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
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
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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