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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 27, 2008 | RI | S 2081 | Allowing Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| May 27, 2008 | RI | S 2112 | National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
| May 8, 2008 | RI | H 7106 | Allow Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (51 - 11) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 3) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27) |
| May 6, 2008 | OK | SB 1150 | Voter Identification Requirement | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 1, 2008 | IL | SJRCA 70 | Constitutional Amendment to recall certain elected officials | Bill Failed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| April 25, 2008 | VT | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51) |
| April 23, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| April 23, 2008 | DE | SB 195 | Election Day Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| April 23, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| April 22, 2008 | VT | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| April 15, 2008 | National | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
| April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
| April 1, 2008 | MN | Buesgens Amnd. | Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/27 | S 2081 | Allowing Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| 5/27 | S 2112 | National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 5/22 | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 5/16 | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 72) |
| 5/08 | H 7106 | Allow Sixteen- and Seventeen-Year-Olds to Pre-register to Vote | Bill Passed - House (51 - 11) |
| 5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
| 5/06 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15) |
| 5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 3) |
| 5/06 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27) |
| 5/06 | SB 1150 | Voter Identification Requirement | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| 5/05 | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| 5/05 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/05 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/01 | SJRCA 70 | Constitutional Amendment to recall certain elected officials | Bill Failed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| 4/30 | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| 4/25 | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51) |
| 4/23 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 4/23 | SB 195 | Election Day Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 4/23 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| 4/22 | S 278 | Campaign Finance Limitations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 4/15 | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
| 4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 4/07 | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| 4/07 | Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
| 4/01 | Buesgens Amnd. | Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69) |