House may hold third-round speaker vote today, but path to a majority is rocky

It is possible that the House of Representatives will hold a third-round vote for House Speaker today, although the path to a majority is still uncertain.

In the first two rounds, no candidate was able to get the 218 votes necessary for a majority, with the current candidate Kevin McCarthy receiving just 159 votes.

This has made it difficult for the House to find consensus and agree on a Speaker. No other candidate has declared, and with Republicans split on who they want to fill the role, a third round vote may not have any different results.

If no candidate is able to get a majority in the third round, as is expected, as Speaker will have to be decided in a full House floor vote. Such a vote could take days or even weeks, and would be highly unpredictable.

Alternatively, if the House chooses, they could keep voting until one candidate receives a majority. This could take days or weeks, as well, but would be the most certain way to ensure a new Speaker.

Regardless of what happens today, it’s likely that the House will have a difficult time finding consensus on a Speaker any time soon.