Key Votes

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Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.

For more information about the legislative process, see here.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 10, 2014 CA AB 800 Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to Conduct Audits and Investigations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 19)
Aug. 8, 2013 CA AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 23, 2013 CA AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Bill Passed - House (49 - 23)
May 4, 2017 CA AB 84 Authorizes Earlier Presidential Primary Bill Passed - House (52 - 20)
June 18, 2020 CA AB 860 Authorizes Vote By Mail Absentee Ballots Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 5)
May 26, 2015 CA AB 884 Requires the Attorney General to Denote Ballot Initiatives That May Be Unconstitutional Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA ACA 10 Limits Citizen-led Initiatives to Amend the State Constitution Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 30)
Jan. 30, 2014 CA AJR 1 Requests Constitutional Convention to Overturn Citizens United Bill Passed - House (51 - 20)
April 17, 2007 WI AJR 17 Voter Identification Constitutional Amendment Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
March 6, 2012 WI AJR 63 Limits Recalls of Elected Officials Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 37)
July 6, 2010 NC Amdt 2 Lobbying Restrictions Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 48)
March 15, 2007 KS Amend HB 2542 Presidential Primary Funding Amendment Adopted - House (85 - 34)
March 23, 2021 WI AR 15 Requires the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections to Investigate Administration of Elections in the State Bill Passed - House (58 - 35)
Oct. 18, 2012 NJ AR 86 Opposes the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United Versus Federal Elections Commission Resolution Passed - House (49 - 23)
April 1, 2008 MN Buesgens Amnd. Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69)
April 19, 2010 AZ Burges Amdt Verification of Presidential Candidate's Birth Certificate Motion Rejected - House (22 - 31)
May 12, 2006 MO CCS2 HCS SS2 SCS SB 1014 Voter Identification and Poll Regulation Conference Report Adopted - House (84 - 73)
May 11, 2006 MO CCS SS HCS HB 1900 Campaign Finance and Lobbying Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 67)
March 29, 2007 NC CS HB 91 One-Stop Registration and Voting Sites Bill Passed - House (66 - 45)
April 7, 2008 MN Emmer Amnd. Voter Identification Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70)
Aug. 25, 2020 ID H 1 Prohibits Exclusively Mail-In Elections Bill Passed - House (67 - 0)
Jan. 19, 2023 ID H 1 Requires a Hand Recount of All Election Ballots Bill Passed - House (69 - 0)
March 8, 2017 NC H 100 Restores Partisan Court Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 43)
Feb. 20, 2023 ID H 124 Prohibits Using Student ID at Voting Polls Bill Passed - House (59 - 11)
Feb. 24, 2023 ID H 138 Amends Date of the State Presidential Primary from March to May Bill Passed - House (61 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/10 AB 800 Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to Conduct Audits and Investigations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 19)
8/08 AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/23 AB 817 Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements Bill Passed - House (49 - 23)
5/04 AB 84 Authorizes Earlier Presidential Primary Bill Passed - House (52 - 20)
6/18 AB 860 Authorizes Vote By Mail Absentee Ballots Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 5)
5/26 AB 884 Requires the Attorney General to Denote Ballot Initiatives That May Be Unconstitutional Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
8/29 ACA 10 Limits Citizen-led Initiatives to Amend the State Constitution Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 30)
1/30 AJR 1 Requests Constitutional Convention to Overturn Citizens United Bill Passed - House (51 - 20)
4/17 AJR 17 Voter Identification Constitutional Amendment Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
3/06 AJR 63 Limits Recalls of Elected Officials Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 37)
7/06 Amdt 2 Lobbying Restrictions Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 48)
3/15 Amend HB 2542 Presidential Primary Funding Amendment Adopted - House (85 - 34)
3/23 AR 15 Requires the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections to Investigate Administration of Elections in the State Bill Passed - House (58 - 35)
10/18 AR 86 Opposes the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United Versus Federal Elections Commission Resolution Passed - House (49 - 23)
4/01 Buesgens Amnd. Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69)
4/19 Burges Amdt Verification of Presidential Candidate's Birth Certificate Motion Rejected - House (22 - 31)
5/12 CCS2 HCS SS2 SCS SB 1014 Voter Identification and Poll Regulation Conference Report Adopted - House (84 - 73)
5/11 CCS SS HCS HB 1900 Campaign Finance and Lobbying Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 67)
3/29 CS HB 91 One-Stop Registration and Voting Sites Bill Passed - House (66 - 45)
4/07 Emmer Amnd. Voter Identification Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70)
8/25 H 1 Prohibits Exclusively Mail-In Elections Bill Passed - House (67 - 0)
1/19 H 1 Requires a Hand Recount of All Election Ballots Bill Passed - House (69 - 0)
3/08 H 100 Restores Partisan Court Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 43)
2/20 H 124 Prohibits Using Student ID at Voting Polls Bill Passed - House (59 - 11)
2/24 H 138 Amends Date of the State Presidential Primary from March to May Bill Passed - House (61 - 6)

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