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.”
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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 the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions and from many other 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.
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:
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