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 6, 2012 NH SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (255 - 103)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (260 - 101)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
May 31, 2012 MA H Amdt 11 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
May 29, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
May 29, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 24, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
May 22, 2012 IL SB 1808 Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (71 - 45)
May 22, 2012 LA HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 18, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
May 16, 2012 National HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/06 SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
6/06 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (255 - 103)
6/06 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (260 - 101)
5/31 HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
5/31 HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
5/31 H Amdt 11 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43)
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/30 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
5/29 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
5/29 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/24 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
5/22 SB 1808 Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (71 - 45)
5/22 HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/18 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
5/18 H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
5/18 H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
5/16 HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)

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