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
May 4, 2006 LA HB 669 Special Tax Election Requirements Bill Failed - House (51 - 51)
May 3, 2006 PA SB 999 Voting Standards Bill Passed - House (139 - 59)
May 3, 2006 National HR 4975 527 Reform Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (217 - 213)
May 2, 2006 WI SB 1 Ethics Bill Motion Rejected - House (45 - 51)
May 2, 2006 FL HB 1037 Campaign Financing Bill Passed - House (81 - 36)
May 1, 2006 IL SB 1445 Election Code Revisions Bill Passed - House (61 - 40)
April 19, 2006 VA Governor's Recommendation: Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements Amendment Rejected - House (42 - 52)
April 17, 2006 AZ SB 1099 Campaign Finance Reports; Disclosure; Exemption Bill Failed - House (29 - 26)
April 10, 2006 LA HB 850 Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (63 - 31)
April 8, 2006 MD HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 49)
April 8, 2006 MD HB 1368 Election Changes Veto Override Passed - House (93 - 45)
April 5, 2006 AL HB 51 Presidential Primary Date Bill Passed - House (79 - 14)
April 5, 2006 National HR 513 527 Reform Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (218 - 209)
April 4, 2006 MD HB 1054 Public Campaign Financing Act for Candidates for the General Assembly Bill Passed - House (79 - 56)
March 28, 2006 ME LD 1912 Maine House of Representative’s Age Requirement Resolution Failed - House (77 - 65)
March 25, 2006 MD HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Bill Passed - House (87 - 47)
March 22, 2006 IA HF 2597 Voter Identification Act Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
March 21, 2006 OH HCR 36 Apportioning U.S. House Seats Resolution Passed - House (71 - 23)
March 17, 2006 VT S 164 Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (63 - 45)
March 14, 2006 OK HCS HB 3119 Voter ID, Repealing Tuition Assistance, and Reporting of Illegal Immigrants Bill Passed - House (63 - 24)
March 8, 2006 IN HB 1011 Miscellaneous Election Law Matters Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 47)
Feb. 15, 2006 LA HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 32)
Feb. 15, 2006 LA SB 22 State of Emergency Voting Reform Bill Passed - House (72 - 29)
Feb. 14, 2006 PA HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91)
Feb. 1, 2006 NH HB 621 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (168 - 169)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/04 HB 669 Special Tax Election Requirements Bill Failed - House (51 - 51)
5/03 SB 999 Voting Standards Bill Passed - House (139 - 59)
5/03 HR 4975 527 Reform Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (217 - 213)
5/02 SB 1 Ethics Bill Motion Rejected - House (45 - 51)
5/02 HB 1037 Campaign Financing Bill Passed - House (81 - 36)
5/01 SB 1445 Election Code Revisions Bill Passed - House (61 - 40)
4/19 Governor's Recommendation: Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements Amendment Rejected - House (42 - 52)
4/17 SB 1099 Campaign Finance Reports; Disclosure; Exemption Bill Failed - House (29 - 26)
4/10 HB 850 Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (63 - 31)
4/08 HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 49)
4/08 HB 1368 Election Changes Veto Override Passed - House (93 - 45)
4/05 HB 51 Presidential Primary Date Bill Passed - House (79 - 14)
4/05 HR 513 527 Reform Act of 2005 Bill Passed - House (218 - 209)
4/04 HB 1054 Public Campaign Financing Act for Candidates for the General Assembly Bill Passed - House (79 - 56)
3/28 LD 1912 Maine House of Representative’s Age Requirement Resolution Failed - House (77 - 65)
3/25 HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Bill Passed - House (87 - 47)
3/22 HF 2597 Voter Identification Act Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
3/21 HCR 36 Apportioning U.S. House Seats Resolution Passed - House (71 - 23)
3/17 S 164 Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (63 - 45)
3/14 HCS HB 3119 Voter ID, Repealing Tuition Assistance, and Reporting of Illegal Immigrants Bill Passed - House (63 - 24)
3/08 HB 1011 Miscellaneous Election Law Matters Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 47)
2/15 HB 12 Elections; Voting; State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 32)
2/15 SB 22 State of Emergency Voting Reform Bill Passed - House (72 - 29)
2/14 HB 1318 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91)
2/01 HB 621 Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (168 - 169)

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