Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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.


Page 1 of 5
results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 18, 2011 TN SJR 221 Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4)
Feb. 23, 2011 UT SJR 9 Supervision of Public Education Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6)
Feb. 1, 2011 IA HJR 6 Banning Same Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37)
Jan. 19, 2011 NY S 1892 Limiting State Spending Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19)
Jan. 24, 2011 VA SB 949 Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
May 11, 2011 SC H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
May 16, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
Dec. 14, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
April 26, 2011 SC H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 36)
June 10, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
May 9, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
Feb. 17, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
July 29, 2011 National S 627 Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41)
May 4, 2011 FL HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 34)
April 20, 2011 AZ HB 2230 Relating to the 9/11 Memorial Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 20)
Aug. 2, 2011 National S 365 Budget Control Act of 2011 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
May 25, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64)
May 20, 2011 TN SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
Feb. 15, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
June 9, 2011 AL HB 60 Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9)
June 9, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
July 22, 2011 National HR 2560 Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/18 SJR 221 Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4)
2/23 SJR 9 Supervision of Public Education Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6)
2/01 HJR 6 Banning Same Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37)
1/19 S 1892 Limiting State Spending Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19)
1/24 SB 949 Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
5/11 H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
5/16 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
12/14 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136)
4/26 H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 36)
6/10 LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
5/09 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
2/17 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
7/29 S 627 Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41)
5/04 HJR 1179 Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 34)
4/20 HB 2230 Relating to the 9/11 Memorial Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 20)
8/02 S 365 Budget Control Act of 2011 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26)
5/25 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64)
5/20 SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
2/15 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
6/09 HB 60 Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9)
6/09 LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
7/22 HR 2560 Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46)

Page 1 of 5
arrow_upward