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
June 10, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
June 9, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
June 9, 2011 AL HB 60 Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9)
June 8, 2011 WI SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
May 27, 2011 NV AB 552 DNA Samples for Felony Charges Bill Passed - House (31 - 11)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
May 25, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64)
May 23, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2)
May 23, 2011 National S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
May 21, 2011 MN SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62)
May 20, 2011 TN SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
May 18, 2011 TN SJR 221 Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4)
May 16, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
May 13, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (84 - 55)
May 12, 2011 RI S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
May 11, 2011 SC H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
May 11, 2011 KS SB 129 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23)
May 11, 2011 MN SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27)
May 9, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
May 4, 2011 FL HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 34)
May 4, 2011 FL SJR 2 Authorizes Exemptions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 37)
May 4, 2011 FL HJR 381 Homestead and Property Assessment Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
April 28, 2011 FL HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12)
April 27, 2011 FL HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 35)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/10 LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
6/09 LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
6/09 HB 60 Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9)
6/08 SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
5/27 AB 552 DNA Samples for Felony Charges Bill Passed - House (31 - 11)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
5/25 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64)
5/23 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2)
5/23 S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
5/21 SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62)
5/20 SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
5/18 SJR 221 Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4)
5/16 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
5/13 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (84 - 55)
5/12 S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
5/11 H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
5/11 SB 129 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23)
5/11 SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27)
5/09 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
5/04 HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 34)
5/04 SJR 2 Authorizes Exemptions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 37)
5/04 HJR 381 Homestead and Property Assessment Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
4/28 HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12)
4/27 HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 35)

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