Ordering a Rollcall Vote in the Senate

Publication Date: March 2003

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Research Area: Government

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Abstract:

Any time the Senate is considering a question—whether that question is a bill, amendment, motion, conference report, or something else—a Senator who has the floor can “ask for the yeas and nays” or a roll call vote on that question. This is the onstitutional right of any Senator, and no other lawmaker can object to the request. If such a request is supported by 10 other Senators (for a total of 11) this usually requires the Senate to conduct a rollcall vote (also called a vote by “the yeas and nays”) to decide the question it is considering. The Senate can agree to order a rollcall vote on a question at any time when it is debating that question. Ordering the yeas and nays does not determine when that vote will take place. For more information on legislative process, see [http://www.crs.gov/products/guides/guidehome.shtml ].