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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 27, 2010 | National | S 3628 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| July 20, 2010 | MA | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Motion Agreed - House (116 - 34) |
| July 19, 2010 | WV | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Motion Agreed - House (85 - 5) |
| July 17, 2010 | WV | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Motion Rejected - House (51 - 34) |
| July 17, 2010 | WV | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Bill Passed - House (46 - 37) |
| July 17, 2010 | WV | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Bill Failed - House (42 - 45) |
| July 15, 2010 | MA | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| July 10, 2010 | NC | HB 748 | Campaign Financing Restrictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| July 9, 2010 | NC | HB 748 | Campaign Financing Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| July 6, 2010 | NC | Amdt 2 | Lobbying Restrictions | Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 48) |
| June 24, 2010 | National | HR 5175 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Bill Passed - House (219 - 206) |
| June 22, 2010 | MI | HB 6186 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 42) |
| June 22, 2010 | MI | HB 6187 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 42) |
| June 22, 2010 | MI | HB 6184 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 44) |
| June 22, 2010 | MI | HB 6183 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 42) |
| June 20, 2010 | LA | HB 671 | Evacuee Requirements for Running for Office | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 24) |
| June 17, 2010 | MI | SJR V | Expanding Prohibitions Against Felons Holding Public Office | Joint Resolution Passed - House (91 - 13) |
| June 9, 2010 | LA | HCR 63 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Congressional Term Limits | Resolution Passed - House (56 - 29) |
| June 2, 2010 | NH | HB 1459 | Campaign Finance Amendments | Conference Report Rejected - House (135 - 184) |
| June 2, 2010 | NH | HB 1459 | Campaign Finance Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| June 2, 2010 | MA | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (114 - 35) |
| May 18, 2010 | LA | Amdt 3107 | Advancing Effective Date of Open Primaries for US Congress Elections | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | SB 203 | Independent expenditures in Colorado elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | SB 203 | Independent expenditures in Colorado elections | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/27 | S 3628 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 7/20 | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Motion Agreed - House (116 - 34) |
| 7/19 | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Motion Agreed - House (85 - 5) |
| 7/17 | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Motion Rejected - House (51 - 34) |
| 7/17 | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Bill Passed - House (46 - 37) |
| 7/17 | HB 201 | Filling Senate Seat Vacancy | Bill Failed - House (42 - 45) |
| 7/15 | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 7/10 | HB 748 | Campaign Financing Restrictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| 7/09 | HB 748 | Campaign Financing Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| 7/06 | Amdt 2 | Lobbying Restrictions | Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 48) |
| 6/24 | HR 5175 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Bill Passed - House (219 - 206) |
| 6/22 | HB 6186 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 42) |
| 6/22 | HB 6187 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 42) |
| 6/22 | HB 6184 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 44) |
| 6/22 | HB 6183 | Campaign Finance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 42) |
| 6/20 | HB 671 | Evacuee Requirements for Running for Office | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 24) |
| 6/17 | SJR V | Expanding Prohibitions Against Felons Holding Public Office | Joint Resolution Passed - House (91 - 13) |
| 6/09 | HCR 63 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Congressional Term Limits | Resolution Passed - House (56 - 29) |
| 6/02 | HB 1459 | Campaign Finance Amendments | Conference Report Rejected - House (135 - 184) |
| 6/02 | HB 1459 | Campaign Finance Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| 6/02 | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (114 - 35) |
| 5/18 | Amdt 3107 | Advancing Effective Date of Open Primaries for US Congress Elections | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 5/11 | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 5/11 | SB 203 | Independent expenditures in Colorado elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 5/11 | SB 203 | Independent expenditures in Colorado elections | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |