Checkmark
Legislation watch

Unique Website Gives Complete, Concise Kentucky Legislative Information

KentuckyVotes.org gives users instant access to concise, plain language and objective descriptions of every single bill, amendment, and vote that takes place in the Kentucky legislature. Unlike any other bill tracking utility, KentuckyVotes.org, is unique because all legislative actions are described - not just those selected by a particular interest group. It is searchable by legislator, keyword, and dozens of subject categories, so users can create their own custom “voting record guide.”

KentuckyVotes.org has all these features:

KentuckyVotes.org is a free public service of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research and educational institution. Its purpose is to inform citizens, community leaders, business people, media and public officials about legislation that affects their families, schools, jobs and communities. The site empowers citizens to take a more active part in the democratic process, and hold their elected representatives accountable.

Line

Attention Organizations and Newsletters: Permission is hereby granted to reprint the above as an informative article in your own newsletter or other means of distribution.

Line

Privacy Policy

KentuckyVotes does not release (nor has it ever released) to third parties any personal identifying information of past or current website visitors, including registered users, without express permission, except as required by law.

Line

About KentuckyVotes.org descriptions: The descriptions on this site are assembled by the editor from a variety of sources. Bill sponsors, legislative analysts, and policy specialists from many organizations are often consulted to provide background and context for particular bills or votes. Many descriptions contain verbatim passages from bill analyses created by the Legislative Research Commission and other non-copyright sources.

Line

Roll calls versus modified votes and missed votes

When legislation or an amendment is presented for passage, the House or Senate clerk takes a roll-call vote at which time legislators may vote “yea” or “nay.”

However, lawmakers occasionally miss the opportunity to vote, or later decide to change their original vote after learning more about a bill or sentiment of their constituents. These legislators are allowed to enter a motion with the chamber’s clerk, which is known as a “modification.”

In essence, legislators are able to change their official votes – with one major caveat. No vote modification is allowed to change the outcome of a roll-call vote. For example, if a bill gains passage by a single vote, a legislator may not change his/her vote if it would change the outcome of the original vote from “pass” to “fail."

“Once votes are taken, the outcomes are final, unless a motion to reconsider is approved,” said Legislative Research Commission Director Robert Sherman.

KentuckyVotes.org only uses "yea" and "nay" roll-call votes in its calculations of vote totals for several reasons:

  • Modified votes are irrelevant to the outcomes of roll-call votes.
  • The roll call is a regular snapshot of the General Assembly’s work. Legislators who are present for work are clearly indicated by their roll-call votes for or against legislation.
  • The relevant period for lawmakers to study legislation and judge its merits is before the roll call is taken, not afterward.
  • Failure to vote "yea" or "nay" during a roll call has the same impact as missing a vote. KentuckyVotes.org treats abstentions as missed votes.