Voting

§ 2. Voting. a. Every member who shall be within the bar of the House when a question is stated from the Chair shall vote thereon, provided, however, no vote shall be recorded for any member who is not present within the bar of the House at the time of such vote. The roll of absentees shall not be called more than once. Unless otherwise directed by the Speaker, all votes shall be recorded electronically. A member may abstain from a vote only on the grounds that such vote will constitute a conflict of interest. b. The yeas and nays shall be taken individually of each member on the final passage of a bill and on any other question whenever required by any fifteen members (unless a division by yeas and nays be pending), and when so taken each member's affirmative or negative vote shall be entered through the electronic voting system or in such other manner as may be prescribed by the Speaker and entered on the Journal. Such roll call shall remain open for a period of not less than one minute, and shall be designated a slow roll call. During such roll call, no vote shall be recorded unless the member voting is at his or her regularly assigned seat or is serving or acting as Speaker, Majority or Minority Leader. c. In the event a slow roll call is not required pursuant to subdivision b, the yeas and nays shall be taken by a fast roll call and a member desiring to vote in the negative on such a roll call shall do so by entering a negative vote through the electronic voting system or in such other manner as may be prescribed by the Speaker. All other members shall be recorded in the affirmative. On such a roll call the Clerk of the Assembly shall call the names of the members who are recorded in the negative. d. The Speaker may allow a member to record his or her vote within fifteen minutes after the results of the roll call have been announced when such vote does not change the final result of the vote of the House and such member has been previously recorded on a roll call on a bill during the legislative session day. e. Copies of all roll calls shall be made available to the Majority and Minority Leaders and representatives of the news media within thirty minutes after completion thereof and, as soon as practicable thereafter, shall be made available for public inspection at a place designated by the Speaker. f. When less than a quorum vote on any subject under the consideration of the House, it shall be in order, for any member to move for a call of the House. Whereupon the roll of members shall be called by the Clerk of the Assembly. After completion of the call only the Majority Leader, or acting Majority Leader, may move that the call be made a closed call of the House. Immediately following a closed call of the House, the Clerk of the Assembly, upon request, shall read the names of the members who are not present in the House. Copies of each closed call shall be available in the Office of Journal Operations at the end of each daily session. If it is ascertained that a quorum is present, either by answering to their names, or by their presence in the House, the yeas and nays shall again be ordered by the Speaker, and if any member present refuses to vote, such refusal shall be deemed a contempt, and unless purged, the House may order the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove said member or members without the bar of the House, and all privileges of membership shall be refused the person or persons so offending until the contempt be duly purged. g. A member who was absent at the time a prior vote was taken upon any matter may, within thirty days following the date of his or her first recorded vote subsequent to such prior vote, file a statement of how such member would have voted had he or she been present at the time of such prior vote. Such statement shall be in writing and filed with the Clerk of the Assembly and the contents thereof shall be duly noted on the roll call by such Clerk.