Voting methods in deliberative assemblies

A recorded vote is a vote in which the votes (for or against) of each member of the assembly are recorded (and often later published). RONR explains:[6]

Taking a vote by roll call (or by yeas and nays, as it is also called) has the effect of placing on the record how each member, or sometimes each delegation, votes; therefore, it has exactly the opposite effect of a ballot vote. It is usually confined to representative bodies, where the proceeds are published, since it enables constituents to know how their representatives voted on certain measures. It should not be used in a mass meeting or in any assembly whose members are not responsible to a constituency.

Recorded votes may either be taken by actually calling the roll (a task typically ordered by the chair and performed by the secretary) or, in some assemblies, by electronic device.^[7]

Signed ballot

A signed ballot is sometimes used as a substitute for a roll call vote. It allows the members' votes to be recorded in the minutes without the chair having to call the names of each member individually.^[6] A motion to use a signed ballot is one of the motions relating to methods of voting and the polls.

Balloting

These motions generally cannot be used to specify alternative forms of voting such as cumulative voting or preferential voting.[20]^[21] Those methods can only be done through a provision in the bylaws. Likewise, proxy voting is generally prohibited, except in situations in which membership is transferable, as in stock corporations and even then, only by authorization in the bylaws.^[22]

Voting systems in legislatures

Many legislative bodies use electronic voting systems for recorded votes.

Ancient Rome

In the various types of

United States House of Representatives

In 1869, Thomas Edison filed for a patent on the first electric vote recorder, and demonstrated the system to the United States Congress.^[24] The first proposal for automated voting in Congress was made in 1886.^[24] Over the next 84 years, fifty bills and resolutions to establish an automatic, electrical, mechanical, or electronic voting system in Congress were introduced.^[24] The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 authorized electronic voting for the first time.^[24] Electronic voting was first used in the House on January 23, 1973, to record a quorum call.^[24]

Under the system implemented in the 1970s, members of the House may vote at any one of a number of stations located throughout the chamber. Each member has a small plastic card, punched identically on either end.^[24] To cast a vote, the representative inserts the card into the station in any direction and presses one of three buttons: "Yea," "Nay," or "Present."^[24]

The representative's vote is then displayed in two summary panels above the press gallery seats and to the right and left of the

In 1977, the electronic voting system was updated to be compatible with the House's newly installed closed-circuit television system showing the House chamber. The updates enabled in-progress voting counts to be displayed on the closed-circuit TV system.^[24] In-progress vote counts are now also shown on C-SPAN.^[24]

United States Senate

The three means of voting in the Senate are voice, division, and "the yeas and nays" (recorded votes or roll-call votes).^[25]

On a voice vote, the

A division vote (taken by having each side stand) is rare in the Senate, but may be requested by any senator or ordered by the presiding officer if the outcome of the voice vote is doubtful.[25] Like the voice vote, a division does not provide a record of how each senator voted. The chair announces the result of a division vote. As in a voice vote, any senator may ask for a recorded vote.^[25]

The third method is a recorded vote ("the yeas and nays"), currently taken by a roll call.^[25] The clerk calls the roll of senators alphabetical by name, and each Senator individually responds.^[25] Following the call, the clerk then identifies those who voted in the affirmative and those in the negative.^[25] The time limit for roll-call votes is nominally fifteen minutes as set by unanimous consent at the start of a two-year Congress, but votes are sometimes held open for longer so that senators may arrive.^[25]

Unlike the House, the Senate does not use electronic voting.

Many state legislatures use electronic voting systems for recorded votes. The first state legislative chambers to install electronic voting systems were the Wisconsin State Assembly (1917), Texas House of Representatives (1919), and Virginia House of Delegates (1923).^[31] Electronic voting systems continued to spread, and by 1980, nearly half of legislatures used such a system.^[31]

Today, almost two-thirds of the legislative bodies have installed electronic voting systems.^[31] About 40 percent of chambers have made updates to their system since 1990.^[31]

Electronic voting systems typically have voting controls at the front desk and running vote total displays.^[31] The National Conference of State Legislatures has reported on various differences in state electronic voting-systems:

• In more than half of chambers, the clerk or secretary opens and closes the roll-call system. In seventeen chambers, the presiding officer opens and closes the system; in five chambers, the reading clerk opens and closes the system, and in nine chambers, some other legislative staffer opens and closes the system.^[31]
• In 36 chambers, electronic roll-call votes are not subject to change. In one-third of chambers, however, changes are allowed if requested at the time of the vote. Seventeen chambers allow a roll-call vote to be changed upon a member's request at a later time.^[31]
• In 42 chambers, a running vote total is displayed to the chamber; running vote totals appear on the presiding officer's monitor in 62 chambers and on the clerk's monitor in 59.^[31]

More sophisticated electronic voting systems are sometimes linked to other technology to assist the legislatures in their work:

• In 48 chambers, the voting system is linked to journal production.^[31]
• In 40 chambers, the voting system is linked with the calendar.^[31]
• In 24 chambers, the system has a debate timer.^[31]
• In ten chambers, the presiding officer has a monitor displaying which legislators wish to speak and the order of the requests.^[31]

A minority of state legislative chambers do not use an electronic voting system. Fourteen chambers use a traditional manual roll-call system in which the clerk calls the roll orally, records each member's vote on paper, and then tallies the ayes and nays.^[31] Twelve chambers use a hybrid system in which the clerk orally calls the roll, but each member's vote is then entered into a system.^[31]

United Kingdom

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Further information:

House of Lords of the United Kingdom

In the Parliament of the United Kingdom (Westminster), at the close of debate, the presiding officer of the chamber—the Speaker of the House of Commons or the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords—"puts the motion" by asking members to call out their votes, typically saying "As many as are of that opinion, say 'aye'". The supporters of the measure shout "aye". The Speaker then says, "Of the contrary, 'no'" and the opponents of the measure shout "no". The Speaker then makes a determination of which side has won ("I think the Ayes [or Noes] have it.").^[32][33]

If the result of the vote is unclear (or challenged by any member of the house), the Speaker will call for a

Some votes are "deferred" and instead conducted by means of an open ballot done at a convenient time for members. This is typically done for minor or technical legislation and is not permitted to be done for Bills.[34]

The House of Lords follows are similar procedure, though the words "aye" and "no" are replaced by "content" and "not content" and the order given before a division is "Clear the Bar".^[33] Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lords now vote electronically but members must be physically present in Parliament in order to do so, unless special dispensation is obtained.^[34]

Before 2020, proposals to adopt electronic voting in Parliament were considered but rejected.^[33]For a temporary period between 22 April and 20 May 2020 due to COVID-19, Parliament sat virtually and the both houses conducted electronic voting known as "virtual divisions".^[34] Although this no longer applies in the House of Commons, the count in that house is now counted and verified by electronic means of members scanning their passes as they enter a division lobby.^[34]

Devolved assemblies

In the European Parliament, decisions are usually made by show of hands. If the show of hands leads to a doubtful result, the vote is taken by standing and sitting. If this, too, leads to a doubtful result, the vote is taken by roll call. (A roll-call vote is also taken if any political group or any 21 members request). The president of the European Parliament may also decide to hold a vote using the Parliament's electronic voting system. Electronic voting systems are installed in each of the European Parliament's two locations: Strasbourg and Brussels.^[36]

If at least 20% of the Parliament requests it before voting begins, the vote will be taken by secret ballot.^[37]

Russian State Duma

In the Russian State Duma, relatively few roll call votes have been published that identify individual deputies' votes.^[38] The votes of individuals are recorded only if the voting is open and the electronic method is used.^[38] While not all votes are officially roll call votes, every time a deputy electronically votes a computer registers the individual deputy's vote.^[39]

See also

• Keypad polling
• Voting system (disambiguation)

References