Conscience vote

A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are each expected to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party.

In many liberal democracies, particularly those that follow the parliamentary system of government, the elected members of a legislative body are usually required to vote in single party blocs; that is, they must conform with the opinion of the official position of the political party as a whole. Sometimes a particular party member known as the whip is responsible for ensuring that members vote in accordance with the party line. Those members who do not may face disciplinary measures, including expulsion or suspension from their respective parties. However, these conventions are disregarded during a conscience vote, as there is no official party line to follow. In countries where party discipline is less important, and voting against one's party is more common, conscience votes are generally less important.

Conscience votes are usually quite rare and are often about an issue which is very contentious, or a matter on which the members of any single party differ in their opinions, thus making it difficult for parties to formulate official policies . Usually, a conscience vote will be about moral or ethical issues rather than about administrative or financial ones; matters such as the prohibition of alcohol, homosexual law reform and the legality of prostitution are often subject to conscience votes.