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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 29, 2016 | AZ | SB 1516 | Repeals Certain Campaign Finance Reforms | Bill Passed - House (31 - 27) |
Feb. 10, 2016 | AZ | HB 2567 | Repeals State Presidential Primary Election Process | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
March 8, 2016 | AZ | SB 1516 | Repeals Certain Campaign Finance Reforms | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
Aug. 16, 2016 | CA | AB 2466 | Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
May 31, 2016 | CA | AB 2466 | Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
Feb. 24, 2016 | CO | SB 112 | Requires Certain Number of Polling Centers | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
March 2, 2016 | CO | SB 74 | Authorizes Voters to Opt Out of Mail Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
May 19, 2016 | IL | SB 250 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 16) |
April 21, 2016 | IL | SJRCA 30 | Amends Redistricting Process | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
March 10, 2016 | KY | SB 8 | Requires the State Supreme Court to Review Judicial Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
March 14, 2016 | KY | HB 290 | Authorizes In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
Jan. 19, 2016 | KY | SB 10 | Requires Gubernatorial Elections to be Held on Even-Numbered Years | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
April 27, 2016 | LA | HB 598 | Amends Voter Registration Policies for Convicted Felons | Bill Failed - House (37 - 60) |
March 29, 2016 | LA | SB 164 | Amends Absentee Voting Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
Feb. 9, 2016 | MD | HB 980 | Authorizes Felons to Vote While on Parole | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
Jan. 20, 2016 | MD | HB 980 | Authorizes Felons to Vote While on Parole | Veto Override Passed - House (85 - 56) |
March 21, 2016 | MD | HB 1007 | Establishes Electronic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (93 - 43) |
Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | HB 1631 | Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | HB 1631 | Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (115 - 41) |
May 4, 2016 | MO | HB 1631 | Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (112 - 38) |
May 3, 2016 | MO | HB 1631 | Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
Jan. 21, 2016 | MO | HJR 53 | Requires Individuals to Show Identification in Order to Vote | Joint Resolution Passed - House (116 - 40) |
Jan. 21, 2016 | MO | HB 1631 | Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (114 - 39) |
Feb. 24, 2016 | MS | HB 868 | Amends State Supreme Court District Boundaries | Bill Passed - House (71 - 50) |
Feb. 19, 2016 | NC | HB 2 | Amends Congressional Primary Election Date | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 15) |
Feb. 19, 2016 | NC | SB 2 | Amends Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - House (65 - 43) |
Feb. 18, 2016 | NC | SB 2 | Amends Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
Feb. 18, 2016 | NC | HB 2 | Amends Congressional Primary Election Date | Bill Passed - House (71 - 32) |
June 27, 2016 | NC | SB 897 | Establishes Electoral Districts for City of Asheville | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
April 13, 2016 | NE | LB 580 | Establishes Independent Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 15) |
April 4, 2016 | NE | LB 10 | Establishes Winner-Take-All Election System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
Jan. 21, 2016 | NH | SB 4 | Requires an Individual to Live in the State for 30 Days to be Eligible to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 11) |
Feb. 17, 2016 | NM | HB 138 | Authorizes Certain Minors to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
May 25, 2016 | OH | SB 296 | Requires Bond for Extended Polling Hours | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
May 25, 2016 | OH | SB 296 | Requires Bond for Extended Polling Hours | Bill Passed - House (64 - 32) |
March 29, 2016 | RI | H 7024 | Authorizes Online Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
Feb. 24, 2016 | UT | SJR 2 | Urges Congress to Repeal the 17th Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
Feb. 1, 2016 | VA | SB 106 | Authorizes No-Excuse In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
Feb. 4, 2016 | WA | HB 1745 | Amends Certain Election Procedures | Bill Passed - House (50 - 47) |
Feb. 15, 2016 | WA | HB 2682 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
Feb. 9, 2016 | WI | SB 295 | Authorizes Voters to Register Online | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
Feb. 19, 2016 | WV | HB 4013 | Requires Certain Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |