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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 19, 2019 National HR 5377 Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act Bill Passed - House (218 - 206)
Dec. 18, 2019 National H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (229 - 198)
Dec. 18, 2019 National H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (229 - 198)
Dec. 18, 2019 National H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (230 - 197)
Dec. 18, 2019 National H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (230 - 197)
Dec. 18, 2019 PA HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - House (102 - 95)
Dec. 18, 2019 PA HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - House (102 - 95)
Dec. 11, 2019 OH HB 242 Prohibits Local Government from Enacting Fees on Plastic Bags in Stores Bill Passed - House (58 - 35)
Dec. 6, 2019 National HR 4 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (228 - 187)
Dec. 2, 2019 National PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 15)
Nov. 21, 2019 National PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 18)
Nov. 13, 2019 National PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security (54 - 41)
Nov. 13, 2019 OH HB 272 Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election Bill Passed - House (91 - 0)
Nov. 12, 2019 National PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security Cloture Invoked - Senate (54 - 40)
Nov. 12, 2019 IL SB 533 Establishes Permanent Daylight Savings Time Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 2)
Nov. 5, 2019 WI SJR 59 Prohibits the Governor from Using Partial Veto to Increase State Expenditures Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
Oct. 31, 2019 National H Res 660 Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (232 - 196)
Oct. 31, 2019 National H Res 660 Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (232 - 196)
Oct. 30, 2019 NC SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 51)
Oct. 29, 2019 NC SB 522 Amends the Innovative School District (ISD) Program Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 16)
Oct. 29, 2019 NC SB 522 Amends the Innovative School District (ISD) Program Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 48)
Oct. 29, 2019 PA SB 421 Establishes Mail-In Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
Oct. 29, 2019 PA SB 421 Establishes Mail-In Voting Bill Passed - House (138 - 61)
Oct. 29, 2019 IL SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
Oct. 24, 2019 OH HB 76 Establishes the Ballot Uniformity and Transparency Act for Tax Levies Bill Passed - House (54 - 39)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/19 HR 5377 Restoring Tax Fairness for States and Localities Act Bill Passed - House (218 - 206)
12/18 H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (229 - 198)
12/18 H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (229 - 198)
12/18 H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (230 - 197)
12/18 H Res 755 Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (230 - 197)
12/18 HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - House (102 - 95)
12/18 HB 196 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Elect Appellate Court Judges by Regional Districts Bill Passed - House (102 - 95)
12/11 HB 242 Prohibits Local Government from Enacting Fees on Plastic Bags in Stores Bill Passed - House (58 - 35)
12/06 HR 4 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (228 - 187)
12/02 PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 15)
11/21 PN 1268 Nomination of Dan Brouillette as the Secretary of Energy Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 18)
11/13 PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security (54 - 41)
11/13 HB 272 Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election Bill Passed - House (91 - 0)
11/12 PN 410 Nomination of Chad Wolf to be Under Secretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans for the Department of Homeland Security Cloture Invoked - Senate (54 - 40)
11/12 SB 533 Establishes Permanent Daylight Savings Time Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 2)
11/05 SJR 59 Prohibits the Governor from Using Partial Veto to Increase State Expenditures Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
10/31 H Res 660 Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (232 - 196)
10/31 H Res 660 Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (232 - 196)
10/30 SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 51)
10/29 SB 522 Amends the Innovative School District (ISD) Program Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 16)
10/29 SB 522 Amends the Innovative School District (ISD) Program Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 48)
10/29 SB 421 Establishes Mail-In Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
10/29 SB 421 Establishes Mail-In Voting Bill Passed - House (138 - 61)
10/29 SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 40)
10/24 HB 76 Establishes the Ballot Uniformity and Transparency Act for Tax Levies Bill Passed - House (54 - 39)

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