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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 23, 2013 | KY | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 18) |
| Aug. 23, 2013 | KY | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| Aug. 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| July 25, 2013 | NC | HB 589 | Amends Voter Registration Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| July 25, 2013 | NC | HB 589 | Amends Voter Registration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| July 8, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 7, 2013 | OR | HB 3521 | Requires Voter Registration Agencies to Provide Records for Automatic Registration | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| June 25, 2013 | OR | HB 3521 | Requires Voter Registration Agencies to Provide Records for Automatic Registration | Bill Passed - House (32 - 28) |
| June 23, 2013 | TX | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| June 21, 2013 | TX | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| June 21, 2013 | TX | SB 2 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (109 - 30) |
| June 21, 2013 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 47) |
| June 14, 2013 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| June 13, 2013 | AZ | HB 2305 | Amends Voting Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 13) |
| June 13, 2013 | AZ | HB 2305 | Amends Voting Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 26) |
| June 4, 2013 | CT | HB 6580 | Authorizes Unlimited Spending in State Legislative Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 31, 2013 | CT | HB 6580 | Authorizes Unlimited Spending in State Legislative Elections | Bill Passed - House (71 - 59) |
| May 28, 2013 | OR | SB 154 | Requires Signature Gathering Firms to Meet Certain Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| May 23, 2013 | NV | AB 440 | Extends Voter Registration Period | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 23, 2013 | NV | AB 441 | Authorizes Voting Centers for All Eligible Voters in a City or County | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 23, 2013 | CA | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| May 20, 2013 | AL | SB 445 | Repeals Limits on Campaign Financing | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 4) |
| May 15, 2013 | TX | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Failed - House (61 - 80) |
| May 15, 2013 | IL | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| May 8, 2013 | CT | HJR 36 | Authorizes Early and Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/23 | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 18) |
| 8/23 | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 8/08 | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 7/25 | HB 589 | Amends Voter Registration Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| 7/25 | HB 589 | Amends Voter Registration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 7/08 | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 7/07 | HB 3521 | Requires Voter Registration Agencies to Provide Records for Automatic Registration | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| 6/25 | HB 3521 | Requires Voter Registration Agencies to Provide Records for Automatic Registration | Bill Passed - House (32 - 28) |
| 6/23 | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 6/21 | SB 3 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| 6/21 | SB 2 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (109 - 30) |
| 6/21 | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (93 - 47) |
| 6/14 | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 11) |
| 6/13 | HB 2305 | Amends Voting Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 6/13 | HB 2305 | Amends Voting Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 26) |
| 6/04 | HB 6580 | Authorizes Unlimited Spending in State Legislative Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/31 | HB 6580 | Authorizes Unlimited Spending in State Legislative Elections | Bill Passed - House (71 - 59) |
| 5/28 | SB 154 | Requires Signature Gathering Firms to Meet Certain Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 5/23 | AB 440 | Extends Voter Registration Period | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/23 | AB 441 | Authorizes Voting Centers for All Eligible Voters in a City or County | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/23 | AB 817 | Amends Poll Worker Eligibility Requirements | Bill Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| 5/20 | SB 445 | Repeals Limits on Campaign Financing | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 5/15 | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Failed - House (61 - 80) |
| 5/15 | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| 5/08 | HJR 36 | Authorizes Early and Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |