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 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) |