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
Nov. 19, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
Oct. 10, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48)
Oct. 10, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48)
July 26, 2002 National HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - House (295 - 132)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
July 24, 2002 National H Res 495 Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1)
July 24, 2002 National HR 5120 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - House (308 - 121)
July 18, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - House (365 - 49)
June 11, 2002 National S 625 Hate Crimes Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43)
April 11, 2002 National S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
April 11, 2002 National S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
Feb. 27, 2002 National S Amdt 2937 Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/19 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
10/16 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
10/16 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
10/10 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48)
10/10 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - House (357 - 48)
7/26 HR 5005 Establishing the Department of Homeland Security Bill Passed - House (295 - 132)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
7/24 H Res 495 Expulsion of Representative James A. Traficant, Jr., D-Ohio Resolution Passed - House (420 - 1)
7/24 HR 5120 Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2002 Bill Passed - House (308 - 121)
7/18 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - House (365 - 49)
6/11 S 625 Hate Crimes Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 43)
4/11 S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
4/11 S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
2/27 S Amdt 2937 Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51)

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