(a) All votes shall be taken viva voce, except as otherwise provided in these rules. If the President is in doubt as to the result of any vote, or if a division is called for by any Senator, the Senators shall divide and those in the affirmative shall first rise and be counted, then those in the negative; and if still in doubt, the President shall direct that the roll be called.
(b) The vote shall be by ayes and noes and entered in the journal:
(1) Upon the final passage of a bill or of a concurrent resolution.
(2) Upon consideration of amendments to Senate bills or concurrent resolutions made by the House of Representatives.
(3) Upon consideration of reports of conference committees.
(4) On any question at the desire of any Senator.
(5) Upon consideration and confirmation of appointments made by the Governor.
(6) Upon the final passage of a resolution, memorial, joint resolution, or joint memorial.
(7) Upon consideration of amendments to Senate joint resolutions or Senate joint memorials made by the House of Representatives.
(c) Any Senator having a personal or private interest in any question or bill pending, shall disclose such fact to the Senate and shall not vote thereon, and if the vote be by ayes and noes, such fact shall be entered in the journal.
(c.5) A Senator is not now compelled nor shall a Senator be compelled by a majority of a political caucus to cast a vote for or against any legislative measure or to sustain a Governor's veto.
(d) Every Senator present, when the question is put, shall vote, unless excused by the Senate, for special reasons, or because of a personal or private interest in the matter. A request to be excused from voting shall be determined without debate by the President. Any Senator present and not excused from voting who refuses to vote on any question, if the vote be by ayes and noes, shall be noted in the journal as "present but refusing to vote."
(e) Any Senator has the right to demand the ayes and noes upon any question and upon such demand, the President shall direct the reading clerk to call the names of Senators in their alphabetical order, and before the result is declared, the reading clerk shall read over the names of those voting in the affirmative, and those voting in the negative. After the alphabetical roll call of the ayes and noes has commenced, no debate on the measure before the Senate shall ensue, except that any Senator may be allowed one minute to explain a vote at the time it is recorded. No Senator shall be permitted to vote, under any circumstances, after the decision on the voting has been announced by the chair.
(f) Any matter may be passed by a majority vote of a quorum except:
(1) Any bill on second or on third reading shall require 18 votes for passage, except as provided in (8).
(2) Any simple or joint resolution or memorial shall require 18 votes.
(3) Concurrent resolutions on second reading, which propose amendments to the state constitution or recommend the calling of a constitutional convention, shall require 18 votes for passage. However, on third reading such concurrent resolutions shall require 24 votes for passage.
(4) Concurrent resolutions that ratify proposed amendments to the United States Constitution shall require 18 votes for passage on both second and third readings.
(5) A motion to adjourn sine die shall require 18 votes.
(6) To suspend the rules shall require 24 votes, except upon three days' notice, in which event 18 votes shall be required.
(7) The confirmation of Governor's appointments shall require 18 votes for confirmation.
(8) Bills to increase or diminish the number of district judges or increase or diminish the number of judicial districts shall require 18 votes for passage on second reading and 24 votes for passage upon third reading.
(9) To reconsider any action of the Senate shall require 18 votes for passage. To recall from the House anything acted upon by the Senate shall require 18 votes for passage.
(10) Passage on third or final reading of any measure, following concurrence in House amendments, shall require the same number of votes as is required on third reading for the original instrument for passage.
(11) Overriding Governor's veto shall require 24 votes for passage.
(12) Adoption by the Senate of the report of a committee of the whole and the adoption of any amendment to the report of a committee of the whole which amendment in effect shows that a bill or concurrent resolution did pass shall require 18 votes showing passage of such bill or concurrent resolution.
(13) To make a bill or other measure a special order shall require 24 votes.
(14) To amend or repeal rules requires 18 votes if three days' prior notice is given; without such notice, 24 votes are required.
(15) To amend any bill on third reading shall require the consent of a majority of all members elected.
(16) To amend any bill on third reading shall require 18 votes.