Senate roll call 133 · 84th Congress · Mar 27, 1956
S.J. RES. 31. Electoral reform. Substitute proposal to make electoral vote in each state depend on percentage of eligible voters balloting. Rejected.
On Mar 27, 1956, the Senate voted 20–66 (SJRE 31). Result: failed. By party: Democrats 11–35, Republicans 10–34, Independents 1–0. It was a bipartisan vote: majorities of both parties voted no. 21 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
- 20
- No
- 66
- Did not vote
- 3
- Date
- Mar 27, 1956
By party
- Democrats11 yes · 35 no · 3 didn’t vote
- Republicans10 yes · 34 no
- Independents1 yes · 0 no
Who broke with their party
- Thomas Henry Kuchel R-CA voted yes
- Gordon Llewellyn Allott R-CO voted yes
- Prescott Sheldon Bush R-CT voted yes
- William Arthur Purtell R-CT voted yes
- Paul Howard Douglas D-IL voted yes
- Charles Edward Potter R-MI voted yes
- Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. D-MN voted yes
- Thomas Carey Hennings Jr. D-MO voted yes
- James Edward Murray D-MT voted yes
- Michael Joseph (Mike) Mansfield D-MT voted yes
- Clifford Philip Case R-NJ voted yes
- Howard Alexander Smith R-NJ voted yes
- Herbert Henry Lehman D-NY voted yes
- Irving McNeil Ives R-NY voted yes
- George Harrison Bender R-OH voted yes
- Richard Lewis Neuberger D-OR voted yes
- John Orlando Pastore D-RI voted yes
- Henry Martin (Scoop) Jackson D-WA voted yes
- Warren Grant Magnuson D-WA voted yes
- Alexander Wiley R-WI voted yes
- Matthew Mansfield Neely D-WV voted yes
How each senator voted: Yes
- Thomas Henry Kuchel R-CA
- Gordon Llewellyn Allott R-CO
- Prescott Sheldon Bush R-CT
- William Arthur Purtell R-CT
- Paul Howard Douglas D-IL
- Charles Edward Potter R-MI
- Hubert Horatio Humphrey Jr. D-MN
- Thomas Carey Hennings Jr. D-MO
- James Edward Murray D-MT
- Michael Joseph (Mike) Mansfield D-MT
- Clifford Philip Case R-NJ
- Howard Alexander Smith R-NJ
- Herbert Henry Lehman D-NY
- Irving McNeil Ives R-NY
- George Harrison Bender R-OH
- Richard Lewis Neuberger D-OR
- Wayne Lyman Morse I-OR
- John Orlando Pastore D-RI
- Henry Martin (Scoop) Jackson D-WA
- Warren Grant Magnuson D-WA
- Alexander Wiley R-WI
- Matthew Mansfield Neely D-WV
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
- William Fife Knowland R-CA
- Eugene Donald Millikin R-CO
- 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
- Russell Billiu Long D-LA
- John Fitzgerald Kennedy D-MA
- Leverett Saltonstall R-MA
- James Glenn Beall R-MD
- Frederick George Payne R-ME
- Margaret Chase Smith R-ME
- Patrick Vincent Mcnamara D-MI
- 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
- William Langer R-ND
- Carl Thomas Curtis R-NE
- Roman Lee Hruska R-NE
- Henry Styles (Styles) Bridges R-NH
- Norris H. Cotton R-NH
- Clinton Presba Anderson D-NM
- Dennis Chavez D-NM
- Alan Harvey Bible D-NV
- George Wilson Malone R-NV
- 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
- 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
- Joseph Raymond Mccarthy R-WI
- William Ramsey Laird III D-WV
- Frank Aloysius Barrett R-WY
- Joseph Christopher O'Mahoney D-WY
Voted present
- Herman Welker R-ID
- Alben William Barkley D-KY
- 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. Substitute…: Senate Vote, Mar 27, 1956,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/vote/84-S-133/s-j-res-31-electoral-reform-substitute-proposal-to (accessed 2026-10-17).