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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 16, 2008 | OH | SB 380 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
Dec. 11, 2008 | MI | HB 6610 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4090 | Expanding Early Voting | Bill Passed - House (58 - 50) |
Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
July 15, 2008 | National | HR 5803 | Backup Paper Ballots | Bill Failed - House (248 - 170) |
July 9, 2008 | MA | H 678 | National Popular Vote Plan | Bill Passed - House (116 - 37) |
July 9, 2008 | MA | Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
July 9, 2008 | MA | Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
June 27, 2008 | AZ | HCR 2024 | Election of Superior Court Judges | Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32) |
June 26, 2008 | WV | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 21) |
June 19, 2008 | RI | S 2112 | National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (34 - 28) |
June 11, 2008 | RI | S 2081 | Allowing Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (55 - 9) |
May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
May 16, 2008 | MO | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
May 8, 2008 | RI | H 7106 | Allow Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (51 - 11) |
May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15) |
May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27) |
May 5, 2008 | MN | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
April 25, 2008 | VT | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51) |
April 23, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
April 15, 2008 | National | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
April 7, 2008 | MN | Voter Registration Training Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
April 7, 2008 | MN | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
April 1, 2008 | MN | Buesgens Amnd. | Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69) |
April 1, 2008 | KY | HB 70 | Restoring Voting Rights to Former Felons | Bill Passed - House (80 - 14) |
March 12, 2008 | OK | HB 2196 | Campaign Finance Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 8) |
March 10, 2008 | OK | HB 2956 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
March 5, 2008 | SC | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
March 4, 2008 | WA | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (51 - 43) |
Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - House (48 - 17) |
Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1233 | Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
Feb. 22, 2008 | LA | SB 3 | Restrictions on Gifts to Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (95 - 5) |
Feb. 20, 2008 | WY | HB 3 | Campaign Finance Reporting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
Feb. 18, 2008 | WY | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 2) |
Feb. 14, 2008 | LA | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
Jan. 25, 2008 | WA | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
Jan. 9, 2008 | IL | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/16 | SB 380 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
12/11 | HB 6610 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
12/04 | HB 4090 | Expanding Early Voting | Bill Passed - House (58 - 50) |
8/30 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
7/15 | HR 5803 | Backup Paper Ballots | Bill Failed - House (248 - 170) |
7/09 | H 678 | National Popular Vote Plan | Bill Passed - House (116 - 37) |
7/09 | Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
7/09 | Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
6/27 | HCR 2024 | Election of Superior Court Judges | Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32) |
6/26 | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 21) |
6/19 | S 2112 | National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (34 - 28) |
6/11 | S 2081 | Allowing Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (55 - 9) |
5/29 | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
5/16 | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
5/08 | H 7106 | Allow Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (51 - 11) |
5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
5/06 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15) |
5/06 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27) |
5/05 | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
4/30 | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
4/25 | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51) |
4/23 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
4/15 | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
4/07 | Voter Registration Training Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
4/07 | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
4/01 | Buesgens Amnd. | Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69) |
4/01 | HB 70 | Restoring Voting Rights to Former Felons | Bill Passed - House (80 - 14) |
3/12 | HB 2196 | Campaign Finance Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 8) |
3/10 | HB 2956 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
3/05 | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
3/04 | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (51 - 43) |
2/27 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - House (48 - 17) |
2/27 | HB 1233 | Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
2/22 | SB 3 | Restrictions on Gifts to Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (95 - 5) |
2/20 | HB 3 | Campaign Finance Reporting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
2/18 | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 2) |
2/14 | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
2/06 | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
2/06 | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
1/25 | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
1/09 | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |