If Republicans sit out, Jeffries has a shot at winningpublished at 18:24 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January

18:24 GMT 3 January

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

If enough Republicans sit out this vote, the number needed for victory could be lowered enough that Democrat Hakeem Jeffries - with his expected 215 votes from his party - wins the election for Speaker

The hard-core Republicans are playing a game of chicken with Mike Johnson by not voting when their names are called, but it seems unlikely that they will drive over that particular cliff and give the gavel to the rival party.

They could cast votes after the roll call ends.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

Thomas Massie just voted for someone other than Mike Johnson - Tom Emmer of Minnesota.

He is the first Republican to openly vote against Johnson - but he has also been vocal in his opposition to the Speaker for days.

Democrat Hakeem Jeffries and Republican Mike Johnson have now each voted for themselves to be Speaker, and received standing ovations after declaring their vote in the roll call.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

The big question at this point is whether some of the possible anti-Johnson Republicans are holding their votes until the end of the roll call to send a modest message of protest - or if they will stay "absent", sinking his bid on the first round of balloting.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

Andy Harris of Maryland, the chair of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, has joined the growing list of conservative Republicans who are not voting when called.

Cai Pigliucci
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Some members who were potential holdouts for Johnson have not cast their vote - either for Johnson, an alternative name, or present.

They can still record their vote at the end. We are still in the early part of the alphabet - and not yet on Thomas Massie's name who has said he will vote no.

Johnson can afford to lose Massie, but he can't afford to lose more than that. Massie posted on X earlier that as members were being sworn in today, "I’m being sworn at."

That's likely for holding out on voting for Johnson.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from New York

Image source, Getty Images

Lawmakers who haven't yet had a chance to cast a vote will be able to do so at the end of the roll call.

So far, three Republicans have stayed silent when their names were called.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

Three of the Republicans who were viewed as potential Mike Johnson holdouts have now stayed silent when their name was called in this roll-call vote.

Biggs remained silent when name was calledpublished at 18:05 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January

18:05 GMT 3 January

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Biggs may not have voted, but he's here in the chamber, sitting toward the centre back of the room, near some of the other possible Johnson holdouts.

He remained silent when his name was called.

We're now waiting to see if he decides to vote at the end of the roll call.

Potential detractor Burchett votes for Johnsonpublished at 18:01 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January

18:01 GMT 3 January

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

Tim Burchett of Tennessee, who predicted that Mike Johnson wouldn't be elected on the first round of balloting - and was also considered a possible Johnson opponent - just voted for "the gentleman from Louisiana, Mike Johnson".

Image source, Getty Images

We're listening to each member's name being read out, then they respond with how they vote.

"Johnson"... "Jeffries" ... "Johnson".

The two candidates' names echo through the chamber.

Stick with us, we'll bring you the latest as it happens.

Republican Andy Biggs did not votepublished at 18:00 Greenwich Mean Time 3 January

18:00 GMT 3 January

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, reporting from Capitol Hill

Andy Biggs of Arizona, considered one of the Republicans who might oppose Mike Johnson, did not vote when his name was called.

Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill

No other candidates have been nominated for Speaker.

This means lawmakers who are voting have the choice to support Johnson, Jeffries or vote "present".

Voting has now started in the US House of Representatives for Speaker of the House.

You can watch it live at the top of this page.

Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Both Republicans and Democrats have stood several times during the nominating speeches for their respective party's nominee.

The majority of Republicans stood for around 30 seconds in support of Johnson after Michigan Congresswoman Lisa McClain delivered her nominating speech.

On the other side of the aisle, Democrats stood repeatedly during California Congressman Pete Aguilar's speech nominating Hakeem Jeffries Democrats chanted "Hakeem" when the speech ended.

Rachel Looker
Reporting from Capitol Hill

As expected, the Democrats have nominated Hakeem Jeffries to serve as House Speaker.

Jeffries, of New York, is the House Democratic leader. It makes him the most powerful Democrat in the lower chamber of the US Congress.

California Democrat Pete Aguilar gave the nominating speech, praising Jeffries for sticking to a bipartisan funding deal to avert a government shutdown that Johnson later abandoned.

All Democrats are expected to cast their ballots for Jeffries.

They've counted the members of Congress present at the vote and now we know exactly how many votes Johnson needs to win: 218.

A simple majority of those present will give Johnson the Speaker's gavel once more.

Anthony Zurcher
BBC North America correspondent, Reporting from Capitol Hill

Image source, Reuters

Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, is one of the possible holdouts to Mike Johnson’s speakership bid.

He has been standing in the back of the House chamber, leaning against the railing with his hands folded.

Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and a few other possible anti-Johnson votes, have moved near him at times.

Roy voted against Johnson's budget bill last month - and drew the ire of Donald Trump, who suggested that Republicans should oust him in the 2026 congressional election.

Cai Pigliucci
Reporting from Capitol Hill

Mike Johnson is currently speaking with members of his caucus on the floor, taking selfies with some and meeting the families of others.

We also just heard from Speaker Johnson on X, in a final pitch to lawmakers focused on fiscal responsibility..

He said that he would create a group of outside experts to work with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's new council, called the Department of Government Efficiency, that Trump wants to advise on federal spending, and to audit the government's books.

A few members who haven't said how they'll vote today have been calling for Johnson to lay out these kind of fiscal commitments - including Ralph Norman and Victoria Spartz.

Johnson said in the post: "If we don’t follow through on our campaign promise for fiscal responsibility, we don’t deserve to hold power."

We're now hearing the nomination speeches for House Speaker. You can watch them at the top of this page by clicking watch live.