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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 14, 2016 | KY | HB 290 | Authorizes In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | MS | HB 868 | Amends State Supreme Court District Boundaries | Bill Passed - House (71 - 50) |
| Feb. 19, 2016 | NC | SB 2 | Amends Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - House (65 - 43) |
| Feb. 19, 2016 | WV | HB 4013 | Requires Certain Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| Feb. 18, 2016 | NC | HB 2 | Amends Congressional Primary Election Date | Bill Passed - House (71 - 32) |
| Feb. 15, 2016 | WA | HB 2682 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| Feb. 10, 2016 | AZ | HB 2567 | Repeals State Presidential Primary Election Process | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
| Feb. 4, 2016 | WA | HB 1745 | Amends Certain Election Procedures | Bill Passed - House (50 - 47) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MO | HJR 53 | Requires Individuals to Show Identification in Order to Vote | Joint Resolution Passed - House (116 - 40) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MO | HB 1631 | Requires Individuals to Present Certain Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (114 - 39) |
| Jan. 20, 2016 | MD | HB 980 | Authorizes Felons to Vote While on Parole | Veto Override Passed - House (85 - 56) |
| Dec. 16, 2015 | MI | SB 571 | Amends Ballot Advertising Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 48) |
| Aug. 20, 2015 | CA | AB 1100 | Increases Ballot Initiative Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 31) |
| June 3, 2015 | NH | SB 179 | Amends Residency Requirement for Voter Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (211 - 145) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | AB 1461 | Establishes the California New Motor Voter Program | Bill Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| May 26, 2015 | CA | AB 884 | Requires the Attorney General to Denote Ballot Initiatives That May Be Unconstitutional | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| May 26, 2015 | CA | AB 1100 | Increases Ballot Initiative Fee | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| May 21, 2015 | KS | HB 2104 | Requires Local Elections to be Moved from Spring to Fall | Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 58) |
| April 21, 2015 | ND | HB 1333 | Amends Valid Forms of Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 23) |
| April 16, 2015 | NV | AB 252 | Establishes Legislative Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - House (24 - 17) |
| April 10, 2015 | WA | SB 5153 | Requires Nonprofits to Disclose Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (65 - 32) |
| April 8, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Veto Override Passed - House (111 - 49) |
| April 1, 2015 | NC | SB 181 | Requires the Redistricting of Wake County | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |
| March 28, 2015 | MT | SB 289 | Requires Certain Political Groups to Disclose Expenditures | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| March 18, 2015 | MO | HB 63 | Prohibits Superintendents from Serving on Certain School Boards | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 45) |
| March 17, 2015 | NM | HB 340 | Amends Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (37 - 29) |
| March 10, 2015 | SD | SB 69 | Amends Procedures for Elections and Election Petitions | Bill Passed - House (41 - 25) |
| Feb. 25, 2015 | AZ | HB 2608 | Amends Signature Requirements for Political Candidate Nominations | Bill Passed - House (35 - 23) |
| Feb. 23, 2015 | NJ | S 2430 | Requires Disclosure of Political Contributions | Bill Passed - House (53 - 15) |
| Feb. 20, 2015 | OR | HB 2177 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (35 - 24) |
| Feb. 19, 2015 | MO | HJR 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (118 - 39) |
| Feb. 19, 2015 | MO | HB 30 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (118 - 37) |
| Aug. 11, 2014 | FL | SB 2-A | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 38) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 41) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1873 | Authorizes the Use of Mail Ballots During Special Elections | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| May 14, 2014 | MO | HJR 90 | Authorizes Early Voting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 57) |
| May 14, 2014 | NH | SB 120 | Requires Certain Political Organizations to Disclose Individual Contributors | Bill Passed - House (186 - 119) |
| May 6, 2014 | CT | SB 455 | Amends the Funding for the Public Campaign Finance Program | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| May 5, 2014 | CA | SB 27 | Requires Certain Nonprofit Organizations to Disclose Donors | Bill Passed - House (58 - 12) |
| May 5, 2014 | MO | SB 892 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - House (101 - 47) |
| April 22, 2014 | AZ | SB 1344 | Amends Responsibilities of Clean Elections Commission | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
| April 21, 2014 | AZ | SB 1344 | Amends Responsibilities of Clean Elections Commission | Bill Failed - House (29 - 25) |
| March 25, 2014 | NY | S 3149 | Requires the President to be Elected by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (102 - 33) |
| March 20, 2014 | WI | SB 324 | Amends the Absentee Voting Procedures | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| March 20, 2014 | WI | SB 655 | Amends Campaign Finance and Lobbying Laws | Bill Passed - House (54 - 37) |
| March 13, 2014 | MO | HB 1902 | Amends Presidential Primary Dates | Bill Passed - House (97 - 48) |
| March 10, 2014 | CA | AB 800 | Authorizes the Fair Political Practices Commission to Conduct Audits and Investigations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 19) |
| March 10, 2014 | UT | HB 410 | Authorizes Early Online Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - House (58 - 14) |
| Feb. 27, 2014 | MO | HJR 47 | Amends Election Laws | Bill Passed - House (103 - 50) |
| Feb. 19, 2014 | OH | SB 238 | Reduces Number of Absentee Voting Days | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |