diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/tests.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/tests.py
index 3e0dfd8129..9f14f2daa4 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/tests.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/tests.py
@@ -1641,6 +1641,40 @@ class ForumEventTestCase(ModuleStoreTestCase, MockRequestSetupMixin):
         self.assertEqual(name, event_name)
         self.assertEqual(event['team_id'], team.team_id)
 
+    @ddt.data(
+        ('vote_for_thread', 'thread_id', 'thread'),
+        ('undo_vote_for_thread', 'thread_id', 'thread'),
+        ('vote_for_comment', 'comment_id', 'response'),
+        ('undo_vote_for_comment', 'comment_id', 'response'),
+    )
+    @ddt.unpack
+    @patch('eventtracking.tracker.emit')
+    @patch('lms.lib.comment_client.utils.requests.request')
+    def test_thread_voted_event(self, view_name, obj_id_name, obj_type, mock_request, mock_emit):
+        undo = view_name.startswith('undo')
+
+        self._set_mock_request_data(mock_request, {
+            'closed': False,
+            'commentable_id': 'test_commentable_id',
+            'username': 'gumprecht',
+        })
+        request = RequestFactory().post('dummy_url', {})
+        request.user = self.student
+        request.view_name = view_name
+        view_function = getattr(views, view_name)
+        kwargs = dict(course_id=unicode(self.course.id))
+        kwargs[obj_id_name] = obj_id_name
+        if not undo:
+            kwargs.update(value='up')
+        view_function(request, **kwargs)
+
+        self.assertTrue(mock_emit.called)
+        event_name, event = mock_emit.call_args[0]
+        self.assertEqual(event_name, 'edx.forum.{}.voted'.format(obj_type))
+        self.assertEqual(event['target_username'], 'gumprecht')
+        self.assertEqual(event['undo_vote'], undo)
+        self.assertEqual(event['vote_value'], 'up')
+
 
 class UsersEndpointTestCase(ModuleStoreTestCase, MockRequestSetupMixin):
 
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py
index b84fffc460..e480ff62a3 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/django_comment_client/base/views.py
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ def track_forum_event(request, event_name, course, obj, data, id_map=None):
 
 
 def track_created_event(request, event_name, course, obj, data):
+    """
+    Send analytics event for a newly created thread, response or comment.
+    """
     if len(obj.body) > TRACKING_MAX_FORUM_BODY:
         data['truncated'] = True
     else:
@@ -91,6 +94,9 @@ def track_created_event(request, event_name, course, obj, data):
 
 
 def track_thread_created_event(request, course, thread, followed):
+    """
+    Send analytics event for a newly created thread.
+    """
     event_name = _EVENT_NAME_TEMPLATE.format(obj_type='thread', action_name='created')
     event_data = {
         'commentable_id': thread.commentable_id,
@@ -109,6 +115,9 @@ def track_thread_created_event(request, course, thread, followed):
 
 
 def track_comment_created_event(request, course, comment, commentable_id, followed):
+    """
+    Send analytics event for a newly created response or comment.
+    """
     obj_type = 'comment' if comment.get("parent_id") else 'response'
     event_name = _EVENT_NAME_TEMPLATE.format(obj_type=obj_type, action_name='created')
     event_data = {
@@ -123,6 +132,9 @@ def track_comment_created_event(request, course, comment, commentable_id, follow
 
 
 def track_voted_event(request, course, obj, vote_value, undo_vote=False):
+    """
+    Send analytics event for a vote on a thread or response.
+    """
     if isinstance(obj, cc.Thread):
         obj_type = 'thread'
     else:
@@ -137,10 +149,19 @@ def track_voted_event(request, course, obj, vote_value, undo_vote=False):
     track_forum_event(request, event_name, course, obj, event_data)
 
 
-def permitted(fn):
-    @functools.wraps(fn)
+def permitted(func):
+    """
+    View decorator to verify the user is authorized to access this endpoint.
+    """
+    @functools.wraps(func)
     def wrapper(request, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Wrapper for the view that only calls the view if the user is authorized.
+        """
         def fetch_content():
+            """
+            Extract the forum object from the keyword arguments to the view.
+            """
             if "thread_id" in kwargs:
                 content = cc.Thread.find(kwargs["thread_id"]).to_dict()
             elif "comment_id" in kwargs:
@@ -152,13 +173,16 @@ def permitted(fn):
             return content
         course_key = SlashSeparatedCourseKey.from_deprecated_string(kwargs['course_id'])
         if check_permissions_by_view(request.user, course_key, fetch_content(), request.view_name):
-            return fn(request, *args, **kwargs)
+            return func(request, *args, **kwargs)
         else:
             return JsonError("unauthorized", status=401)
     return wrapper
 
 
 def ajax_content_response(request, course_key, content):
+    """
+    Standard AJAX response returning the content hierarchy of the current thread.
+    """
     user_info = cc.User.from_django_user(request.user).to_dict()
     annotated_content_info = get_annotated_content_info(course_key, content, request.user, user_info)
     return JsonResponse({
@@ -479,7 +503,7 @@ def _vote_or_unvote(request, course_id, obj, value='up', undo_vote=False):
 @permitted
 def vote_for_comment(request, course_id, comment_id, value):
     """
-    given a course_id and comment_id,
+    Given a course_id and comment_id, vote for this response.  AJAX only.
     """
     comment = cc.Comment.find(comment_id)
     result = _vote_or_unvote(request, course_id, comment, value)