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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2007 | RI | S 21 | Telephone Political Solicitation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| May 9, 2007 | WI | SB 77 | Financial Disclosure For Issue Based Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 26, 2007 | TN | SA 3 | PAC-to-PAC Contribution Limits | Bill Tabled - Senate (16 - 13) |
| April 16, 2007 | TN | SB 227 | Voter ID Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 9, 2007 | WA | HB 1528 | Electronic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 9, 2007 | MD | HB 148 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 28, 2007 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 28, 2007 | MD | SB 634 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 27, 2007 | IA | HF 653 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| March 23, 2007 | MD | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
| March 3, 2007 | SD | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | SD | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | KS | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 20, 2007 | MD | SB 1 | Early Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Feb. 15, 2007 | KS | SB 169 | Identification Requirement to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Feb. 13, 2007 | CA | SB 113 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| Feb. 8, 2007 | MT | SB 290 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | MS | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Feb. 6, 2007 | SD | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 5, 2007 | ND | SB 2143 | Clean Election Fund | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 33) |
| Jan. 31, 2007 | ND | SB 2230 | Mail Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
| Jan. 29, 2007 | VA | SB 920 | Requirements For Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Jan. 25, 2007 | VA | SJ 307 | Voting Rights of Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 288 | Appointment of the Secretary of State | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 286 | Appointment of the Superintendent of Education | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 287 | The Appointment of the Commissioner of Agriculture | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 284 | The Appointment of the Adjutant General | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 285 | The Appointment of the Comptroller General | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 11) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SC | S 101 | Reorganization of the State Government | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (22 - 23) |
| Jan. 23, 2007 | VA | SJ 352 | Creation of a Bipartisan Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Dec. 4, 2006 | NJ | S 2193 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Aug. 16, 2006 | CA | SCA 3 | Redistricting Commission | Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| July 19, 2006 | NC | HB 1024 | Instant Runoff Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| June 14, 2006 | SC | H 4410 | Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements Bill | Veto Override Failed - Senate (8 - 29) |
| June 13, 2006 | RI | H 6874 | Ballot Questions from Governor | Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| May 11, 2006 | MO | CCS2 HCS SS2 SCS SB 1014 | Voter Identification and Poll Regulation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 10) |
| May 11, 2006 | MO | CCS SS HCS HB 1900 | Campaign Finance and Lobbying | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | SB 142 | Campaign Finance | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 4, 2006 | IL | HB 1918 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 16) |
| May 3, 2006 | PA | SB 999 | Voting Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| May 3, 2006 | RI | S 2486 | Ex-Felon's Voting Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| April 24, 2006 | MO | SS2 SCS SB 1014 | Voter Identification and Poll Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| April 17, 2006 | CO | SB 223 | Interstate Compact for the Election of the President of the United States by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| April 13, 2006 | NH | HB 345 | Photo ID for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9) |
| April 12, 2006 | NE | LR 449 | Impeachment of C. David Hergert | Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| April 10, 2006 | MD | HB 1368 | Election Changes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 10, 2006 | MD | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| April 3, 2006 | NE | LB 188 | Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| March 31, 2006 | MD | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17) |
| Feb. 28, 2006 | IN | HB 1011 | Miscellaneous Election Law Matters | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | SD | S Amdt 1215re | Abortion Ban on Ballot | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 14, 2006 | LA | HB 12 | Elections; Voting; State of Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | MS | SB 2309 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | NM | SB 344 | Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4) |
| Feb. 6, 2006 | MS | SB 2119 | School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| Feb. 6, 2006 | VA | Sub SB 313 | DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | OH | HB 3 | Election Law Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 24, 2006 | GA | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| Jan. 12, 2006 | GA | SB 386 | State Senatorial District Composition | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| March 20, 2002 | National | HR 2356 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| April 2, 2001 | National | S 27 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 41) |
| March 26, 2001 | National | S Amdt 145 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
| March 21, 2001 | National | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| March 20, 2001 | National | S Amdt 115 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| June 29, 2000 | National | HR 4762 | '527' Political Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| July 30, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3379 | Federal Election Commission Term Length | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 54) |
| Feb. 26, 1998 | National | S Amdt 1646 | Campaign Finance Reform Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| June 25, 1996 | National | S 1219 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46) |
| July 20, 1993 | National | HR 20 | Hatch Act Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| May 11, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
| March 17, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/10 | S 21 | Telephone Political Solicitation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 5/09 | SB 77 | Financial Disclosure For Issue Based Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/26 | SA 3 | PAC-to-PAC Contribution Limits | Bill Tabled - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 4/16 | SB 227 | Voter ID Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/09 | HB 1528 | Electronic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/09 | HB 148 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/28 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/28 | SB 634 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/27 | HF 653 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 3/23 | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
| 3/03 | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/22 | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 2/22 | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/20 | SB 1 | Early Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 2/15 | SB 169 | Identification Requirement to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 2/13 | SB 113 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| 2/08 | SB 290 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
| 2/07 | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 2/06 | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/05 | SB 2143 | Clean Election Fund | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 33) |
| 1/31 | SB 2230 | Mail Ballot Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14) |
| 1/29 | SB 920 | Requirements For Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 1/25 | SJ 307 | Voting Rights of Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 1/24 | S 288 | Appointment of the Secretary of State | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| 1/24 | S 286 | Appointment of the Superintendent of Education | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 1/24 | S 287 | The Appointment of the Commissioner of Agriculture | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 1/24 | S 284 | The Appointment of the Adjutant General | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| 1/24 | S 285 | The Appointment of the Comptroller General | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 11) |
| 1/24 | S 101 | Reorganization of the State Government | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (22 - 23) |
| 1/23 | SJ 352 | Creation of a Bipartisan Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 12/04 | S 2193 | Presidential Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 8/16 | SCA 3 | Redistricting Commission | Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 7/19 | HB 1024 | Instant Runoff Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 7/13 | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| 6/14 | H 4410 | Campaign Finance Reporting Requirements Bill | Veto Override Failed - Senate (8 - 29) |
| 6/13 | H 6874 | Ballot Questions from Governor | Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 5/11 | CCS2 HCS SS2 SCS SB 1014 | Voter Identification and Poll Regulation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 5/11 | CCS SS HCS HB 1900 | Campaign Finance and Lobbying | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| 5/10 | SB 142 | Campaign Finance | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/04 | HB 1918 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 16) |
| 5/03 | SB 999 | Voting Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| 5/03 | S 2486 | Ex-Felon's Voting Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 4/24 | SS2 SCS SB 1014 | Voter Identification and Poll Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 4/17 | SB 223 | Interstate Compact for the Election of the President of the United States by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 4/13 | HB 345 | Photo ID for Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9) |
| 4/12 | LR 449 | Impeachment of C. David Hergert | Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| 4/10 | HB 1368 | Election Changes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/10 | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 4/03 | LB 188 | Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| 3/31 | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17) |
| 2/28 | HB 1011 | Miscellaneous Election Law Matters | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 2/22 | S Amdt 1215re | Abortion Ban on Ballot | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20) |
| 2/15 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/14 | HB 12 | Elections; Voting; State of Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 2/09 | SB 2309 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/09 | SB 344 | Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4) |
| 2/06 | SB 2119 | School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 2/06 | Sub SB 313 | DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 1/31 | HB 3 | Election Law Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/24 | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| 1/12 | SB 386 | State Senatorial District Composition | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 4/11 | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 3/20 | HR 2356 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 40) |
| 2/27 | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 4/02 | S 27 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 41) |
| 3/26 | S Amdt 145 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (51 - 46) |
| 3/21 | S Amdt 134 | Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31) |
| 3/20 | S Amdt 115 | Campaign Reform Act of 2001 Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| 6/29 | HR 4762 | '527' Political Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 6) |
| 7/30 | S Amdt 3379 | Federal Election Commission Term Length | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (45 - 54) |
| 2/26 | S Amdt 1646 | Campaign Finance Reform Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48) |
| 6/25 | S 1219 | Campaign Finance Reform bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 46) |
| 7/20 | HR 20 | Hatch Act Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 5/11 | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
| 3/17 | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |