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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 9, 2009 | OH | SB 8 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
Oct. 15, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
Sept. 23, 2009 | OH | SJR 5 | Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
Sept. 22, 2009 | MA | H 4246 | Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Sept. 14, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2355 | Prohibiting Funding for ACORN | Amendment Adopted - Senate (83 - 7) |
June 30, 2009 | RI | H 5005 | Voter Pre-Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
June 18, 2009 | TN | HB 614 | Delaying Paper Ballot Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 14) |
June 16, 2009 | TN | SB 162 | Creation of the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
June 15, 2009 | LA | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
June 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2005 | Petition Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
May 29, 2009 | CT | SB 913 | Elections to Fill US Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
May 28, 2009 | IL | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
May 21, 2009 | NJ | A 2451 | Vote by Mail | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
May 11, 2009 | MN | SF 1331 | Changing Early Voting and Special Election Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 27) |
April 29, 2009 | IN | HB 1491 | St. Joseph Superior Court Judges | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 18) |
April 29, 2009 | ND | SCR 4038 | Creating a Public Health Investment Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23) |
April 15, 2009 | WA | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
April 8, 2009 | OK | HB 1601 | Regulating Attorney Election Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
April 3, 2009 | GA | SB 86 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
March 23, 2009 | VT | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
March 17, 2009 | NM | SB 263 | Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
March 12, 2009 | WA | SB 5599 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
March 11, 2009 | TX | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 345 | Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
March 10, 2009 | OK | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
Feb. 27, 2009 | VT | S 34 | Presidential Election by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 10) |
Feb. 26, 2009 | National | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
Feb. 20, 2009 | MT | SB 394 | Expanding Mail Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
Feb. 10, 2009 | MT | SB 243 | Majority Vote Requirement for General Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |
Feb. 9, 2009 | SD | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
Feb. 6, 2009 | MT | SB 187 | Limitations on Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
Feb. 4, 2009 | MS | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
Jan. 26, 2009 | VA | SB 810 | Authorizing No-Excuse, In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Jan. 21, 2009 | WY | SF 12 | Increasing Campaign Contribution Limit | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/09 | SB 8 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
10/15 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
9/23 | SJR 5 | Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
9/22 | H 4246 | Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
9/14 | S Amdt 2355 | Prohibiting Funding for ACORN | Amendment Adopted - Senate (83 - 7) |
6/30 | H 5005 | Voter Pre-Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
6/18 | HB 614 | Delaying Paper Ballot Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 14) |
6/16 | SB 162 | Creation of the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
6/15 | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
6/15 | HB 2005 | Petition Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
5/29 | SB 913 | Elections to Fill US Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
5/28 | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
5/21 | A 2451 | Vote by Mail | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
5/11 | SF 1331 | Changing Early Voting and Special Election Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 27) |
4/29 | HB 1491 | St. Joseph Superior Court Judges | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 18) |
4/29 | SCR 4038 | Creating a Public Health Investment Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23) |
4/15 | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
4/08 | HB 1601 | Regulating Attorney Election Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
4/03 | SB 86 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
3/23 | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
3/17 | SB 263 | Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
3/12 | SB 5599 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
3/11 | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
3/11 | HB 345 | Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
3/10 | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
2/27 | S 34 | Presidential Election by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 10) |
2/26 | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
2/20 | SB 394 | Expanding Mail Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
2/10 | SB 243 | Majority Vote Requirement for General Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
2/09 | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
2/09 | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |
2/09 | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
2/06 | SB 187 | Limitations on Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
2/04 | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
2/02 | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
2/02 | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
1/26 | SB 810 | Authorizing No-Excuse, In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
1/21 | SF 12 | Increasing Campaign Contribution Limit | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |