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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |