When the Speaker or the Chair announces that the yeas and nays are ordered and a recorded vote is ordered, or announces that a quorum is not present and the yeas and nays are automatic, the vote is taken by electronic device. A Member casts a vote by electronic device by inserting a voting card into the nearest voting station and pressing the appropriate button: “yea,” “nay” or “present.” Members should also visually check the voting board to make sure that the light next to their name reflects their intended vote.
Members who do not have their electronic voting card should go to the table in the Well and obtain an appropriate voting card from the boxes placed there (green card for yea, red card for nay, orange card for present). The Member should sign the card and give it to the Tally Clerk who will be standing on the first level of the rostrum. The Clerk will then register the vote into the computer, but the Member should visually check the board to make sure the vote is recorded correctly. Members who have lost their electronic voting card should contact the office of the House Sergeant at Arms for a replacement.
Members deciding to change their vote may do so by reinserting their card into a voting station and pressing the appropriate button during the first 10 minutes of a 15-minute vote, or at any time during a 5- or 2-minute vote. However, during the last 5 minutes of a 15-minute vote, a change in a Member’s vote can only be made by going to the Well, taking a card from the table, signing it, and handing it to the Tally Clerk on the rostrum. The Clerk then registers the change and a statement will appear in the Congressional Record indicating that the Member changed his or her vote. Members using this procedure to change their vote should be sure to check the board to see that it reflects the change. Also, Members may change their vote during a 5- or 2-minute vote by machine and no statement about the change will appear in the Congressional Record unless it comes after the voting stations are closed and before the result of the vote is announced.
Once the recorded vote ends (by the Chair announcing the result) and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table, the vote is final — no further voting or changing is permitted. However, if a Member has missed the vote, he or she may submit a statement declaring how he or she would have voted had he or she been present. Such an explanatory statement containing the Member’s original signature will be inserted in the Congressional Record at the point immediately after the vote. A suggested script for such an explanatory statement on missed or mistaken votes may be obtained from the Floor staff or Cloakroom. It is important to remember that this statement does not affect whether or how the Member is recorded on the vote.
The allotted time for a quorum call or recorded vote under the rules of the House is at least 15 minutes (clause 2 of rule XX). It is the prerogative of the Speaker or presiding officer to allow additional time beyond the 15 minutes. One may hear Members calling “regular order” when an electronic vote extends beyond 15 minutes under the mistaken impression that recorded votes are limited to 15 minutes — they are not limited. The regular order is to allow more time on recorded votes if the Chair desires.
The Chair should allow all Members who are in the Well to vote before the final announcement to be recorded, but is not obliged to hold the vote open to accommodate requests through the Cloakrooms for Members “on their way” to the House Floor.
If several votes have been ordered and the Chair has announced that the time for voting will be reduced, the first vote in the series will consume not less than 15 minutes and all subsequent record votes may be reduced to take not less than 2 minutes each. It is important for Members to be mindful of when a 2-minute vote is expected, so that it will not be missed.
In the event of a series of two or more votes in which any votes after the first one will be reduced to not less than two minutes, the Member will be summoned to the Floor by two bells followed by five bells.
In the 112th Congress, clause 6 of rule XVIII was modified to allow for 2-minute voting in the Committee of the Whole.
In the 118th Congress, clause 9 of rule XX was modified to allow for 2-minute voting in the House.
In the 116th Congress, clause 3 of rule III was modified to allow Delegates and the Resident Commissioner to cast non-decisive votes in the Committee of the Whole. If their votes are decisive, the Committee of the Whole rises immediately, votes on the question again, and then returns to the Committee of the Whole.
Postponement of Votes:
The Speaker has the discretion to postpone votes for up to two legislative days on several questions, including final passage of bills. Other questions that can be postponed by the Speaker include adoption of resolutions, motions to instruct, adoption of conference reports, previous question votes on any of the above matters, suspensions, motions to reconsider (and motions to table reconsideration), and adoption of amendments reported from the Committee of the Whole. The Chair of the Committee of the Whole has the authority to postpone and stack votes on amendments.
Stacking of Votes:
The Speaker may reduce the voting time to two minutes for electronic voting on certain questions after a 15-minute record vote has been taken. In the Committee of the Whole, the Chair may reduce votes to two minutes if Members would be afforded an adequate opportunity to vote. Votes can only be stacked by the Chair when there has not been intervening business between the votes in question. Both the postponement and stacking of votes allow the House to reduce the number of times each day that Members are summoned to the Floor, giving them greater predictability for scheduling.
Missed Votes:
Each Member must be present in the Hall of the House during its sessions “unless excused or necessarily prevented.” If a Member misses a vote, they may have their position on the missed vote made part of the public record by inserting a brief statement in the Congressional Record at the proper point indicating how the Member would have voted. Such statements appear in the Congressional Record under the heading “Personal Explanation.” For more information about this practice, contact the Floor staff.
Conflicts of Interest:
Each member “shall vote on each question put, unless he or she has a direct personal or pecuniary interest in the event of such question.” It has been ruled that only the member can decide whether such a conflict exists and not even the Speaker will question his or her judgment, nor can any other member challenge his or her vote on such grounds. Members should let their consciences be their guide. If members believe they have such a conflict, they can vote “present” on the record vote and include an explanation in the Congressional Record.