Yeas And Nays

The list of members of a legislative body voting in the affirmative and negative of a proposition is so called.

The Constitution of the United States, Art. 1 directs that "the yeas and nays of the members of either house, on any question, shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the journal."

The power of calling the yeas and nays is given by all the Constitutions of the several states, and it is not in general restricted to the request of one-fifth of the members present, but may be demanded by a less number and, in some, one member alone has the right to require the call of the yeas and nays.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.