Floor Votes and Roll Calls
How members vote and how votes are recorded. 10 questions, each answer with its official source.
Test Yourself FirstWhat is a roll call vote?
A recorded vote that lists how each member voted by name
A roll call, or recorded vote, puts each member's Yea, Nay, Present or Not Voting on the record, unlike a voice vote.
What is a voice vote?
Members call out aye or no together and the chair judges which side is louder
A voice vote is quick and records no names. Any member who doubts the result can ask for a division or a recorded vote.
How many members must back a request for a recorded yea-and-nay vote under the Constitution?
One-fifth of those present
Article I, Section 5 says the yeas and nays shall be entered in the journal at the desire of one-fifth of those present.
How do House members usually cast recorded votes?
With a voting card at electronic stations on the floor
The House has used an electronic voting system since 1973, and House Rule XX provides for it. Members can also vote by handing a card to the clerk.
How does the Senate take a roll call vote?
The clerk calls each senator's name aloud
Senate Rule XII has the names of senators called alphabetically. The Senate has no electronic voting system.
What is the usual minimum time for a recorded vote in the House?
15 minutes
House Rule XX sets a minimum of 15 minutes for a recorded vote. Votes taken right after another one can be shortened.
What does a member's Present vote mean?
The member is there but takes no side
Voting Present counts toward a quorum without supporting or opposing the question. Not Voting means the member cast no vote at all.
What vote does a bill need to pass the House under suspension of the rules?
Two-thirds of those voting
House Rule XV allows a fast track for less contested bills: 40 minutes of debate, no floor amendments and a two-thirds vote to pass.
What happens on a tie vote in the House?
The question fails
A question needs a majority to pass, so a tie loses. Under House Rule I the Speaker is not required to vote except when the vote would be decisive.
What is a motion to recommit in the House?
A motion, usually from the minority, to send a bill back to committee just before the passage vote
House Rule XIX gives the minority one motion to recommit before passage. Since 2021 the motion has not been allowed to carry amending instructions.
Other Topics
- How Congress WorksHow a Bill Becomes LawFrom introduction to the president's desk
- How Congress WorksThe House435 voting members, elected every two years
- How Congress WorksThe SenateTwo senators per state, six-year terms
- How Congress WorksCommitteesWhere most bills are studied, amended or left to wait
- How Congress WorksThe Filibuster and ClotureExtended debate in the Senate and how to end it
- How Congress WorksVetoes and OverridesThe president's no, and how Congress can overcome it
- How Congress WorksThe Budget and AppropriationsHow Congress decides what the government can spend
- How Congress WorksImpeachmentHow Congress can charge and remove federal officials
- How Congress WorksTreaties and NominationsThe Senate's advice and consent