Documents > Archives > 2000 Senate Rules of Order > Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12. VOTING

A. Every senator who is in the Senate Chamber when a question is put shall give his vote unless the Senate, for reasons assigned, excuses him. No senator shall be allowed to make any explanation of a vote he is about to give or ask to be excused from voting after the Secretary, under order of the Senate, has opened the voting machine or, if the voting machine is out of order, after the Secretary, under order of the Senate, has commenced to call the yeas and nays.

B. On a debatable question each member shall be allowed to explain his vote in writing only, and the explanation shall be incorporated in the Journal, if requested. The written explanation shall be presented to the Secretary not later than fifteen minutes before adjournment on the same legislative day.

The President shall not be required to vote except in case of a tie vote.

No senator shall be permitted to vote on any question unless he is present in the Senate Chamber.

When opposition has been raised to any question requiring action of the Senate and the voting machine is in use, the question shall be disposed of by the senators casting their votes on the voting machine, and the votes shall be recorded in the Journal.

Before putting any debatable question, the President shall ask: "Are you ready for the question?" When it is evident that no senator wishes to speak, the question shall be put by the President and the voting machine shall be opened by the Secretary and shall be used to record the vote of the senators. The President shall put the question in substantially the following form: "As many as are in favor of (as the question may be), will vote yes (green light) when the machine is opened; those opposed will vote no (red light). The Secretary will open the machine." After the senators have voted, the President shall order the Secretary to close the machine and shall announce the vote.

At any time when the voting machine is out of order, as determined by the President or by a majority of the members present and voting, and a quorum call or a roll call vote is ordered, the Secretary shall call the names of the members alphabetically, except that the President's name shall be called last.

On a roll call vote any member shall be privileged to vote or change his vote after the vote-recording equipment has started or the roll has been called, by rising in his seat and announcing his vote before the result of the vote is announced by the presiding officer.

The presiding officer shall declare all votes. If any senator rises to question a vote, the presiding officer shall order a poll of the vote of each member without further debate.

When the yeas and nays are taken on any question, no senator shall be permitted, under any circumstances whatever, to vote after the decision is announced from the chair.

A. No bill or concurrent resolution shall be adopted unless at least a majority of the members elected to the Senate vote in favor thereof.

B. No joint resolution shall be adopted unless two-thirds of the members elected to the Senate vote in favor thereof.

C. A resolution may be adopted by a majority of the members present and voting, without the necessity of a roll call vote.

A. Amendments to bills, including amendments to joint resolutions, and amendments to concurrent resolutions shall be adopted by the favorable vote of a majority of the members present and voting.

B. Concurrence in amendments proposed by the House to Senate bills shall require the same vote as is required for final passage of the bill.

Concurrence in the report of a Conference Committee shall require the same vote as is required for final passage of the bill. Prior to the vote being taken, a member of the Conference Committee shall explain to the members the substantive changes, if any, proposed to be made in the bill by the Conference Committee.

If a tie vote results in the vote on any question, the motion shall fail to pass.

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