The Electronic Voting System for the United States House of Representatives

The most important voting procedure traditionally utilized in the United States House of Representatives to resolve legislative issues involves a time-consuming roll call of Representatives´ names. It has been recognized for a number of years that this cumbersome feature of the legislative process could be automated so that a more efficient use of Members´ time would be possible. The year 1970 saw the fruition of several years´ effort to achieve a broad range of Congressional reforms. Not since 1946, when important structural changes in Committees and their staffs were made, had there been a generalized reform of Congressional, procedures. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 (PL 91-510) in section 121 specifically provides that electronic equipment may be used to record votes in the. House of Representatives. The Senate, a body of only 100, has not chosen to employ automated voting procedures.