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
Dec. 17, 2009 OH HB 318 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
Oct. 9, 2009 PA HB 1614 Fiscal Code Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
Sept. 30, 2009 National HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38)
Sept. 23, 2009 OH SJR 5 Redistricting Commission Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
March 19, 2009 NM HB 393 Opening Conference Committees to the Public Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8)
March 11, 2009 UT HB 345 Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
March 5, 2009 GA SB 200 Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
Feb. 26, 2009 National S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 25, 2009 NM SB 141 Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12)
Feb. 19, 2009 NC SB 15 Limiting Per Diem Payments to Legislators Motion Agreed - Senate (37 - 11)
Feb. 9, 2009 SD SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Feb. 6, 2009 MT SB 187 Limitations on Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 2, 2009 MT SJ 7 Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Jan. 14, 2009 TX SR 14 Majority Vote Requirement for Voter ID Bill Consideration Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/17 HB 318 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
10/09 HB 1614 Fiscal Code Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
9/30 HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38)
9/23 SJR 5 Redistricting Commission Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
3/19 HB 393 Opening Conference Committees to the Public Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8)
3/11 HB 345 Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
3/05 SB 200 Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
2/26 S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
2/25 SB 141 Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12)
2/19 SB 15 Limiting Per Diem Payments to Legislators Motion Agreed - Senate (37 - 11)
2/09 SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
2/06 SB 187 Limitations on Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/02 SJ 7 Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
1/14 SR 14 Majority Vote Requirement for Voter ID Bill Consideration Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 13)

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