ELECTRONIC VOTING: A REAL TIME-SAVER


Legislators missed their targeted ending date of April 9, but
their tenure at the Capitol would have stretched at least two
weeks longer if not for a convenience many take for granted.

An electronic voting system has made the actual voting on bills a
quick and easy process ¥ unlike the old-fashioned system of
voting of more than 50 years ago.

Two large panels, one hanging on each side of the House chamber,
are the most noticeable components of the electronic voting
system. 

When the speaker of the House calls for a vote, the panel looks
like a Christmas tree as red and green lights appear beside each
representative's name.

Members cast their vote by pushing either the aye or nay button
on the tops of their desks. The speaker then Ocloses the board,O
locking the votes into the system. The aye and nay votes are then
automatically tallied. 

The process takes less than 15 seconds ¥ in contrast to the 15 to
20 minutes it takes to count votes when they are announced
orally.

If the 300-plus votes taken this session had been done the
old-fashioned way, it would have added at least nine 10-hour days
to the session, based on those time estimates.

When the House chamber was being remodeled last summer, House
members met in the Senate chambers and got a taste of how long
the manual vote-tallying process takes.

The first electronic voting system was installed in the House in
1938, but wasnOt used until the 1939 session. It was upgraded in
1969 and replaced in 1984 with a system using computer-dedicated
lines. 

These OlinesO display the bill number, order of business, vote
totals, and amendments on a screen over the chamber doors.



Originally printed in 1990 in Session Weekly, a weekly
newsmagazine published by the Minnesota House Public Information
Office.

***Last Update 8/5/94 (jtt) Last Review 8/5/94 (jtt) ***