Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
March 23, 2017 IA HF 516 Requires Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
March 20, 2017 CA AB 18 Authorizes a Ballot Measure to Appropriate $3 Billion to State Parks Bill Passed - House (59 - 19)
March 16, 2017 NJ S 3048 Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
March 13, 2017 NJ S 3048 Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
March 9, 2017 IA HF 516 Requires Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (59 - 40)
March 8, 2017 NC H 100 Restores Partisan Court Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 43)
March 8, 2017 AR HB 1047 Requires Voters to Provide Identification When Voting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
Feb. 22, 2017 NV IP 1 Requires Automatic Voter Registration when Applying for Driver's License Bill Passed - House (27 - 15)
Jan. 31, 2017 AR HB 1047 Requires Voters to Provide Identification When Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 21)
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)
Aug. 16, 2016 CA AB 2466 Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
June 27, 2016 NC SB 897 Establishes Electoral Districts for City of Asheville Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
May 31, 2016 CA AB 2466 Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
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)
May 19, 2016 IL SB 250 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 16)
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)
April 27, 2016 LA HB 598 Amends Voter Registration Policies for Convicted Felons Bill Failed - House (37 - 60)
April 21, 2016 IL SJRCA 30 Amends Redistricting Process Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19)
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)
March 29, 2016 RI H 7024 Authorizes Online Voting Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
March 29, 2016 AZ SB 1516 Repeals Certain Campaign Finance Reforms Bill Passed - House (31 - 27)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/23 HF 516 Requires Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
3/20 AB 18 Authorizes a Ballot Measure to Appropriate $3 Billion to State Parks Bill Passed - House (59 - 19)
3/16 S 3048 Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
3/13 S 3048 Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
3/09 HF 516 Requires Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (59 - 40)
3/08 H 100 Restores Partisan Court Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 43)
3/08 HB 1047 Requires Voters to Provide Identification When Voting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
2/22 IP 1 Requires Automatic Voter Registration when Applying for Driver's License Bill Passed - House (27 - 15)
1/31 HB 1047 Requires Voters to Provide Identification When Voting Bill Passed - House (74 - 21)
9/14 HB 1631 Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 7)
9/14 HB 1631 Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (115 - 41)
8/16 AB 2466 Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
6/27 SB 897 Establishes Electoral Districts for City of Asheville Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
5/31 AB 2466 Expands Voting Rights for Certain Convicted Felons Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
5/25 SB 296 Requires Bond for Extended Polling Hours Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
5/25 SB 296 Requires Bond for Extended Polling Hours Bill Passed - House (64 - 32)
5/19 SB 250 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 16)
5/04 HB 1631 Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - House (112 - 38)
5/03 HB 1631 Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
4/27 HB 598 Amends Voter Registration Policies for Convicted Felons Bill Failed - House (37 - 60)
4/21 SJRCA 30 Amends Redistricting Process Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19)
4/13 LB 580 Establishes Independent Redistricting Commission Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 15)
4/04 LB 10 Establishes Winner-Take-All Election System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
3/29 H 7024 Authorizes Online Voting Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
3/29 SB 1516 Repeals Certain Campaign Finance Reforms Bill Passed - House (31 - 27)

arrow_upward