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
Sept. 9, 2011 CA SB 292 Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
June 23, 2011 National S Amdt 499 Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
April 13, 2011 AZ HB 2177 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Presidential Candidates Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
April 6, 2011 OR SB 552 Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
April 5, 2011 MD HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
March 15, 2011 MI HB 4214 Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
March 9, 2011 MI HB 4216 Local Governments Fiscal Accountability Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Feb. 23, 2011 UT SJR 9 Supervision of Public Education Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6)
Feb. 22, 2011 VT S 31 Electing the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/09 SB 292 Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
6/23 S Amdt 499 Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
4/13 HB 2177 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Presidential Candidates Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
4/06 SB 552 Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
4/05 HB 302 Parole Approval Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
3/15 HB 4214 Fiscal Accountability for Local Governments and School Districts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
3/09 HB 4216 Local Governments Fiscal Accountability Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
2/23 SJR 9 Supervision of Public Education Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6)
2/22 S 31 Electing the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)

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