The concept of an electronic voting system dates back to Thomas Edison who filed a patent for his vote recorder and demonstrated the system to Congress. Between Edison’s time and 1970, 51 bills or resolutions were introduced in order to provide automated, electronic, or mechanical voting. In 1970, Congress passed the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970 which contained language to create an electronic voting system.

In December 1970, the Clerk of the House contracted with Informatics Inc. to design the voting system. In addition, the House created House Information Systems (HIS) in 1971 to “satisfy the requirements for information, information technology, and related computer services of the Members, committees and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives.”

- U.S. Congress, Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress, Organization of Congress, final report to accompany H.Con.Res. 192 (102nd Congress), 103rd Cong., 1st sess., S.Rept. 103-215, vol. 2, and H.Rept. 103-413, vol. 2 (December 1993), p. 117. These reports provided a summary of the creation of House Information Systems in 1971 as part of a history of information resources and technology in Congress.

The Electronic Voting System in the House of Representatives was used for the first time on 23 January 1973. It was used for a quorum call after Representative Wayne L. Hays of Ohio, Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, made a point of order that a quorum was not present.

-“Mr. Speaker, I am going to make a point of order that a quorum is not present. It is my understanding we will use the new voting system. I just want to say to the Members that their cards will work if they put in either end or either side out. Any way the Members can get it into the slot, it will work either end or either side; it does not matter.”

- “Order of Business,” Congressional Record, vol. 119, part 2 (January 23, 1973), p. 1793.

Instead of having an electrical and mechanical system, the House chose a fully electronic, computer-based system with an electronic display board “which flashes a running tally and records each member’s vote on an overhead scoreboard and a computer printout.”

- David S. Broder, “The House: A New Era,” The Washington Post, February 18, 1973, p. B6.

Since then the Electronic Voting System has since undergone numerous upgrades to enhance efficiency as more technology became available.