Voice vote

Methods of voice voting were employed in ancient Greece as early as seventh century BC. The election of the members of the Gerousia, Sparta's council of elders, was conducted by shouting. A few persons in the full assembly were selected and locked up in a room close to the election, so that they could only hear the noise of the audience, but not see the candidate put to vote. The candidates were then presented to the assembly one after another without speaking a word. The favor of the assembly towards one candidate was assessed by the jury who established a ranking of all candidates with respect to the loudness of the assembly. The candidates who were heard to receive the most and loudest acclamations were declared elected. ==Australia==

Members vote by saying "aye" or "no", and the Speaker of the House (or President of the Senate) judges the result. If two or more members demand a recorded vote, known as a division, one must be held. ==Canada==

Members vote by saying "yea" or "nay", and the Speaker judges the mood of the House. If five or more members demand a recorded vote, one must be held. ==New Zealand==

The initial decision on any question is by voice vote, members saying "aye" or "no", and the Speaker declaring which side has won. Members of the losing side (or abstainers), but not supporters of the side declared to have won, are entitled to demand a formal test of opinion. ==India==

The voice vote (ध्वनि मत) is used in the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha{{cite news| title=Parliament voting: Ayes vs noes, and road from manual to electronic recording ==United Kingdom==

A voice vote is held to decide if a bill can progress through to the next stage. The Speaker of the House of Commons will then propose the question by saying, for example (second reading): "The Question is, that the Bill be now read a second time". The Speaker then invites supporters of the bill to say "aye" and then opponents say "no": "As many as are of that opinion say 'aye' [supporters say 'aye'], of the contrary 'no' [opponents say 'no']". In what is known as collecting the voices the Speaker makes a judgement as to the louder cry. A clear majority either way will prompt the response "I think the Ayes/Noes have it. The Ayes/Noes have it!" (this can be forced to a division by continued cries either way). If the result is at all in doubt a division will be called and the speaker will say "Division, Clear the Lobbies!" In the House of Lords, the Lord Speaker will propose the question by saying, for example (second reading): "The Question is, that the Bill be now read a second time". The Lord Speaker then does similarly to the Commons Speaker, by saying, "As many as are of that opinion say 'Content' [supporters say 'Content'] and of the contrary 'Not Content' [opponents say 'Not Content]." The Lord Speaker then decides. In the result of a division, the Lord Speaker will say "Division. Clear the Bar". ==United States==

''Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised'' (11th edition) provides that: In Congress, "the vast majority of actions decided by a voice vote" are ones for which "a strong or even overwhelming majority favors one side", or even unanimous consent. Members can request a division of the assembly (a rising vote, where each sides rise in turn to be counted), and one-fifth of members can demand a recorded vote on any question, after the chair announces the result of a voice vote. It is estimated that more than 95 percent of the resolutions passed by state legislatures are passed by a unanimous voice vote, many without discussion; this is because resolutions are often on routine, noncontroversial matters, such as commemorating important events or recognizing groups. ==Other methods==

• Humming is used as a voice vote method at the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) to estimate the participants' positions on some issues. ==See also==