Does anyone know if there’s a reason the Senate couldn’t pass a motion for the final impeachment vote to be via secret ballot?
It’s been mentioned that when the Framers set things up, Senators would have had no pressure from voters to influence their votes in an impeachment. These days we elect them and they do have some pressure from us, but much more from other special and political interests.
But a secret ballot for the final impeachment vote would go a long way to freeing them from political retaliation and give them cover to vote their consciences, (yes, I know, most aren’t in possession of one).
If there’s no specific rule against it, then a simple majority vote could make the final vote via secret ballot, (isn’t this why we have secret ballots for most votes and elections?), same as the number it’d take to hear from Bolton, et al.
And since it’s very unlikely to be unanimous, the split numbers would allow enough cover for them to hedge and keep lying as individuals, claiming that they’d been on the ‘right’ side of the vote.
What about it, is it worth proposing to Schumer, et al?
Update: Adam B has provided the definitive answer.
Art I, sec 5, cl 3:
Each House shall keep a journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one fifth of those present, be entered on the journal
So it would require 81 Senators to agree. Not possible.