Barkley was a senator from Kentucky and was a Democrat. He served from 1955 to 1956.
He was previously Vice President of the United States as a Democratic from 1949 to 1953; a senator from Kentucky as a Democrat from 1927 to 1949; the representative for Kentucky’s 1st congressional district as a Democrat from 1925 to 1927; the representative for Kentucky’s 1st congressional district as a Democrat from 1923 to 1925; the representative for Kentucky’s 1st congressional district as a Democrat from 1915 to 1923; and the representative for Kentucky’s 1st congressional district as a Democrat from 1913 to 1915.
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![Photo of Sen. Alben Barkley [D-KY, 1955-1956]](/static/legislator-photos/401146-200px.jpeg)
Voting Record
Missed Votes
From Dec 1927 to Apr 1956, Barkley missed 306 of 3,268 roll call votes, which is 9.4%. This is worse than the median of 6.4% among the lifetime records of senators serving in Apr 1956. The chart below reports missed votes over time.
We don’t track why legislators miss votes, but it’s often due to medical absenses, major life events, and running for higher office.
| Time Period | Votes Eligible | Missed Votes | Percent | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 Apr-Jul (House) | 22 | 1 | 4.5% | 0th |
| 1913 Aug-Nov (House) | 43 | 16 | 37.2% | 0th |
| Dec 1913-Feb 1914 (House) | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1914 Mar-May (House) | 34 | 3 | 8.8% | 0th |
| 1914 Jun-Aug (House) | 62 | 8 | 12.9% | 25th |
| 1914 Sep-Oct (House) | 29 | 1 | 3.4% | 0th |
| Dec 1914-Mar 1915 (House) | 67 | 6 | 9.0% | 0th |
| Dec 1915-Feb 1916 (House) | 16 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1916 Mar-May (House) | 53 | 5 | 9.4% | 60th |
| 1916 Jun-Aug (House) | 23 | 4 | 17.4% | 60th |
| 1916 Sep-Sep (House) | 3 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| Dec 1916-Mar 1917 (House) | 62 | 8 | 12.9% | 80th |
| 1917 Apr-Jun (House) | 43 | 4 | 9.3% | 60th |
| 1917 Jul-Sep (House) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1917 Oct-Oct (House) | 4 | 1 | 25.0% | 20th |
| Dec 1917-Feb 1918 (House) | 34 | 2 | 5.9% | 20th |
| 1918 Mar-May (House) | 65 | 14 | 21.5% | 60th |
| 1918 Jun-Aug (House) | 33 | 11 | 33.3% | 40th |
| 1918 Sep-Oct (House) | 14 | 14 | 100.0% | 60th |
| Dec 1918-Mar 1919 (House) | 63 | 11 | 17.5% | 60th |
| 1919 May-Jul (House) | 62 | 16 | 25.8% | 50th |
| 1919 Aug-Oct (House) | 52 | 28 | 53.8% | 50th |
| 1919 Nov-Nov (House) | 16 | 8 | 50.0% | 67th |
| Dec 1919-Feb 1920 (House) | 39 | 12 | 30.8% | 33rd |
| 1920 Mar-May (House) | 70 | 9 | 12.9% | 33rd |
| 1920 Jun-Jun (House) | 8 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| Dec 1920-Mar 1921 (House) | 92 | 3 | 3.3% | 0th |
| 1921 Apr-Jun (House) | 58 | 1 | 1.7% | 0th |
| 1921 Jul-Aug (House) | 48 | 27 | 56.2% | 83rd |
| 1921 Oct-Nov (House) | 29 | 14 | 48.3% | 83rd |
| Dec 1921-Feb 1922 (House) | 48 | 13 | 27.1% | 50th |
| 1922 Mar-May (House) | 47 | 15 | 31.9% | 67th |
| 1922 Jun-Aug (House) | 54 | 25 | 46.3% | 50th |
| 1922 Sep-Sep (House) | 13 | 12 | 92.3% | 67th |
| 1922 Nov-Nov (House) | 5 | 1 | 20.0% | 83rd |
| Dec 1922-Mar 1923 (House) | 60 | 37 | 61.7% | 83rd |
| Dec 1923-Feb 1924 (House) | 30 | 10 | 33.3% | 70th |
| 1924 Mar-May (House) | 85 | 10 | 11.8% | 70th |
| 1924 Jun-Jun (House) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| Dec 1924-Mar 1925 (House) | 54 | 1 | 1.9% | 10th |
| Dec 1925-Feb 1926 (House) | 22 | 1 | 4.5% | 21st |
| 1926 Mar-May (House) | 37 | 12 | 32.4% | 86th |
| 1926 Jun-Jul (House) | 22 | 5 | 22.7% | 79th |
| Dec 1926-Mar 1927 (House) | 33 | 2 | 6.1% | 57th |
| Dec 1927-May 1928 (Senate) | 125 | 8 | 6.4% | 0th |
| Dec 1928-Mar 1929 (Senate) | 66 | 15 | 22.7% | 50th |
| 1929 May-Jun (Senate) | 36 | 3 | 8.3% | 0th |
| 1929 Sep-Sep (Senate) | 8 | 1 | 12.5% | 33rd |
| 1929 Oct-Nov (Senate) | 55 | 1 | 1.8% | 0th |
| Dec 1929-Feb 1930 (Senate) | 100 | 8 | 8.0% | 0th |
| 1930 Mar-May (Senate) | 142 | 23 | 16.2% | 67th |
| 1930 Jun-Jul (Senate) | 23 | 2 | 8.7% | 0th |
| Dec 1930-Mar 1931 (Senate) | 63 | 5 | 7.9% | 0th |
| 1930 Jul-Jul (Senate) | 9 | 9 | 100.0% | 33rd |
| Dec 1931-Feb 1932 (Senate) | 63 | 21 | 33.3% | 75th |
| 1932 Mar-May (Senate) | 90 | 20 | 22.2% | 50th |
| 1932 Jun-Jul (Senate) | 64 | 31 | 48.4% | 75th |
| Dec 1932-Mar 1933 (Senate) | 63 | 3 | 4.8% | 0th |
| 1933 Mar-Jun (Senate) | 97 | 11 | 11.3% | 33rd |
| 1934 Jan-Jun (Senate) | 130 | 10 | 7.7% | 29th |
| 1933 Mar-Mar (Senate) | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1935 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 37 | 7 | 18.9% | 75th |
| 1935 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 49 | 4 | 8.2% | 33rd |
| 1935 Jul-Aug (Senate) | 46 | 4 | 8.7% | 22nd |
| 1936 Jan-Jun (Senate) | 61 | 8 | 13.1% | 33rd |
| 1937 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 19 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1937 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 21 | 1 | 4.8% | 0th |
| 1937 Jul-Aug (Senate) | 31 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1937 Nov-Dec (Senate) | 22 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1938 Jan-Jun (Senate) | 81 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1939 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 17 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1939 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 36 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1939 Jul-Aug (Senate) | 41 | 2 | 4.9% | 21st |
| 1939 Oct-Nov (Senate) | 20 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1940 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 44 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1940 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 64 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1940 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 38 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1940 Oct-Nov (Senate) | 5 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1941 Jan-Jan 76th Congress (Senate) | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1941 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1941 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 31 | 17 | 54.8% | 88th |
| 1941 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1941 Oct-Dec (Senate) | 21 | 1 | 4.8% | 44th |
| 1942 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1942 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 28 | 6 | 21.4% | 53rd |
| 1942 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 19 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1942 Oct-Dec (Senate) | 24 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1943 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 20 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1943 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 52 | 37 | 71.2% | 95th |
| 1943 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 20 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1943 Oct-Dec (Senate) | 30 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1944 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 51 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1944 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 23 | 3 | 13.0% | 42nd |
| 1944 Aug-Sep (Senate) | 7 | 1 | 14.3% | 53rd |
| 1944 Nov-Dec (Senate) | 17 | 10 | 58.8% | 82nd |
| 1945 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 17 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1945 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 40 | 3 | 7.5% | 61st |
| 1945 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 27 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1945 Oct-Dec (Senate) | 24 | 4 | 16.7% | 71st |
| 1946 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 13 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1946 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 75 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1946 Jul-Aug (Senate) | 48 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1947 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 34 | 6 | 17.6% | 91st |
| 1947 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 57 | 9 | 15.8% | 86th |
| 1947 Jul-Jul (Senate) | 39 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1947 Nov-Dec (Senate) | 8 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1948 Feb-Mar (Senate) | 28 | 1 | 3.6% | 43rd |
| 1948 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 74 | 7 | 9.5% | 77th |
| 1948 Aug-Aug (Senate) | 8 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1949 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 38 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1949 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 86 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1949 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 82 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1949 Oct-Oct (Senate) | 20 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1950 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 55 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1950 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 85 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1950 Jul-Sep (Senate) | 78 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1950 Dec-Dec (Senate) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1951 Jan-Jan 81st Congress (Senate) | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1955 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 26 | 1 | 3.8% | 33rd |
| 1955 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 38 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1955 Jul-Aug (Senate) | 23 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
| 1956 Jan-Mar (Senate) | 47 | 3 | 6.4% | 65th |
| 1956 Apr-Jun (Senate) | 7 | 0 | 0.0% | 0th |
Primary Sources
The information on this page is originally sourced from a variety of materials, including:
- unitedstates/congress-legislators, a community project gathering congressional information
- United States Congressional Roll Call Voting Records, 1789-1990 by Howard L. Rosenthal and Keith T. Poole.
- Martis’s “The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress”, via Keith Poole’s roll call votes data set, for political party affiliation for Members of Congress from 1789 through about year 2000
- Biographical Directory of the United States Congress for the photo
Pronunciation Guide
Alben Barkley is pronounced:
The letters stand for sounds according to the following table:
Capital letters indicate a stressed syllable.
