MIght as well go back into history a little bit. It has been 100 years since the congress failed to elect a speaker in the first balloting. Before that, it had happened 14 time. Three of them it was decided in the second balloting. It took three votes on three occasions, and nine, ten, elven, and twelve ballots each one time. In 1819, 22 ballots were required; 44 in 1859; 63 in 1849, and a whopping 133 (and three months) in 1855. In case you were curious.