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. 18, 2014 National S 2685 USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
Sept. 18, 2014 National H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Sept. 18, 2014 National H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
May 1, 2014 FL HB 851 Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
April 17, 2014 AZ HB 2462 Authorizes the State to Create a Virtual Border Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
March 24, 2014 TN SB 2115 Authorizes In-State Tuition for Certain Students Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
March 17, 2014 NY A 2597A Establishes the New York DREAM Fund Commission Bill Failed - Senate (30 - 29)
March 6, 2014 National S 1752 Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 45)
Feb. 28, 2014 AK HB 1 Requires Certain Drivers Licenses to Expire Pursuant to their Visa Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 4)
Jan. 31, 2014 WA SB 6523 Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/18 S 2685 USA FREEDOM Act of 2014 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
9/18 H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
9/18 H J Res 124 Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
5/01 HB 851 Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
4/17 HB 2462 Authorizes the State to Create a Virtual Border Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
3/24 SB 2115 Authorizes In-State Tuition for Certain Students Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
3/17 A 2597A Establishes the New York DREAM Fund Commission Bill Failed - Senate (30 - 29)
3/06 S 1752 Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 45)
2/28 HB 1 Requires Certain Drivers Licenses to Expire Pursuant to their Visa Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 4)
1/31 SB 6523 Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10)

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