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
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)

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