The voting on most motions presented before the National Assembly is decided by voice vote. However, if the result of voice voting is challenged twice, the Speaker must resort to recording the votes through the division method or automatic vote recorder.

Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?

The default voting method for most motions is voice voting. When a debate concludes, the Speaker puts the question and invites those in favour to say “Aye” and those against to say “No.” The Speaker then declares which side has it. If no member challenges that declaration, the matter is decided on the voice vote alone and no individual record of members’ votes is produced.

If the Speaker’s declaration is challenged, the Speaker clears the lobbies and after two minutes puts the question a second time. If this second declaration is also challenged, the Speaker directs that votes be formally recorded — either by division in the lobbies or by operating the automatic vote recorder. At this point, if the Speaker considers the division claim unnecessary, the Speaker may instead ask members to rise in their places for a count, in which case the names of voters are still not recorded.

Where the automatic vote recorder is used, members cast their votes from their assigned seats by pressing the designated buttons. The result appears on an indicator board and is announced by the Speaker. A member who has voted by mistake by pressing the wrong button may correct it, provided they bring it to the Speaker’s notice before the result is announced. A member unable to operate the button for sufficient reason may, with the Speaker’s permission, record their vote verbally before the result is announced.

The rules also bar any member from voting on a question in which they have a direct and personal pecuniary interest. If they do vote, that vote may be disallowed on a substantive motion carried by the Assembly.

What is in it for citizens?

Voting records constitute one of the most direct and transparent forms of parliamentary accountability data available to the public. However, unlike many other legislatures, National Assembly does not maintain and make public individual voting record as most voting is done through voice voting.

The recorded and publicly accessible parliamentary voting will enable citizens to observe how their representatives vote on specific issues and assess whether those voting patterns are consistent with their publicly stated positions.

Source: Rules 276–277, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007

The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.

This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.