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 7, 2025 AR HJR 1018 Establishes a Citizens-Only Voting Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 6)
April 5, 2025 MT HB 822 Amends Vote Requirements to Enact Constitutional Amendments by Legislative Referendum Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
April 5, 2025 MT HB 821 Amends Vote Requirements to Enact Constitutional Amendment by Initiative Bill Passed - House (56 - 42)
April 4, 2025 MT HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 22)
April 4, 2025 MT HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 22)
April 2, 2025 VA HB 1657 Establishes Timelines for Removal of Ineligible Voters Veto Override Failed - House (50 - 46)
April 2, 2025 VA HB 2056 Authorizes Localities to Set Hours of Operation for Satellite Voting Locations Veto Override Failed - House (50 - 44)
April 1, 2025 MT HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 42)
April 1, 2025 MT HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 42)
April 1, 2025 IN SB 10 Prohibits Use of School IDs for Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (66 - 26)
April 1, 2025 TX SB 16 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
March 31, 2025 SD HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 16)
March 31, 2025 SD HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Passed - House (50 - 18)
March 31, 2025 IN SB 287 Amends School Board Elections to be Partisan Races Bill Passed - House (54 - 40)
March 31, 2025 AR HB 1574 Amends Current Arkansas Laws Regarding Paid Canvassers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
March 31, 2025 AR HB 1574 Amends Current Arkansas Laws Regarding Paid Canvassers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
March 31, 2025 CO SB 25-001 Establishes Protections for Voters in a Protected Class and Authorizes the Filing of Civil Suits for Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2056 Requires Specific Intent as an Element of the Crime of False Representation of an Election Official Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 6)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 52)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 52)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2056 Requires Specific Intent as an Element of the Crime of False Representation of an Election Official Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 37)
March 27, 2025 NH HB 613 Authorizes a Cities to Not Provide Accessible Voting Machines Provided They Posted an Announcement At Least 3 Months Before the Election Asking Voters to Request the Machines be Available in Writing "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (197 - 158)
March 27, 2025 NH SB 287 Requires that Individuals Applying for Absentee Ballots Include a Copy of Their Identification and Signature from a Licensed Notary in Order to Obtain the Ballot by Mail "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/07 HJR 1018 Establishes a Citizens-Only Voting Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 6)
4/05 HB 822 Amends Vote Requirements to Enact Constitutional Amendments by Legislative Referendum Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
4/05 HB 821 Amends Vote Requirements to Enact Constitutional Amendment by Initiative Bill Passed - House (56 - 42)
4/04 HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 22)
4/04 HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 22)
4/02 HB 1657 Establishes Timelines for Removal of Ineligible Voters Veto Override Failed - House (50 - 46)
4/02 HB 2056 Authorizes Localities to Set Hours of Operation for Satellite Voting Locations Veto Override Failed - House (50 - 44)
4/01 HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 42)
4/01 HB 201 Requires Signature Gatherers to Disclose to Individuals They Approach Their First Name and the State Where they Legally Reside Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 42)
4/01 SB 10 Prohibits Use of School IDs for Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (66 - 26)
4/01 SB 16 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
3/31 HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 16)
3/31 HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Passed - House (50 - 18)
3/31 SB 287 Amends School Board Elections to be Partisan Races Bill Passed - House (54 - 40)
3/31 HB 1574 Amends Current Arkansas Laws Regarding Paid Canvassers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
3/31 HB 1574 Amends Current Arkansas Laws Regarding Paid Canvassers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
3/31 SB 25-001 Establishes Protections for Voters in a Protected Class and Authorizes the Filing of Civil Suits for Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
3/27 HB 2056 Requires Specific Intent as an Element of the Crime of False Representation of an Election Official Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 6)
3/27 HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14)
3/27 HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14)
3/27 HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 52)
3/27 HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 52)
3/27 HB 2056 Requires Specific Intent as an Element of the Crime of False Representation of an Election Official Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 37)
3/27 HB 613 Authorizes a Cities to Not Provide Accessible Voting Machines Provided They Posted an Announcement At Least 3 Months Before the Election Asking Voters to Request the Machines be Available in Writing "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (197 - 158)
3/27 SB 287 Requires that Individuals Applying for Absentee Ballots Include a Copy of Their Identification and Signature from a Licensed Notary in Order to Obtain the Ballot by Mail "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)

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