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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Nov. 19, 2020 PA HR 1100 Requires Legislative Committee Audit Ballots Cast in 2020 General Election Resolution Passed - House (112 - 90)
Oct. 23, 2020 LA HB 51 Prohibits Using Private Funds for Campaign Election Expenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 28)
Oct. 22, 2020 LA SB 20 Amends Election Laws Due to the Declared Disaster Emergency Bill Passed - House (59 - 27)
Oct. 22, 2020 LA HB 51 Prohibits Using Private Funds for Campaign Election Expenses Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Oct. 22, 2020 LA HB 59 Authorizes Additional Compensation to Certain Election Officials for Elections Held During a Gubernatorially Declared Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
Oct. 19, 2020 LA SB 22 Authorizes Additional Time for Processing Absentee Ballots Prior to Election Day 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
Oct. 13, 2020 LA SB 74 Amends Election Penalties Relating to Registration, Fraud, and Forgery Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
Oct. 1, 2020 MI HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
Sept. 30, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (77 - 26)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Bill Passed - House (88 - 17)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - House (74 - 29)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
Sept. 15, 2020 SC H 5305 Authorizes Absentee Voting Due to the Declared State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 1)
Sept. 15, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
Sept. 4, 2020 VA SB 5120 Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
Sept. 2, 2020 PA HB 2626 Amends the Deadline for Mail-In Voting From 7 to 15 Days Before an Election Bill Passed - House (112 - 90)
Sept. 1, 2020 OH HB 272 Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 35)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 646 Authorizes Individuals on Parole for a Felony Conviction to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 16)
Aug. 28, 2020 CA AB 646 Authorizes Individuals on Parole for a Felony Conviction to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
Aug. 28, 2020 VA SB 5120 Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Aug. 27, 2020 NJ A 4475 Requires Ballot Drop Boxes in Every County of New Jersey Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/19 HR 1100 Requires Legislative Committee Audit Ballots Cast in 2020 General Election Resolution Passed - House (112 - 90)
10/23 HB 51 Prohibits Using Private Funds for Campaign Election Expenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 28)
10/22 SB 20 Amends Election Laws Due to the Declared Disaster Emergency Bill Passed - House (59 - 27)
10/22 HB 51 Prohibits Using Private Funds for Campaign Election Expenses Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
10/22 HB 59 Authorizes Additional Compensation to Certain Election Officials for Elections Held During a Gubernatorially Declared Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
10/19 SB 22 Authorizes Additional Time for Processing Absentee Ballots Prior to Election Day 2020 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
10/13 SB 74 Amends Election Penalties Relating to Registration, Fraud, and Forgery Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
10/01 HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
9/30 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/24 SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
9/24 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (77 - 26)
9/24 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
9/24 SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Bill Passed - House (88 - 17)
9/24 HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - House (74 - 29)
9/23 HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
9/15 H 5305 Authorizes Absentee Voting Due to the Declared State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 1)
9/15 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
9/04 SB 5120 Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
9/02 HB 2626 Amends the Deadline for Mail-In Voting From 7 to 15 Days Before an Election Bill Passed - House (112 - 90)
9/01 HB 272 Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 35)
8/30 AB 646 Authorizes Individuals on Parole for a Felony Conviction to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 16)
8/28 AB 646 Authorizes Individuals on Parole for a Felony Conviction to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
8/28 SB 5120 Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
8/27 A 4475 Requires Ballot Drop Boxes in Every County of New Jersey Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)

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