Recorded vote
Encyclopedia
A recorded vote is a vote in which the names of those voting for and against a motion may be recorded.
In many deliberative bodies (e.g. the United States Congress
), questions may be decided by voice vote
, but the voice vote does not allow one to determine at a later date which members voted for and against the motion. Upon the demand of any member, a division
may be held; the members supporting and opposing the motion stand successively and are counted. However, even in the rarely used division procedure, the names of the individuals voting on each side are not officially recorded. A recorded vote, under the Constitution, may be obtained upon the demand of one-fifth of the members present. Other methods may be provided by Rules of the Houses.
, there is only one way to obtain a recorded vote on a pending question, and it is the roll call vote. The request for the roll call vote is known as the Yeas and Nays. The request will be granted, if it is seconded by one-fifth of the Senators present, assuming that a quorum
(a majority of Senators) is present.
The granted "Yeas and Nays" does not mean the end of the current debate; it only means that whenever debate does end, a roll call vote will occur.
If the "Yeas and Nays" are granted and is about to happen, then a Clerk
proceeds to call the Roll of Senators in alphabetical order. Senators are technically required to vote from their seats, responding "Aye" or "No" upon the call of their names. In practice, however, Senators vote at the rostrum, sometimes by giving a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" signal. The Senators vote from their desks only at the most formal times.
After the Clerk repeats the roll call
, they wait at the rostrum for further Senators to vote. The vote remains open for at least fifteen minutes, but is normally kept open for up to thirty minutes, and sometimes for longer.
provides rules that are much more complicated than those of the Senate.
There are four ways in which a recorded vote may be demanded:
However, when the House is meeting in the Committee of the Whole
(a Committee consisting of every member of the House, meeting to consider a bill in detail), a recorded vote may be held only by the demand of twenty-five members, and for no other reason.
Regardless of how the House arrives at a recorded vote, it is taken in one of three ways:
The recorded vote remains open for fifteen minutes, after which Members may vote in the same manner as in a teller vote, i.e., by signing a card and handing it to the Clerk, or by announcing their votes to the Clerk, but not by electronic device, until the Speaker announces the result. Sometimes an important vote will be held open by the presiding officer (the Speaker or the Speaker's delegate), for much longer, so party leaders can have time to convince members to change their votes. The longest ever recorded vote was held in the early hours of November 22, 2003, when the Republican Party
held a vote on a Medicare
bill open for approximately three hours, during which the President
personally worked to convince two Republicans who had voted "No" to change their votes to "Aye."
are always recorded; the generally-accepted method of holding a recorded vote is by having each member nation, called upon in English alphabetical order, state "Yes", "No", or "Abstention", though variants are accepted.
In many deliberative bodies (e.g. the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
), questions may be decided by voice vote
Voice vote
A voice vote is a voting method used by deliberative assemblies in which a vote is taken on a topic or motion by responding verbally....
, but the voice vote does not allow one to determine at a later date which members voted for and against the motion. Upon the demand of any member, a division
Division (vote)
In parliamentary procedure, a division of the assembly is a voting method in which the members of the assembly take a rising vote or go to different parts of the chamber, literally dividing into groups indicating a vote in favour of or in opposition to a motion on the floor...
may be held; the members supporting and opposing the motion stand successively and are counted. However, even in the rarely used division procedure, the names of the individuals voting on each side are not officially recorded. A recorded vote, under the Constitution, may be obtained upon the demand of one-fifth of the members present. Other methods may be provided by Rules of the Houses.
Senate
In the SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, there is only one way to obtain a recorded vote on a pending question, and it is the roll call vote. The request for the roll call vote is known as the Yeas and Nays. The request will be granted, if it is seconded by one-fifth of the Senators present, assuming that a quorum
Quorum
A quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative assembly necessary to conduct the business of that group...
(a majority of Senators) is present.
The granted "Yeas and Nays" does not mean the end of the current debate; it only means that whenever debate does end, a roll call vote will occur.
If the "Yeas and Nays" are granted and is about to happen, then a Clerk
Secretary of the United States Senate
The Secretary of the Senate is an elected officer of the United States Senate. The Secretary supervises an extensive array of offices and services to expedite the day-to-day operations of that body...
proceeds to call the Roll of Senators in alphabetical order. Senators are technically required to vote from their seats, responding "Aye" or "No" upon the call of their names. In practice, however, Senators vote at the rostrum, sometimes by giving a "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" signal. The Senators vote from their desks only at the most formal times.
After the Clerk repeats the roll call
Roll call
Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a list to determine the presence or absence of the listed people . The term applies to the calling itself, to the time moment of this procedure, and to a military signal that announces it Roll call is the calling of the names of people from a...
, they wait at the rostrum for further Senators to vote. The vote remains open for at least fifteen minutes, but is normally kept open for up to thirty minutes, and sometimes for longer.
House of Representatives
The House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
provides rules that are much more complicated than those of the Senate.
There are four ways in which a recorded vote may be demanded:
- Demand by one-fifth present: The Yeas and Nays may be demanded in the same way as in the Senate, by one-fifth of those present (but a quorum is not assumed present).
- Demand by one-fifth of quorum: A recorded vote may be demanded by forty-four members, or one-fifth of the quorum.
- Point of Order for lack of quorum: Recorded votes are automatically held when a member makes a point of orderPoint of orderA point of order is a matter raised during consideration of a motion concerning the rules of parliamentary procedure.-Explanation and uses:A point of order may be raised if the rules appear to have been broken. This may interrupt a speaker during debate, or anything else if the breach of the rules...
that a quorum is not present. - Certain subjects: Recorded votes are automatically held when the House is voting on:
- a general appropriationsAppropriation (law)In law and government, appropriation is the act of setting apart something for its application to a particular usage, to the exclusion of all other uses....
bill, - a bill seeking to raise taxes, or
- the annual budget resolutionBudget resolutionIn the United States Congress, a budget resolution is a legislation in the form of a concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget. The budget resolution establishes various budget totals, allocations, entitlements, and may include reconciliation instructions to designated House or...
.
- a general appropriations
However, when the House is meeting in the Committee of the Whole
Committee of the Whole (United States House of Representatives)
In the United States House of Representatives, the Committee of the Whole, short for Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, is a parliamentary device in which the House of Representatives is considered one large congressional committee...
(a Committee consisting of every member of the House, meeting to consider a bill in detail), a recorded vote may be held only by the demand of twenty-five members, and for no other reason.
Regardless of how the House arrives at a recorded vote, it is taken in one of three ways:
- Calling the roll: The Speaker may ask the Clerk to call the Roll of members, as in the Senate. However, this procedure is reserved for formal votes, considering the amount of time consumed by calling over four-hundred names.
- Teller vote: The House may hold a teller vote, in which each member signs a green card for "Aye," a red card for "No," and an orange card for "Present" (an abstention), and hands it to a Clerk, who counts the votes.
- Vote by electronic device: The House may vote by electronic device. Members vote by inserting a plastic voting card, which doubles as a photo ID, into terminals located on the backs of seats in the House chamber. The member presses a red button to vote "No, "a green button to vote "Aye," and a yellow button to vote "Present." Members' names are displayed on a blue, backlit panel above the Speaker's chair, and when a member votes, a red, green, or yellow light appears adjacent to his or her name. Displays on the side walls of the chamber display a running vote total.
The recorded vote remains open for fifteen minutes, after which Members may vote in the same manner as in a teller vote, i.e., by signing a card and handing it to the Clerk, or by announcing their votes to the Clerk, but not by electronic device, until the Speaker announces the result. Sometimes an important vote will be held open by the presiding officer (the Speaker or the Speaker's delegate), for much longer, so party leaders can have time to convince members to change their votes. The longest ever recorded vote was held in the early hours of November 22, 2003, when the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
held a vote on a Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
bill open for approximately three hours, during which the President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
personally worked to convince two Republicans who had voted "No" to change their votes to "Aye."
United Nations General Assembly
Votes on substantive matters in the United Nations General AssemblyUnited Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
are always recorded; the generally-accepted method of holding a recorded vote is by having each member nation, called upon in English alphabetical order, state "Yes", "No", or "Abstention", though variants are accepted.