Augusta senators don't always vote with party

ATLANTA --- The three senators from the Augusta area showed different patterns in how they voted on legislation during the session.

The two Democrats did not always vote the same, nor did the lone Republican always follow his party's leaders.

"The primary explanation for not voting with the party leadership is reacting to pressure from constituents back home," said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia.

Another reason legislators may not always vote along party lines is what politicos call "windshield votes" -- the votes on controversial bills lobbied heavily by special-interest groups.

Such votes are tallied and distributed during campaigns by volunteers who place them on car windshields by the thousands.

Mr. Bullock said some politicians will look for opportunities to occasionally vote in favor of bills by such groups, even if they don't agree, just to improve their rankings on the windshield score cards.