What is a Quorum Call?
A quorum call is a parliamentary procedure designed to ensure that members of a legislative body are present before a vote is passed. A quorum is defined as the minimum number of individuals who must be present for a transaction or law to be considered legal. In many legislatures, the quorum needs to be a majority: if less than 51% of the legislature is present, the legislature cannot conduct business. In a large legislature or group, it can be difficult to determine whether the quorum is present. Any legislator may request a quorum call to find out how many people are actually in attendance. Many citizens are surprised to learn that their elected officials do not spend a great deal of time on the floor of the legislature, and that the quorum is often not actually present during the conduct of day to day business. Records on the daily attendance, along with how legislators voted, are available for most governments. If you are curious about how hard your elected official works, seek out
A demand that the members present be counted to see if a quorum is present. Most quorum calls in the Senate are actually used to delay proceedings until a deal can be worked out or until a tardy speaker can get to the floor. Anyone may be set a quorum call in motion, usually by saying “I suggest the absence of a quorum.
