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
Feb. 22, 2006 SD S Amdt 1215re Abortion Ban on Ballot Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20)
Feb. 15, 2006 PA HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20)
Feb. 15, 2006 LA HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 32)
Feb. 15, 2006 LA SB 22 State of Emergency Voting Reform Bill Passed - House (72 - 29)
Feb. 14, 2006 PA HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91)
Feb. 14, 2006 LA HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
Feb. 9, 2006 NM SB 344 Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4)
Feb. 9, 2006 MS SB 2309 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
Feb. 6, 2006 VA Sub SB 313 DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
Feb. 6, 2006 MS SB 2119 School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
Feb. 1, 2006 NH HB 621 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (168 - 169)
Feb. 1, 2006 NH HB 345 Photo ID for Voting Bill Passed - House (211 - 149)
Feb. 1, 2006 NH HB 621 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists Bill Passed - House (198 - 144)
Feb. 1, 2006 PA HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (106 - 85)
Jan. 31, 2006 OH HB 3 Election Law Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 40)
Jan. 31, 2006 OH HB 3 Election Law Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12)
Jan. 31, 2006 GA SB 386 State Senatorial District Composition Bill Passed - House (100 - 69)
Jan. 30, 2006 CA AB 583 California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (47 - 31)
Jan. 25, 2006 GA SB 84 Voter Identification Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 60)
Jan. 24, 2006 GA SB 84 Voter Identification Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22)
Jan. 17, 2006 MS HB 519 Campaign Finance Reform Bill Passed - House (99 - 22)
Jan. 12, 2006 GA SB 84 Voter Identification Bill Passed - House (110 - 64)
Jan. 12, 2006 GA SB 386 State Senatorial District Composition Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
Nov. 2, 2005 National HR 1606 Online Freedom of Speech Act Bill Failed - House (225 - 182)
April 22, 2004 National HR 2844 Continuity in Representation Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (306 - 97)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/22 S Amdt 1215re Abortion Ban on Ballot Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20)
2/15 HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20)
2/15 HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 32)
2/15 SB 22 State of Emergency Voting Reform Bill Passed - House (72 - 29)
2/14 HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91)
2/14 HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
2/09 SB 344 Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4)
2/09 SB 2309 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
2/06 Sub SB 313 DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
2/06 SB 2119 School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
2/01 HB 621 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (168 - 169)
2/01 HB 345 Photo ID for Voting Bill Passed - House (211 - 149)
2/01 HB 621 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists Bill Passed - House (198 - 144)
2/01 HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (106 - 85)
1/31 HB 3 Election Law Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 40)
1/31 HB 3 Election Law Reform Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12)
1/31 SB 386 State Senatorial District Composition Bill Passed - House (100 - 69)
1/30 AB 583 California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (47 - 31)
1/25 SB 84 Voter Identification Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 60)
1/24 SB 84 Voter Identification Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22)
1/17 HB 519 Campaign Finance Reform Bill Passed - House (99 - 22)
1/12 SB 84 Voter Identification Bill Passed - House (110 - 64)
1/12 SB 386 State Senatorial District Composition Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
11/02 HR 1606 Online Freedom of Speech Act Bill Failed - House (225 - 182)
4/22 HR 2844 Continuity in Representation Act of 2003 Bill Passed - House (306 - 97)

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