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. 6, 2019 | National | HR 4 | Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 | Bill Passed - House (228 - 187) |
Nov. 13, 2019 | OH | HB 272 | Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election | Bill Passed - House (91 - 0) |
Oct. 30, 2019 | NC | SB 250 | Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals | Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 51) |
Oct. 29, 2019 | PA | SB 421 | Establishes Mail-In Voting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
Oct. 29, 2019 | PA | SB 421 | Establishes Mail-In Voting | Bill Passed - House (138 - 61) |
Oct. 29, 2019 | IL | SB 1970 | Authorizes Student Absences for Voting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 40) |
Oct. 24, 2019 | OH | HB 76 | Establishes the Ballot Uniformity and Transparency Act for Tax Levies | Bill Passed - House (54 - 39) |
Oct. 23, 2019 | National | HR 4617 | Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act | Bill Passed - House (227 - 181) |
Sept. 18, 2019 | NH | HB 706 | Establishes an Independent Redistricting Commission | Veto Override Failed - House (227 - 145) |
Sept. 13, 2019 | CA | AB 681 | Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 13) |
Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 681 | Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
Aug. 27, 2019 | NJ | S 4069 | Amends Absentee Ballot Regulations | Bill Passed - House (45 - 14) |
Aug. 26, 2019 | NJ | S 4069 | Amends Absentee Ballot Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
July 8, 2019 | CA | SB 27 | Requires Presidential and Gubernatorial Candidates to Release Tax Returns | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
July 1, 2019 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 8) |
June 30, 2019 | OR | HB 2983 | Requires Disclosure of Organizations Giving Certain Monetary Donations to Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
June 30, 2019 | OR | SJR 18 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment Referral for Allowing Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Limits | Bill Passed - House (43 - 11) |
June 30, 2019 | OR | SB 861 | Requires State to Pay for Ballot Return Envelopes | Bill Passed - House (38 - 17) |
June 29, 2019 | OR | SJR 18 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment Referral for Allowing Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5) |
June 29, 2019 | OR | SB 861 | Requires State to Pay for Ballot Return Envelopes | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 315 | Repeals Participation in Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 142) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 315 | Repeals Participation in Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
June 27, 2019 | PA | SB 48 | Amends State Election Laws Regarding Straight Party Voting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
June 27, 2019 | PA | SB 48 | Amends State Election Laws Regarding Straight Party Voting | Bill Passed - House (111 - 88) |
June 27, 2019 | National | HR 2722 | Securing America's Federal Elections (SAFE) Act | Bill Passed - House (225 - 184) |
June 20, 2019 | NY | S 6532 | Extends Voter Registration Cutoff | Bill Passed - House (106 - 41) |
June 19, 2019 | ME | LD 1083 | Increases the Use of Ranked Choice Voting | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (86 - 59) |
June 19, 2019 | NY | S 6532 | Extends Voter Registration Cutoff | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
June 18, 2019 | ME | LD 1083 | Increases the Use of Ranked Choice Voting | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 14) |
June 13, 2019 | NY | S 3822 | Authorizes Certain Individuals to Vote in Primary at 17 | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
June 12, 2019 | ME | LD 816 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (77 - 69) |
June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 1463 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
June 6, 2019 | OR | HB 2983 | Requires Disclosure of Organizations Giving Certain Monetary Donations to Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (39 - 17) |
June 5, 2019 | OR | SB 870 | Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
June 5, 2019 | ME | LD 1463 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (88 - 56) |
June 4, 2019 | ME | LD 1626 | Establishes a Presidential Primary System in Maine | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (88 - 53) |
June 3, 2019 | ME | LD 1626 | Establishes a Presidential Primary System in Maine | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 13) |
June 1, 2019 | IL | HB 2625 | Requires Subcircuit Judicial Boundary Lines be Redrawn | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 46) |
May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 651 | Authorizes the Use of Campaign Funds for Child Care Expenses | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (15 - 9) |
May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 611 | Increases Access to Absentee Voting | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (13 - 11) |
May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 105 | Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
May 28, 2019 | IL | SB 2090 | Expands Access to Voting in Jails | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
May 28, 2019 | CT | HB 7160 | Authorizes Voting Access to Parolees | Bill Passed - House (84 - 60) |
May 24, 2019 | AZ | SB 1451 | Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (31 - 29) |
May 24, 2019 | AZ | SB 1451 | Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 10) |
May 24, 2019 | NV | SB 450 | Amends Provisions Relating to Recall Elections | Bill Passed - House (30 - 9) |
May 23, 2019 | IL | HB 2625 | Requires Subcircuit Judicial Boundary Lines be Redrawn | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
May 21, 2019 | NV | AB 186 | Authorizes Nevada to Join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 8) |
May 21, 2019 | NY | S 4347 | Limits Corporate Influence and Participation in Political Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
May 21, 2019 | NY | S 4347 | Limits Corporate Influence and Participation in Political Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |