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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
July 22, 2026 National HR 7008 Stop Insider Trading Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 198)
June 30, 2026 NJ A 1715 Expands Voting Rights Measures and Protections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 21)
June 30, 2026 NC HB 958 Amends Election Administration Processes Bill Passed - House (66 - 47)
June 23, 2026 GA SB 3 (special session) Extends the Authorized Use of QR Code Ballots Bill Passed - House (94 - 79)
June 18, 2026 DE HB 444 Prohibits Voter Suppression and Other Forms of Voter Discrimination Bill Passed - House (29 - 11)
June 10, 2026 OH HB 472 Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 34)
June 10, 2026 OH SJR 10 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Joint Resolution Passed - House (62 - 30)
June 10, 2026 RI H 7434 Prohibits ICE Agents from Patrolling Polling Places Bill Passed - House (58 - 13)
June 4, 2026 NH HB 1300 Establishes a Ballot Measure to Limit School District Local Taxes Conference Report Adopted - House (183 - 170)
May 28, 2026 LA SB 121 Establishes New Congressional Maps Bill Passed - House (66 - 36)
May 22, 2026 CA SB 73 Establishes Elections Regulations Related to Ballot Protection Bill Passed - House (57 - 19)
May 21, 2026 CA AB 1664 Requires Notification of the Secretary of State and Attorney General Following Law Enforcement Investigation of Election Materials Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
May 20, 2026 AK HB 16 Requires Political Candidacy Groups to Maintain an In-State Address Concurrence Vote Passed - House (21 - 19)
May 20, 2026 SC H 5683 Amends the Congressional Districts for the U.S. House of Representatives Bill Passed - House (74 - 37)
May 9, 2026 CO SB 26-135 Establishes a Ballot Initiative to Approve a Funding Increase for K-12 Education Bill Passed - House (42 - 21)
May 8, 2026 AL SB 1 Authorizes a Special Primary Election for State Senate Districts Affected by a Federal Court Ruling Bill Passed - House (75 - 29)
May 7, 2026 CO HB 26-1084 Requires Ballot Measures that Would Reduce Tax Revenue to Disclose Resulting Budget Cuts Conference Report Adopted - House (41 - 22)
May 7, 2026 TN HB 7003 Amends the Congressional Districts Established Following the 2020 Census Bill Passed - House (64 - 25)
May 6, 2026 OK SB 1286 Requires Political Subdivisions to Provide Suitable Polling Places Bill Passed - House (88 - 0)
May 6, 2026 AL HB 1 Authorizes a Special Primary Election for Congressional Districts Affected by a Federal Court Ruling Bill Passed - House (75 - 29)
April 27, 2026 CA AB 2691 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Sexual Assault or Human Trafficking from Running for Public Office Bill Passed - House (67 - 0)
April 23, 2026 CT HB 5001 Establishes No-Excuse Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (101 - 49)
April 15, 2026 OK SJR 47 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment that Requires Proof of Identification for Voting Bill Passed - House (80 - 13)
April 14, 2026 MI HB 4765 Requires Proof of Citizenship When Registering to Vote Bill Passed - House (58 - 46)
April 8, 2026 MD SB 848 Amends Municipal Election Requirements and Authorizes Municipalities to Use Ranked-Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (135 - 0)
April 8, 2026 IL HB 4339 Requires High Schools to Offer Eligible Students the Ability to Register to Vote Bill Passed - House (77 - 24)
March 25, 2026 ID S 1322 Requires Voters' Information to be Verified Prior to Voting When Signing an Affidavit in Lieu of Providing Identification Bill Passed - House (67 - 0)
March 25, 2026 OK HJR 1089 Authorizes a Vote to Approve a Constitutional Convention Bill Passed - House (72 - 23)
March 23, 2026 NJ A 1715 Expands Voting Rights Measures and Protections Bill Passed - House (54 - 20)
March 19, 2026 AL HB 541 Requires Political Party Registration In Order to Vote in Primary Elections Bill Passed - House (63 - 35)
March 12, 2026 FL HB 991 Requires Identification Featuring Proof of Citizenship for Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (77 - 28)
March 11, 2026 MO HB 3146 Amends the Process for Creating Official Summaries on Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (90 - 55)
March 10, 2026 OK HB 3722 Requires Voters to Indicate a Party or Independent for Their Registration to be Valid Bill Passed - House (75 - 18)
March 6, 2026 UT HB 242 Limits the Ability for Individuals to Remove Their Name From a Ballot Initiative Petition Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 12)
March 6, 2026 CO HB 26-1084 Requires Ballot Measures that Would Reduce Tax Revenue to Disclose Resulting Budget Cuts Bill Passed - House (40 - 22)
March 4, 2026 MS SB 2588 Requires Citizenship Verification for Voters via Federal Database Bill Passed - House (80 - 41)
March 4, 2026 SD SB 175 Requires Voters to Provide Citizenship Status When Registering to Vote Bill Passed - House (64 - 3)
March 3, 2026 CO HB 26-1113 Amends Various Provisions of Colorado Election Code Bill Passed - House (41 - 22)
March 2, 2026 OR SB 1599 Requires the Referendum Regarding Gas Tax Increases to Appear on the 2026 State Primary Ballot Bill Passed - House (31 - 20)
Feb. 25, 2026 OH SB 63 Prohibits Ranked Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (65 - 27)
Feb. 25, 2026 VA SB 322 Requires Virginia's Electoral Votes to go to the Candidate Who Wins the National Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
Feb. 25, 2026 OH HB 503 Requires Municipalities to Obtain Voter Approval Before Modifying a Municipal Income Tax Reciprocity Credit Bill Passed - House (65 - 27)
Feb. 23, 2026 AZ HCR 2016 Establishes a Ballot Initiative to Require Precinct-Based Voting Bill Passed - House (32 - 25)
Feb. 20, 2026 UT HB 212 Authorizes the Division of Large Counties Bill Passed - House (56 - 10)
Feb. 16, 2026 WA HB 2333 Authorizes Use of Campaign Funds and Other Personal Security Measures for Elected Officials Bill Passed - House (71 - 21)
Feb. 9, 2026 AZ HCR 2001 Amends the State Constitution to Prohibit Absentee Ballot Drop-Off on Election Day Bill Passed - House (32 - 27)
Feb. 5, 2026 MI HB 5198 Requires Individuals to Disclose Any Foreign Donations Before Participating in Election Administration Bill Passed - House (99 - 4)
Feb. 5, 2026 MI HB 5197 Prohibits Foreign Funding for Ballot Initiative Campaigns Bill Passed - House (97 - 6)
Feb. 2, 2026 AZ HB 2022 Amends the Date of Primary Elections to the Second-to-Last Tuesday in July Bill Passed - House (56 - 0)
Jan. 14, 2026 VA HJ 4 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Authorize Redistricting Outside of the Decennial Cycle if Another State Also Redistricts Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
Jan. 14, 2026 VA HJ 2 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment that Restores Felon Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (65 - 33)
Jan. 12, 2026 NJ A 5886 Amends the Process for Filling Vacancies From New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives Bill Passed - House (66 - 7)
Dec. 5, 2025 IN HB 1032 Amends State Congressional Districts Bill Passed - House (57 - 41)
Nov. 19, 2025 OH SB 293 Amends the Deadline to Return Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (61 - 30)
Nov. 19, 2025 WI AB 385 Requires Verification of Security Code and Billing Address for a Political Entity to Accept an Online Donation Via Credit Card Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
Nov. 19, 2025 WI AB 617 Amends Elections Laws Relating to Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
Oct. 22, 2025 NC SB 249 Amends State Congressional Districts 1 and 3 Bill Passed - House (66 - 48)
Sept. 13, 2025 CA AB 1079 Repeals the Automatic Stay of Judgment in Voting Rights and Fair Maps Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 17)
Sept. 9, 2025 CA AB 5 Requires Election Officials to Complete the Counting of All Ballots Within 13 Days Following an Election Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 0)
Sept. 9, 2025 MI HB 4602 Prohibits the Secretary of State From Restricting Local Election Clerks From Using Any Lawful Source for Testing Voting Machines Bill Passed - House (63 - 41)
Sept. 9, 2025 MI HB 4602 Prohibits the Secretary of State From Restricting Local Election Clerks From Using Any Lawful Source for Testing Voting Machines Bill Passed - House (63 - 41)
Sept. 2, 2025 TX HB 18 (Special Session) Prohibits Lawmakers From Accepting Campaign Donations While Absent From an Ongoing Legislative Session Bill Passed - House (86 - 46)
Aug. 21, 2025 CA AB 604 Amends State Congressional Districts Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 20)
Aug. 21, 2025 CA SB 280 Establishes Timelines Procedures, and Appropriates Funding for Redistricting Bill Passed - House (57 - 20)
Aug. 21, 2025 CA ACA 8 Authorizes a Constitutional Amendment on Congressional Redistricting Amendment Adopted - House (57 - 20)
June 23, 2025 PA HB 811 Establishes Civil Liability and Requires Disclosure for the Use of Deepfake Content in Campaign Advertisements Bill Passed - House (203 - 0)
June 10, 2025 National HR 884 To prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 Bill Passed - House (266 - 148)
June 5, 2025 NH SB 221 Requires Supervisors of the Voter Checklist to Conduct an Annual, Comprehensive Review of Their Lists of Registered Voters and Purge Any Voters That Should Not Be Listed "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (184 - 153)
June 5, 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 - House (187 - 149)
June 5, 2025 NH SB 218 Requires Proof of Citizenship and Identity for Absentee Ballot Voter Registration and Modifies Absentee Ballot Envelope Requirements "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (192 - 149)
June 4, 2025 CA AB 1079 Repeals the Automatic Stay of Judgment in Voting Rights and Fair Maps Cases Bill Passed - House (55 - 16)
May 30, 2025 NV AB 597 Authorizes a Registered Voter who has Indicated on his or her Voter Registration that he or she is not Affiliated with a Political Party to Vote in a Primary Election for a Major Political Party by Requesting a Partisan Mail Ballot or Requesting a Partisan Ballot in Person Bill Passed - House (27 - 15)
May 29, 2025 CA AB 5 Requires Election Officials to Complete the Counting of All Ballots Within 13 Days Following an Election Bill Passed - House (71 - 0)
May 28, 2025 TX HB 5671 Requires Individuals Listed on the Ballot as a Candidate for or to Serve as a Director to be a Qualified Voter, a Retail Water or Sewer Service Customer of the District and an Owner of Land Receiving Services from the District Concurrence Vote Passed - House (98 - 34)
May 26, 2025 NV AB 105 Prohibits Firearm Possession Near Election Sites and Requires Signage Bill Passed - House (27 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/22 HR 7008 Stop Insider Trading Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 198)
6/30 A 1715 Expands Voting Rights Measures and Protections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 21)
6/30 HB 958 Amends Election Administration Processes Bill Passed - House (66 - 47)
6/23 SB 3 (special session) Extends the Authorized Use of QR Code Ballots Bill Passed - House (94 - 79)
6/18 HB 444 Prohibits Voter Suppression and Other Forms of Voter Discrimination Bill Passed - House (29 - 11)
6/10 HB 472 Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 34)
6/10 SJR 10 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Joint Resolution Passed - House (62 - 30)
6/10 H 7434 Prohibits ICE Agents from Patrolling Polling Places Bill Passed - House (58 - 13)
6/04 HB 1300 Establishes a Ballot Measure to Limit School District Local Taxes Conference Report Adopted - House (183 - 170)
5/28 SB 121 Establishes New Congressional Maps Bill Passed - House (66 - 36)
5/22 SB 73 Establishes Elections Regulations Related to Ballot Protection Bill Passed - House (57 - 19)
5/21 AB 1664 Requires Notification of the Secretary of State and Attorney General Following Law Enforcement Investigation of Election Materials Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
5/20 HB 16 Requires Political Candidacy Groups to Maintain an In-State Address Concurrence Vote Passed - House (21 - 19)
5/20 H 5683 Amends the Congressional Districts for the U.S. House of Representatives Bill Passed - House (74 - 37)
5/09 SB 26-135 Establishes a Ballot Initiative to Approve a Funding Increase for K-12 Education Bill Passed - House (42 - 21)
5/08 SB 1 Authorizes a Special Primary Election for State Senate Districts Affected by a Federal Court Ruling Bill Passed - House (75 - 29)
5/07 HB 26-1084 Requires Ballot Measures that Would Reduce Tax Revenue to Disclose Resulting Budget Cuts Conference Report Adopted - House (41 - 22)
5/07 HB 7003 Amends the Congressional Districts Established Following the 2020 Census Bill Passed - House (64 - 25)
5/06 SB 1286 Requires Political Subdivisions to Provide Suitable Polling Places Bill Passed - House (88 - 0)
5/06 HB 1 Authorizes a Special Primary Election for Congressional Districts Affected by a Federal Court Ruling Bill Passed - House (75 - 29)
4/27 AB 2691 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Sexual Assault or Human Trafficking from Running for Public Office Bill Passed - House (67 - 0)
4/23 HB 5001 Establishes No-Excuse Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (101 - 49)
4/15 SJR 47 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment that Requires Proof of Identification for Voting Bill Passed - House (80 - 13)
4/14 HB 4765 Requires Proof of Citizenship When Registering to Vote Bill Passed - House (58 - 46)
4/08 SB 848 Amends Municipal Election Requirements and Authorizes Municipalities to Use Ranked-Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (135 - 0)
4/08 HB 4339 Requires High Schools to Offer Eligible Students the Ability to Register to Vote Bill Passed - House (77 - 24)
3/25 S 1322 Requires Voters' Information to be Verified Prior to Voting When Signing an Affidavit in Lieu of Providing Identification Bill Passed - House (67 - 0)
3/25 HJR 1089 Authorizes a Vote to Approve a Constitutional Convention Bill Passed - House (72 - 23)
3/23 A 1715 Expands Voting Rights Measures and Protections Bill Passed - House (54 - 20)
3/19 HB 541 Requires Political Party Registration In Order to Vote in Primary Elections Bill Passed - House (63 - 35)
3/12 HB 991 Requires Identification Featuring Proof of Citizenship for Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (77 - 28)
3/11 HB 3146 Amends the Process for Creating Official Summaries on Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (90 - 55)
3/10 HB 3722 Requires Voters to Indicate a Party or Independent for Their Registration to be Valid Bill Passed - House (75 - 18)
3/06 HB 242 Limits the Ability for Individuals to Remove Their Name From a Ballot Initiative Petition Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 12)
3/06 HB 26-1084 Requires Ballot Measures that Would Reduce Tax Revenue to Disclose Resulting Budget Cuts Bill Passed - House (40 - 22)
3/04 SB 2588 Requires Citizenship Verification for Voters via Federal Database Bill Passed - House (80 - 41)
3/04 SB 175 Requires Voters to Provide Citizenship Status When Registering to Vote Bill Passed - House (64 - 3)
3/03 HB 26-1113 Amends Various Provisions of Colorado Election Code Bill Passed - House (41 - 22)
3/02 SB 1599 Requires the Referendum Regarding Gas Tax Increases to Appear on the 2026 State Primary Ballot Bill Passed - House (31 - 20)
2/25 SB 63 Prohibits Ranked Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (65 - 27)
2/25 SB 322 Requires Virginia's Electoral Votes to go to the Candidate Who Wins the National Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
2/25 HB 503 Requires Municipalities to Obtain Voter Approval Before Modifying a Municipal Income Tax Reciprocity Credit Bill Passed - House (65 - 27)
2/23 HCR 2016 Establishes a Ballot Initiative to Require Precinct-Based Voting Bill Passed - House (32 - 25)
2/20 HB 212 Authorizes the Division of Large Counties Bill Passed - House (56 - 10)
2/16 HB 2333 Authorizes Use of Campaign Funds and Other Personal Security Measures for Elected Officials Bill Passed - House (71 - 21)
2/09 HCR 2001 Amends the State Constitution to Prohibit Absentee Ballot Drop-Off on Election Day Bill Passed - House (32 - 27)
2/05 HB 5198 Requires Individuals to Disclose Any Foreign Donations Before Participating in Election Administration Bill Passed - House (99 - 4)
2/05 HB 5197 Prohibits Foreign Funding for Ballot Initiative Campaigns Bill Passed - House (97 - 6)
2/02 HB 2022 Amends the Date of Primary Elections to the Second-to-Last Tuesday in July Bill Passed - House (56 - 0)
1/14 HJ 4 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Authorize Redistricting Outside of the Decennial Cycle if Another State Also Redistricts Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
1/14 HJ 2 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment that Restores Felon Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (65 - 33)
1/12 A 5886 Amends the Process for Filling Vacancies From New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives Bill Passed - House (66 - 7)
12/05 HB 1032 Amends State Congressional Districts Bill Passed - House (57 - 41)
11/19 SB 293 Amends the Deadline to Return Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (61 - 30)
11/19 AB 385 Requires Verification of Security Code and Billing Address for a Political Entity to Accept an Online Donation Via Credit Card Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
11/19 AB 617 Amends Elections Laws Relating to Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
10/22 SB 249 Amends State Congressional Districts 1 and 3 Bill Passed - House (66 - 48)
9/13 AB 1079 Repeals the Automatic Stay of Judgment in Voting Rights and Fair Maps Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 17)
9/09 AB 5 Requires Election Officials to Complete the Counting of All Ballots Within 13 Days Following an Election Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 0)
9/09 HB 4602 Prohibits the Secretary of State From Restricting Local Election Clerks From Using Any Lawful Source for Testing Voting Machines Bill Passed - House (63 - 41)
9/09 HB 4602 Prohibits the Secretary of State From Restricting Local Election Clerks From Using Any Lawful Source for Testing Voting Machines Bill Passed - House (63 - 41)
9/02 HB 18 (Special Session) Prohibits Lawmakers From Accepting Campaign Donations While Absent From an Ongoing Legislative Session Bill Passed - House (86 - 46)
8/21 AB 604 Amends State Congressional Districts Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 20)
8/21 SB 280 Establishes Timelines Procedures, and Appropriates Funding for Redistricting Bill Passed - House (57 - 20)
8/21 ACA 8 Authorizes a Constitutional Amendment on Congressional Redistricting Amendment Adopted - House (57 - 20)
6/23 HB 811 Establishes Civil Liability and Requires Disclosure for the Use of Deepfake Content in Campaign Advertisements Bill Passed - House (203 - 0)
6/10 HR 884 To prohibit individuals who are not citizens of the United States from voting in elections in the District of Columbia and to repeal the Local Resident Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2022 Bill Passed - House (266 - 148)
6/05 SB 221 Requires Supervisors of the Voter Checklist to Conduct an Annual, Comprehensive Review of Their Lists of Registered Voters and Purge Any Voters That Should Not Be Listed "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (184 - 153)
6/05 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 - House (187 - 149)
6/05 SB 218 Requires Proof of Citizenship and Identity for Absentee Ballot Voter Registration and Modifies Absentee Ballot Envelope Requirements "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (192 - 149)
6/04 AB 1079 Repeals the Automatic Stay of Judgment in Voting Rights and Fair Maps Cases Bill Passed - House (55 - 16)
5/30 AB 597 Authorizes a Registered Voter who has Indicated on his or her Voter Registration that he or she is not Affiliated with a Political Party to Vote in a Primary Election for a Major Political Party by Requesting a Partisan Mail Ballot or Requesting a Partisan Ballot in Person Bill Passed - House (27 - 15)
5/29 AB 5 Requires Election Officials to Complete the Counting of All Ballots Within 13 Days Following an Election Bill Passed - House (71 - 0)
5/28 HB 5671 Requires Individuals Listed on the Ballot as a Candidate for or to Serve as a Director to be a Qualified Voter, a Retail Water or Sewer Service Customer of the District and an Owner of Land Receiving Services from the District Concurrence Vote Passed - House (98 - 34)
5/26 AB 105 Prohibits Firearm Possession Near Election Sites and Requires Signage Bill Passed - House (27 - 14)

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