To override a presidential veto, Congress needs a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Quick Scoop

When the President vetoes a bill, it is sent back to the chamber where it started (either the House or the Senate). If that chamber votes to override by at least two-thirds of the members present and voting, it then goes to the other chamber, which must also reach a two-thirds vote to successfully override.

In practical numbers, this usually means:

  • House of Representatives: at least 290 out of 435 members, if everyone votes.
  • Senate: at least 67 out of 100 senators, if everyone votes.

If both chambers reach this two‑thirds threshold, the bill becomes law even though the President tried to block it. If either chamber falls short, the veto stands and the bill dies.

In simple terms: “two-thirds of both the House and the Senate” is the answer to “how many votes are needed to override a presidential veto.”

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.