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
Dec. 4, 2006 NJ S 2193 Presidential Primaries Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Aug. 16, 2006 CA SCA 3 Redistricting Commission Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
July 19, 2006 NC HB 1024 Instant Runoff Voting Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
July 13, 2006 MA H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
June 14, 2006 SC H 4410 Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements Bill Veto Override Failed - Senate (8 - 29)
June 13, 2006 RI H 6874 Ballot Questions from Governor Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
May 11, 2006 MO CCS2 HCS SS2 SCS SB 1014 Voter Identification and Poll Regulation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 10)
May 11, 2006 MO CCS SS HCS HB 1900 Campaign Finance and Lobbying Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5)
May 10, 2006 KS SB 142 Campaign Finance Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11)
May 4, 2006 IL HB 1918 Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 16)
May 3, 2006 PA SB 999 Voting Standards Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 13)
May 3, 2006 RI S 2486 Ex-Felon's Voting Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
April 24, 2006 MO SS2 SCS SB 1014 Voter Identification and Poll Regulation Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
April 17, 2006 CO SB 223 Interstate Compact for the Election of the President of the United States by National Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
April 13, 2006 NH HB 345 Photo ID for Voting Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
April 12, 2006 NE LR 449 Impeachment of C. David Hergert Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
April 10, 2006 MD HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
April 10, 2006 MD HB 1368 Election Changes Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
April 3, 2006 NE LB 188 Campaign Finance Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
March 31, 2006 MD HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
Feb. 28, 2006 IN HB 1011 Miscellaneous Election Law Matters Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
Feb. 22, 2006 SD S Amdt 1215re Abortion Ban to Public Vote Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20)
Feb. 15, 2006 PA HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20)
Feb. 14, 2006 LA HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
Feb. 9, 2006 MS SB 2309 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
Feb. 9, 2006 NM SB 344 Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4)
Feb. 6, 2006 MS SB 2119 School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
Feb. 6, 2006 VA Sub SB 313 DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
Jan. 31, 2006 OH HB 3 Election Law Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12)
Jan. 24, 2006 GA SB 84 Voter Identification Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22)
Jan. 12, 2006 GA SB 386 State Senatorial District Composition Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/04 S 2193 Presidential Primaries Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
8/16 SCA 3 Redistricting Commission Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
7/19 HB 1024 Instant Runoff Voting Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
7/13 H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
6/14 H 4410 Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements Bill Veto Override Failed - Senate (8 - 29)
6/13 H 6874 Ballot Questions from Governor Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
5/11 CCS2 HCS SS2 SCS SB 1014 Voter Identification and Poll Regulation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 10)
5/11 CCS SS HCS HB 1900 Campaign Finance and Lobbying Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5)
5/10 SB 142 Campaign Finance Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11)
5/04 HB 1918 Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 16)
5/03 SB 999 Voting Standards Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 13)
5/03 S 2486 Ex-Felon's Voting Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
4/24 SS2 SCS SB 1014 Voter Identification and Poll Regulation Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
4/17 SB 223 Interstate Compact for the Election of the President of the United States by National Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
4/13 HB 345 Photo ID for Voting Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
4/12 LR 449 Impeachment of C. David Hergert Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
4/10 HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
4/10 HB 1368 Election Changes Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
4/03 LB 188 Campaign Finance Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
3/31 HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
2/28 HB 1011 Miscellaneous Election Law Matters Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
2/22 S Amdt 1215re Abortion Ban to Public Vote Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20)
2/15 HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20)
2/14 HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
2/09 SB 2309 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
2/09 SB 344 Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4)
2/06 SB 2119 School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
2/06 Sub SB 313 DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
1/31 HB 3 Election Law Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12)
1/24 SB 84 Voter Identification Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22)
1/12 SB 386 State Senatorial District Composition Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)

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