
             <li 
-              class:absent={!attendance[id]}
+              class:absent={!$attendance[id]}
               class:drag-over={dragOverId === id}
               draggable="true"
               on:dragstart={(e) => handleDragStart(e, id)}
@@ -329,10 +326,10 @@
               
               <button 
                 class="attendance-toggle" 
-                class:present={attendance[id]}
+                class:present={$attendance[id]}
                 on:click={() => toggleAttendance(id)}
               >
-                {attendance[id] ? '✓' : '✗'}
+                {$attendance[id] ? '✓' : '✗'}
               </button>
               
               <span class="name">{p.name}</span>
@@ -375,8 +372,8 @@
     {/if}
 
     <div class="summary">
-      <span>{$t('setup.participants')}: {Object.values(attendance).filter(Boolean).length} / {participants.length}</span>
-      <span>≈ {formatTime(selectedOrder.filter(id => attendance[id]).reduce((acc, id) => acc + (getParticipant(id)?.timeLimit || 0), 0))}</span>
+      <span>{$t('setup.participants')}: {Object.values($attendance).filter(Boolean).length} / {participants.length}</span>
+      <span>≈ {formatTime(selectedOrder.filter(id => $attendance[id]).reduce((acc, id) => acc + (getParticipant(id)?.timeLimit || 0), 0))}</span>
     </div>
 
     <button class="start-btn" on:click={handleStart}>
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/stores.js b/frontend/src/lib/stores.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..612a4bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/stores.js
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { writable, get } from 'svelte/store';
+
+function createAttendanceStore() {
+  const { subscribe, set, update } = writable({});
+
+  return {
+    subscribe,
+
+    // Initialize attendance for all participants (default: true)
+    init(participants) {
+      const current = get({ subscribe });
+      const newAttendance = {};
+
+      for (const p of participants) {
+        // Keep existing value or default to true
+        newAttendance[p.id] = current[p.id] !== undefined ? current[p.id] : true;
+      }
+
+      set(newAttendance);
+    },
+
+    // Toggle attendance for a participant
+    toggle(id) {
+      update((att) => {
+        att[id] = !att[id];
+        return { ...att };
+      });
+    },
+
+    // Set attendance for a participant
+    set(id, present) {
+      update((att) => {
+        att[id] = present;
+        return { ...att };
+      });
+    },
+
+    // Get current attendance object
+    get() {
+      return get({ subscribe });
+    },
+
+    // Reset all to true
+    resetAll() {
+      update((att) => {
+        const reset = {};
+        for (const id in att) {
+          reset[id] = true;
+        }
+        return reset;
+      });
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export const attendance = createAttendanceStore();