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
April 29, 2021 FL SB 7072 Prohibits Social Media Companies from "Deplatforming" Political Candidates Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
April 28, 2021 AZ SB 1530 Requires Early Ballot Envelope Marking Requirements Bill Passed - House (47 - 13)
April 28, 2021 TX SB 1111 Requires Voters Register Their Physical Address Instead of a P.O. Box When Registering to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
April 28, 2021 NV AB 121 Requires the Secretary of State Establish an Electronic Transmission System for Disabled Voters to Register to Vote Bill Passed - House (32 - 10)
April 27, 2021 MT HB 506 Amends Absentee Ballot Eligibility Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 20)
April 27, 2021 MT HB 506 Amends Absentee Ballot Eligibility Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 34)
April 27, 2021 MT HB 530 Establishes Restrictions on Providing Assistance in Returning a Voter's Mail Ballot Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 34)
April 27, 2021 MT HB 651 Requires Ballot Initiatives Include a Warning Label on the Impact to Local Business Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 33)
April 27, 2021 AL HB 538 Limits the Time Frame for Receiving Absentee Ballot Applications Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 12)
April 26, 2021 MT HB 530 Establishes Restrictions on Providing Assistance in Returning a Voter's Mail Ballot Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
April 22, 2021 OK HB 2663 Authorizes Early In-Person Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 2)
April 22, 2021 AL HB 538 Limits the Time Frame for Receiving Absentee Ballot Applications Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
April 22, 2021 MT HB 651 Requires Ballot Initiatives Include a Warning Label on the Impact to Local Business Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
April 22, 2021 AL HB 154 Requires Municipal Candidates to File Campaign Finance Reports Electronically Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
April 22, 2021 AL HB 388 Requires General Election Laws be Implemented 6 Months Before a General Election Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4)
April 22, 2021 AR SB 701 Establishes a Uniform Process for Opening and Validating all Absentee Ballots Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 20)
April 21, 2021 OK HB 2564 Amends the Election Recount Process to Require Recounts on Statewide Issues or Question Elections Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 8)
April 21, 2021 NY S 830 Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole Bill Passed - House (97 - 52)
April 21, 2021 TN SB 1534 Prohibits Any Person from Contributing Funds to the State Election Commission to Conduct Elections Bill Passed - House (72 - 20)
April 21, 2021 OH SB 80 Requires Party Affiliations of Judicial Candidates to be Listed on Election Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
April 20, 2021 ND SB 2271 Establishes a Statement of Legislative Intent Regarding Presidential Elections Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 12)
April 20, 2021 ND SB 2271 Establishes a Statement of Legislative Intent Regarding Presidential Elections Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8)
April 20, 2021 AZ SB 1485 Rescinds Voters From the Early Ballots Mailing List Bill Passed - House (31 - 29)
April 20, 2021 AR SB 557 Amends the Duties of County Board Election Commissioner Members Bill Passed - House (76 - 17)
April 20, 2021 AR SB 643 Limits the Time Frame for Absentee Ballot Applications to be Received Bill Passed - House (65 - 25)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/29 SB 7072 Prohibits Social Media Companies from "Deplatforming" Political Candidates Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
4/28 SB 1530 Requires Early Ballot Envelope Marking Requirements Bill Passed - House (47 - 13)
4/28 SB 1111 Requires Voters Register Their Physical Address Instead of a P.O. Box When Registering to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/28 AB 121 Requires the Secretary of State Establish an Electronic Transmission System for Disabled Voters to Register to Vote Bill Passed - House (32 - 10)
4/27 HB 506 Amends Absentee Ballot Eligibility Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 20)
4/27 HB 506 Amends Absentee Ballot Eligibility Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 34)
4/27 HB 530 Establishes Restrictions on Providing Assistance in Returning a Voter's Mail Ballot Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 34)
4/27 HB 651 Requires Ballot Initiatives Include a Warning Label on the Impact to Local Business Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 33)
4/27 HB 538 Limits the Time Frame for Receiving Absentee Ballot Applications Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 12)
4/26 HB 530 Establishes Restrictions on Providing Assistance in Returning a Voter's Mail Ballot Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
4/22 HB 2663 Authorizes Early In-Person Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 2)
4/22 HB 538 Limits the Time Frame for Receiving Absentee Ballot Applications Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
4/22 HB 651 Requires Ballot Initiatives Include a Warning Label on the Impact to Local Business Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
4/22 HB 154 Requires Municipal Candidates to File Campaign Finance Reports Electronically Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
4/22 HB 388 Requires General Election Laws be Implemented 6 Months Before a General Election Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4)
4/22 SB 701 Establishes a Uniform Process for Opening and Validating all Absentee Ballots Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 20)
4/21 HB 2564 Amends the Election Recount Process to Require Recounts on Statewide Issues or Question Elections Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 8)
4/21 S 830 Extends Voting Rights to Convicted Felons on Parole Bill Passed - House (97 - 52)
4/21 SB 1534 Prohibits Any Person from Contributing Funds to the State Election Commission to Conduct Elections Bill Passed - House (72 - 20)
4/21 SB 80 Requires Party Affiliations of Judicial Candidates to be Listed on Election Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
4/20 SB 2271 Establishes a Statement of Legislative Intent Regarding Presidential Elections Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 12)
4/20 SB 2271 Establishes a Statement of Legislative Intent Regarding Presidential Elections Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8)
4/20 SB 1485 Rescinds Voters From the Early Ballots Mailing List Bill Passed - House (31 - 29)
4/20 SB 557 Amends the Duties of County Board Election Commissioner Members Bill Passed - House (76 - 17)
4/20 SB 643 Limits the Time Frame for Absentee Ballot Applications to be Received Bill Passed - House (65 - 25)

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