Senate roll call 131 · 84th Congress · Mar 27, 1956
S.J.RES. 31. Electoral reform. Proposal to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates by direct vote in national primary and to elect the presiden
On Mar 27, 1956, the Senate voted 13–69 (SJRE 31). Result: failed. By party: Democrats 14–33, Republicans 2–42, Independents 1–0. It was a bipartisan vote: majorities of both parties voted no. 16 members voted against their own party.
During the 84th Congress (1955–1956), Dwight D. Eisenhower was president, and Democrats held majorities in both the House and Senate.
- Yes
- 13
- No
- 69
- Did not vote
- 3
- Date
- Mar 27, 1956
By party
- Democrats14 yes · 33 no · 3 didn’t vote
- Republicans2 yes · 42 no
- Independents1 yes · 0 no
Who broke with their party
- Paul Howard Douglas D-IL voted yes
- Alben William Barkley D-KY voted yes
- Russell Billiu Long D-LA voted yes
- Margaret Chase Smith R-ME voted yes
- Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. D-MN voted yes
- James Edward Murray D-MT voted yes
- Michael Joseph (Mike) Mansfield D-MT voted yes
- William Langer R-ND voted yes
- Dennis Chavez D-NM voted yes
- Herbert Henry Lehman D-NY voted yes
- Richard Lewis Neuberger D-OR voted yes
- Henry Martin (Scoop) Jackson D-WA voted yes
- Warren Grant Magnuson D-WA voted yes
- Matthew Mansfield Neely D-WV voted yes
- William Ramsey Laird III D-WV voted yes
- Joseph Christopher O'Mahoney D-WY voted yes
How each senator voted: Yes
- Paul Howard Douglas D-IL
- Alben William Barkley D-KY
- Russell Billiu Long D-LA
- Margaret Chase Smith R-ME
- Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. D-MN
- James Edward Murray D-MT
- Michael Joseph (Mike) Mansfield D-MT
- William Langer R-ND
- Dennis Chavez D-NM
- Herbert Henry Lehman D-NY
- Richard Lewis Neuberger D-OR
- Wayne Lyman Morse I-OR
- Henry Martin (Scoop) Jackson D-WA
- Warren Grant Magnuson D-WA
- Matthew Mansfield Neely D-WV
- William Ramsey Laird III D-WV
- Joseph Christopher O'Mahoney D-WY
How each senator voted: No
- John Jackson Sparkman D-AL
- Joseph Lister Hill D-AL
- James William Fulbright D-AR
- John Little Mcclellan D-AR
- Barry Morris Goldwater R-AZ
- Carl Trumbull Hayden D-AZ
- Thomas Henry Kuchel R-CA
- William Fife Knowland R-CA
- Eugene Donald Millikin R-CO
- Gordon Llewellyn Allott R-CO
- Prescott Sheldon Bush R-CT
- William Arthur Purtell R-CT
- John James Williams R-DE
- Joseph Allen Frear Jr. D-DE
- George Armistead Smathers D-FL
- Spessard Lindsey Holland D-FL
- Richard Brevard Russell Jr. D-GA
- Walter Franklin George D-GA
- Bourke Blakemore Hickenlooper R-IA
- Thomas Ellsworth Martin R-IA
- Henry Clarence Dworshak R-ID
- Everett McKinley Dirksen R-IL
- Homer Earl Capehart R-IN
- William Ezra Jenner R-IN
- Andrew Frank Schoeppel R-KS
- Frank Carlson R-KS
- Earle C. Clements D-KY
- Allen Joseph Ellender D-LA
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy D-MA
- Leverett Saltonstall R-MA
- James Glenn Beall R-MD
- Frederick George Payne R-ME
- Charles Edward Potter R-MI
- Patrick Vincent Mcnamara D-MI
- Thomas Carey Hennings Jr. D-MO
- William Stuart (Stuart) Symington D-MO
- James Oliver Eastland D-MS
- John Cornelius Stennis D-MS
- Samuel James Ervin Jr. D-NC
- William Kerr Scott D-NC
- Milton Ruben Young R-ND
- Carl Thomas Curtis R-NE
- Roman Lee Hruska R-NE
- Henry Styles (Styles) Bridges R-NH
- Norris H. Cotton R-NH
- Clifford Philip Case R-NJ
- Howard Alexander Smith R-NJ
- Clinton Presba Anderson D-NM
- Alan Harvey Bible D-NV
- George Wilson Malone R-NV
- Irving McNeil Ives R-NY
- George Harrison Bender R-OH
- John William Bricker R-OH
- Almer Stillwell Mike Monroney D-OK
- Robert Samuel Kerr D-OK
- Edward Martin R-PA
- James Henderson Duff R-PA
- John Orlando Pastore D-RI
- Theodore Francis Green D-RI
- James Strom Thurmond D-SC
- Olin DeWitt Talmadge Johnston D-SC
- Francis Higbee Case R-SD
- Karl Earl Mundt R-SD
- Albert Arnold Gore D-TN
- Lyndon Baines Johnson D-TX
- Marion Price Daniel D-TX
- Arthur Vivian Watkins R-UT
- Wallace Foster Bennett R-UT
- Absalom Willis Robertson D-VA
- Harry Flood Byrd D-VA
- George David Aiken R-VT
- Ralph Edward Flanders R-VT
- Alexander Wiley R-WI
- Joseph Raymond Mccarthy R-WI
- Frank Aloysius Barrett R-WY
Voted present
- Herman Welker R-ID
- John Marshall Butler R-MD
- Edward John Thye R-MN
- Carey Estes Kefauver D-TN
Did not vote
- Robert Humphreys D-KY
- Thomas Albert Wofford D-SC
- Harley Martin Kilgore D-WV
Other votes
From Voteview roll call records.
Cite or embed this page
Capitol Receipts, “S.J.RES. 31. Electoral reform. Proposal to…: Senate Vote, Mar 27, 1956,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/84-S-131/s-j-res-31-electoral-reform-proposal-to-nominate (accessed 2026-10-17).