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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 14, 2008 | LA | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | NM | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | SJR 1 | Eliminating Term Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | WA | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | NH | SB 436 | Reducing the Voting Age for Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NE | LB 39 | Restricting Petition Circulation | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | KY | SB 3 | Primary Elections Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | WA | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| Jan. 9, 2008 | IL | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Jan. 3, 2008 | NJ | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | NJ | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | MA | S 2414 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | National | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | MI | Sub SB 624 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (67 - 34) |
| Aug. 22, 2007 | MI | SB 624 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 2, 2007 | National | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| July 31, 2007 | National | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Bill Passed - House (411 - 8) |
| July 10, 2007 | PA | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| June 20, 2007 | LA | HB 320 | Extension of Satellite Voting Provisions | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21) |
| June 20, 2007 | OR | SB 10 | Legislative Ethics Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |
| June 19, 2007 | SC | S 99 | Presidential Primaries Conducted by the State Election Commission | Veto Override Passed - Senate (36 - 7) |
| June 19, 2007 | SC | S 99 | Presidential Primaries Conducted by the State Election Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (87 - 18) |
| June 18, 2007 | OR | SB 863 | Regulating Automated Phone Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14 | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 2/13 | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| 2/13 | SJR 1 | Eliminating Term Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 2/13 | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 2/07 | SB 436 | Reducing the Voting Age for Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
| 2/06 | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| 2/06 | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
| 2/06 | LB 39 | Restricting Petition Circulation | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| 1/30 | SB 3 | Primary Elections Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 1/25 | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| 1/09 | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 1/03 | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 12/13 | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| 11/15 | S 2414 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 9/18 | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 8/30 | Sub SB 624 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (67 - 34) |
| 8/22 | SB 624 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 8/02 | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14) |
| 7/31 | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Bill Passed - House (411 - 8) |
| 7/10 | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| 6/20 | HB 320 | Extension of Satellite Voting Provisions | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21) |
| 6/20 | SB 10 | Legislative Ethics Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 4) |
| 6/19 | S 99 | Presidential Primaries Conducted by the State Election Commission | Veto Override Passed - Senate (36 - 7) |
| 6/19 | S 99 | Presidential Primaries Conducted by the State Election Commission | Veto Override Passed - House (87 - 18) |
| 6/18 | SB 863 | Regulating Automated Phone Calls | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |