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
March 18, 2010 FL HB 1207 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (73 - 42)
March 3, 2010 WV HB 4130 Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (67 - 30)
March 1, 2010 WV HB 4647 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
March 1, 2010 ID H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (64 - 6)
March 1, 2010 WV HB 4646 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
Feb. 16, 2010 NM HB 118 Prohibiting Lobbyist and Contractor Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
Feb. 10, 2010 KY HB 70 Voting Rights For Certain Felons Bill Passed - House (83 - 16)
Feb. 10, 2010 WY HB 68 Repealing Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Failed - House (36 - 22)
Feb. 2, 2010 ME LD 56 National Popular Vote Act Bill Failed - House (50 - 95)
Jan. 20, 2010 NY A 9544 Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments Bill Passed - House (139 - 2)
Jan. 13, 2010 OH HB 5 Campaign Finance Amendments Concurrence Vote Failed - House (48 - 50)
Nov. 18, 2009 OH HB 260 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
Sept. 17, 2009 National HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Motion Agreed - House (345 - 75)
Sept. 17, 2009 National HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Bill Passed - House (253 - 171)
Sept. 17, 2009 MA H 4246 Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator Bill Passed - House (95 - 59)
June 24, 2009 DE HB 198 National Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (23 - 12)
June 18, 2009 RI H 5569 National Popular Vote Act Bill Failed - House (28 - 45)
June 9, 2009 DE HB 117 School Board Elections Bill Passed - House (23 - 17)
June 3, 2009 LA HB 243 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions Bill Failed - House (38 - 60)
June 2, 2009 CT SB 913 Elections to Fill US Senate Vacancies Bill Passed - House (107 - 37)
May 31, 2009 IL HB 7 Campaign Contribution Limits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 46)
May 30, 2009 IL HJRCA 31 Authorizing Governor Recall Elections Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6)
May 28, 2009 RI H 5097 Requiring Voters to Present ID at Polls Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
May 26, 2009 CT HB 6435 Election Day Registration Bill Passed - House (81 - 65)
May 21, 2009 NJ A 2451 Vote by Mail Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 29)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/18 HB 1207 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (73 - 42)
3/03 HB 4130 Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (67 - 30)
3/01 HB 4647 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
3/01 H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (64 - 6)
3/01 HB 4646 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
2/16 HB 118 Prohibiting Lobbyist and Contractor Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
2/10 HB 70 Voting Rights For Certain Felons Bill Passed - House (83 - 16)
2/10 HB 68 Repealing Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Failed - House (36 - 22)
2/02 LD 56 National Popular Vote Act Bill Failed - House (50 - 95)
1/20 A 9544 Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments Bill Passed - House (139 - 2)
1/13 HB 5 Campaign Finance Amendments Concurrence Vote Failed - House (48 - 50)
11/18 HB 260 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
9/17 HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Motion Agreed - House (345 - 75)
9/17 HR 3221 Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN Bill Passed - House (253 - 171)
9/17 H 4246 Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator Bill Passed - House (95 - 59)
6/24 HB 198 National Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (23 - 12)
6/18 H 5569 National Popular Vote Act Bill Failed - House (28 - 45)
6/09 HB 117 School Board Elections Bill Passed - House (23 - 17)
6/03 HB 243 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions Bill Failed - House (38 - 60)
6/02 SB 913 Elections to Fill US Senate Vacancies Bill Passed - House (107 - 37)
5/31 HB 7 Campaign Contribution Limits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 46)
5/30 HJRCA 31 Authorizing Governor Recall Elections Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6)
5/28 H 5097 Requiring Voters to Present ID at Polls Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
5/26 HB 6435 Election Day Registration Bill Passed - House (81 - 65)
5/21 A 2451 Vote by Mail Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 29)

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