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
March 23, 2022 CT HB 5262 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4)
March 16, 2022 CT HB 5262 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (126 - 16)
Nov. 10, 2021 UT SB 2004 Establishes Workplace COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
Nov. 10, 2021 UT SB 2004 Establishes Workplace COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions Bill Passed - House (55 - 17)
June 14, 2021 NC SB 722 Amends the Date of Local Elections Due to Delay of Release of Redistricting Data Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
June 3, 2021 NJ A 5842 Repeals Certain Requirements for District Board Members at Polling Places Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1)
May 31, 2021 NV AB 321 Specifies Changes Made to the State's Elections During the Pandemic are Permanent Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
May 26, 2021 NV AB 321 Specifies Changes Made to the State's Elections During the Pandemic are Permanent Bill Passed - House (25 - 16)
Feb. 16, 2021 CA SB 29 Authorizes the Continuation of Mail-In Ballots Bill Passed - House (55 - 15)
Jan. 28, 2021 CA SB 29 Authorizes the Continuation of Mail-In Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
Sept. 15, 2020 SC H 5305 Authorizes Absentee Voting Due to the Declared State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 1)
Aug. 2, 2020 NV AB 4 Authorizes Mostly Mail-In Election for 2020 Presidential Election Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
July 31, 2020 NV AB 4 Authorizes Mostly Mail-In Election for 2020 Presidential Election Bill Passed - House (29 - 12)
July 28, 2020 CT HB 6002 Authorizes Statewide Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1)
July 23, 2020 CT HB 6002 Authorizes Statewide Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (144 - 2)
July 2, 2020 MA H 4820 Expands Voting Options in Response to COVID-19 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
July 1, 2020 NH HB 1672 Authorizes Voting by Mail in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Concurrence Vote Passed - House (195 - 130)
June 18, 2020 DE HB 346 Authorizes Voting by Mail for 2020 Elections Bill Passed - House (25 - 13)
June 16, 2020 NH HB 1672 Authorizes Voting by Mail in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
June 12, 2020 VT S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
June 11, 2020 NC HB 1169 Establishes Expedited Vote-By-Mail System in the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
June 2, 2020 VT S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
May 15, 2020 MO SB 631 Authorizes Mail-In Voting During COVID-19 Pandemic Conference Report Adopted - House (121 - 24)
May 12, 2020 SC S 635 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Conference Report Adopted - House (108 - 0)
March 25, 2020 OH HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 0)
March 25, 2020 OH HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/23 HB 5262 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4)
3/16 HB 5262 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (126 - 16)
11/10 SB 2004 Establishes Workplace COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
11/10 SB 2004 Establishes Workplace COVID-19 Vaccine Exemptions Bill Passed - House (55 - 17)
6/14 SB 722 Amends the Date of Local Elections Due to Delay of Release of Redistricting Data Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
6/03 A 5842 Repeals Certain Requirements for District Board Members at Polling Places Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1)
5/31 AB 321 Specifies Changes Made to the State's Elections During the Pandemic are Permanent Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
5/26 AB 321 Specifies Changes Made to the State's Elections During the Pandemic are Permanent Bill Passed - House (25 - 16)
2/16 SB 29 Authorizes the Continuation of Mail-In Ballots Bill Passed - House (55 - 15)
1/28 SB 29 Authorizes the Continuation of Mail-In Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
9/23 HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
9/15 H 5305 Authorizes Absentee Voting Due to the Declared State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 1)
8/02 AB 4 Authorizes Mostly Mail-In Election for 2020 Presidential Election Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
7/31 AB 4 Authorizes Mostly Mail-In Election for 2020 Presidential Election Bill Passed - House (29 - 12)
7/28 HB 6002 Authorizes Statewide Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1)
7/23 HB 6002 Authorizes Statewide Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (144 - 2)
7/02 H 4820 Expands Voting Options in Response to COVID-19 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
7/01 HB 1672 Authorizes Voting by Mail in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Concurrence Vote Passed - House (195 - 130)
6/18 HB 346 Authorizes Voting by Mail for 2020 Elections Bill Passed - House (25 - 13)
6/16 HB 1672 Authorizes Voting by Mail in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
6/12 S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
6/11 HB 1169 Establishes Expedited Vote-By-Mail System in the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
6/02 S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
5/15 SB 631 Authorizes Mail-In Voting During COVID-19 Pandemic Conference Report Adopted - House (121 - 24)
5/12 S 635 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Conference Report Adopted - House (108 - 0)
3/25 HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 0)
3/25 HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0)

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