As part of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, the House of Representatives authorized an electronic means for recording floor votes. Between 1886 and 1970, 51 bills and resolutions were introduced to bring automated, electrical, or mechanical voting to the House of Representatives. The current electronic voting system was first used on January 23, 1973. History of Electronic Voting Before 1970

In 1869, Thomas Edison registered a patent for the first electric vote recorder. In response to the resolution, Speaker John McCormack sent a letter to the Committee on House Administration asking it to examine automated voting. Creation of Electronic Voting, 1970 to 1973

As part of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, the House agreed to develop an electronic voting system. On January 23, 1973, the House used the electronic voting system for the first time. Conclusion

The history and development of the electronic voting system frames the process for recording votes and quorum calls in the House of Representatives and the Committee of the Whole. The table below lists each of the bills and resolutions proposing to use an electrical, mechanical, and automated voting system in the House of Representatives, and includes the Congress and date the bill or resolution was introduced, bill number, and sponsor of the measure.
On January 23, 1973, 87 years after the first legislative proposal to use an automated system to record votes was introduced, the House of Representatives used its electronic voting system for the first time. The concept of automated voting dates back even farther to 1869, when Thomas Edison filed a patent for a vote recorder and demonstrated the system to Congress. Between the first legislative proposal for automated voting in 1886, and the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, which contained language authorizing an electronic voting system, 51 bills and resolutions were introduced to provide for automated, electrical, mechanical or electronic voting.
Following the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970, the Committee on House Administration and House Information Systems worked to develop, install, and implement the electronic voting system. The electronic voting system was first used on January 23, 1973, to record a quorum call.
This report examines the legislative history of electronic voting in the House of Representatives, discusses the design and initial use of the electronic voting system, and examines the day-to-day operations of the system, including the process for conducing a vote electronically.