Tally sheet
Definition
A tally sheet, or whip count, is a running list that tracks how each legislator is expected to vote on a bill, usually built by party whips before a floor vote. Staffers, lobbyists, and advocates use it to identify which undecided members still need persuading.
Why it matters
Whip counts are usually kept private, so the public rarely sees the real-time bargaining that determines a bill's fate until the vote is already final. Lobbyists who get access to an accurate tally can target their remaining persuasion resources at exactly the handful of undecided legislators who will actually decide the outcome, concentrating influence where it counts most.
Seen in the wild
Congressional leadership offices maintain running whip counts before major floor votes, a practice widely reported during contested votes such as the multiple 2023 and 2025 House Speaker elections, where leadership and outside groups worked from competing vote tallies in real time.