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 6, 2013 | KY | HB 2 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | KS | SB 63 | Authorizes Secretary of State to Prosecute Election Fraud Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | AZ | HB 2593 | Amends Campaign Finance Limits | Bill Passed - House (32 - 23) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | MT | HB 229 | Amends Campaign Finance Limits | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| Feb. 21, 2013 | MT | HB 254 | Requires Disclaimers on Elections Materials | Bill Passed - House (76 - 23) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | VA | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 34) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | AR | SB 2 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | MO | HB 48 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - House (105 - 48) |
| Feb. 5, 2013 | VA | SB 719 | Amends Voting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 5, 2013 | VA | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 1, 2013 | MT | HB 30 | Prohibits Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | KS | HB 2023 | Prohibits Manditory Labor Organizational Fees for Political Purposes | Bill Passed - House (68 - 56) |
| Jan. 28, 2013 | VA | SB 690 | Reduces the Number of Signatures Required to Run for President | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | A 2870 | Establishes Online Vote Registration | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | AR 86 | Opposes the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United Versus Federal Elections Commission | Resolution Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| Sept. 19, 2012 | National | HR 5912 | Prohibits Public Funding for Political Party Conventions | Bill Passed - House (310 - 95) |
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | ACA 10 | Limits Citizen-led Initiatives to Amend the State Constitution | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 30) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 29) |
| Aug. 23, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| July 17, 2012 | National | S 3369 | DISCLOSE Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| June 27, 2012 | CA | AB 1499 | Ballot Order for Statewide Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/06 | HB 2 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
| 2/28 | SB 63 | Authorizes Secretary of State to Prosecute Election Fraud Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 2/28 | HB 2593 | Amends Campaign Finance Limits | Bill Passed - House (32 - 23) |
| 2/26 | HB 229 | Amends Campaign Finance Limits | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| 2/21 | HB 254 | Requires Disclaimers on Elections Materials | Bill Passed - House (76 - 23) |
| 2/20 | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 34) |
| 2/20 | SB 2 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/14 | HB 48 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - House (105 - 48) |
| 2/05 | SB 719 | Amends Voting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 2/05 | SB 1256 | Requires Photo Identification for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 2/01 | HB 30 | Prohibits Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (60 - 38) |
| 1/31 | HB 2023 | Prohibits Manditory Labor Organizational Fees for Political Purposes | Bill Passed - House (68 - 56) |
| 1/28 | SB 690 | Reduces the Number of Signatures Required to Run for President | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 10/18 | A 2870 | Establishes Online Vote Registration | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 10/18 | AR 86 | Opposes the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United Versus Federal Elections Commission | Resolution Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| 9/19 | HR 5912 | Prohibits Public Funding for Political Party Conventions | Bill Passed - House (310 - 95) |
| 8/29 | ACA 10 | Limits Citizen-led Initiatives to Amend the State Constitution | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 30) |
| 8/27 | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 29) |
| 8/23 | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 7/17 | S 3369 | DISCLOSE Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 6/27 | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112) |
| 6/27 | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110) |
| 6/27 | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| 6/27 | SB 289 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| 6/27 | AB 1499 | Ballot Order for Statewide Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 24) |