Reading a Vote Record

A vote record is the official roll call of how each member of Congress voted on a bill or resolution. On LegiList, these records are displayed exactly as reported by Congress.gov — offering a clear, factual view of who voted, when, and how.

1. Chamber and Vote Summary
Each record begins with the chamber and metadata line:
“Chamber: Senate | Date: 2025-10-09 20:59:00 | Result: Passed”
  • Chamber: Indicates whether the vote took place in the House or Senate.
  • Date: The official timestamp of the vote.
  • Result: “Passed,” “Failed,” “Agreed To,” or other outcome language from Congress.gov.
2. Totals Line
The totals show how many members voted each way:
“Totals: Yea: 77 Nay: 20 Not Voting: 3”
  • Yea: Members voting in favor.
  • Nay: Members opposed.
  • Not Voting: Absent or abstaining members.
These numbers come directly from the official congressional roll call feed.
3. Member Rows
Below the totals, LegiList lists every member who participated.
  • Name: Each lawmaker’s full name, linked to their LegiList profile.
  • Party: The member’s current party affiliation.
  • Vote: “Yea,” “Nay,” “Present,” or “Not Voting.”
4. Viewing Votes on LegiList
Each bill page includes a “Vote Record” section. When votes exist, a button labeled “House Votes (#)” or “Senate Votes (#)” toggles a dropdown showing all recorded roll calls for that bill.
  • Multiple votes (e.g., on amendments or cloture) appear in chronological order.
  • Each record expands inline for quick viewing — no new page loads required.
5. Why Some Bills Have No Roll Call Vote
Not every bill receives a recorded roll call. Many pass or fail through other methods — such as voice votes or unanimous consent.
  • These actions are still recorded officially, even if no individual votes were tallied.
  • LegiList surfaces these outcomes in the Actions section of the bill page.
Voice votes indicate broad consensus and are documented as part of a bill’s legislative history.