A whip count is an informal tally congressional leadership conducts to gauge how party members plan to vote on upcoming legislation, amendments, or procedural motions. Whip counts are typically organized by the party whip and their staff, who contact party members to see whether they support or oppose a proposal.
Whip counts work as an informal internal survey before an important vote, helping party leaders determine whether they have enough votes to pass a piece of legislation before bringing it to the floor.
