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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 23, 2008 | CO | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| April 15, 2008 | National | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
| April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
| April 1, 2008 | MN | Buesgens Amnd. | Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69) |
| April 1, 2008 | KY | HB 70 | Restoring Voting Rights to Former Felons | Bill Passed - House (80 - 14) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | HB 2196 | Campaign Finance Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 8) |
| March 10, 2008 | OK | HB 2956 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| March 5, 2008 | SC | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
| March 4, 2008 | WA | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (51 - 43) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - House (48 - 17) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1233 | Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
| Feb. 22, 2008 | LA | SB 3 | Restrictions on Gifts to Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (95 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | WY | HB 3 | Campaign Finance Reporting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | WY | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 2) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | LA | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | WA | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| Jan. 9, 2008 | IL | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | NJ | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | MI | Sub SB 624 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (67 - 34) |
| July 31, 2007 | National | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Bill Passed - House (411 - 8) |
| July 10, 2007 | PA | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/23 | HB 1378 | Allowing Ranked Voting Methods | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| 4/15 | HR 5036 | Federal Funding for Voting System Changes | Bill Passed - House (239 - 178) |
| 4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 4/07 | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| 4/07 | Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
| 4/01 | Buesgens Amnd. | Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69) |
| 4/01 | HB 70 | Restoring Voting Rights to Former Felons | Bill Passed - House (80 - 14) |
| 3/12 | HB 2196 | Campaign Finance Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 8) |
| 3/10 | HB 2956 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| 3/05 | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
| 3/04 | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (51 - 43) |
| 2/27 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - House (48 - 17) |
| 2/27 | HB 1233 | Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
| 2/22 | SB 3 | Restrictions on Gifts to Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (95 - 5) |
| 2/20 | HB 3 | Campaign Finance Reporting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
| 2/18 | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 2) |
| 2/14 | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 2/06 | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
| 2/06 | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| 1/25 | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| 1/09 | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 12/13 | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (43 - 32) |
| 8/30 | Sub SB 624 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (67 - 34) |
| 7/31 | S 1 | Lobbying and Donation Regulations | Bill Passed - House (411 - 8) |
| 7/10 | HB 289 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - House (117 - 85) |