Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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. 18, 2010 National HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
Dec. 1, 2010 IL SB 1716 Authorizing Civil Unions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24)
June 24, 2010 NY S 1523 Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21)
May 12, 2010 MN SF 341 Domestic Partner Death Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
Feb. 8, 2010 VA SB 66 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
Jan. 28, 2010 IN SJR 13 Defining Marriage as Being Between One Man and One Woman Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
Jan. 22, 2010 HI HB 444 Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
Jan. 7, 2010 NJ S 1967 Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/18 HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
12/01 SB 1716 Authorizing Civil Unions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24)
6/24 S 1523 Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21)
5/12 SF 341 Domestic Partner Death Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
2/08 SB 66 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
1/28 SJR 13 Defining Marriage as Being Between One Man and One Woman Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
1/22 HB 444 Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
1/07 S 1967 Legalizing Same Sex Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20)

arrow_upward