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 27, 2020 | OH | HB 272 | Prohibits State Officials From Changing the Time and Place of an Election | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| May 22, 2020 | IL | SB 1863 | Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| May 7, 2020 | MN | HF 3429 | Appropriates Funds and Establishes Procedures for Safe State Primaries and General Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (66 - 1) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 1255 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| April 22, 2020 | VA | HB 207 | Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| April 16, 2020 | UT | HB 3006 | Amends the Election Code to Provide for 2020 Primary Election Exclusively by Mail | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
| April 15, 2020 | KY | HB 351 | Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| April 14, 2020 | KY | HB 336 | Amends the Time Frame That Gubernatorial Candidates Can Announce Running Mates | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| March 30, 2020 | SD | HB 1298 | Amends the Date of the State Primary | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 5) |
| March 25, 2020 | OH | HB 197 | Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
| March 12, 2020 | GA | SB 463 | Amends Election Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 19) |
| March 11, 2020 | NY | S 5073 | Establishes a School Voter Registration Access Program | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 18) |
| March 11, 2020 | MD | SB 390 | Prohibits a Defeated Primary Candidate from Running as a Write-In Candidate for the General Election | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6) |
| March 10, 2020 | SD | SB 180 | Repeals and Amends Certain Regulations Surrounding the Petition Circulation Process | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 9, 2020 | FL | SB 1794 | Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 235 | Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 201 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 7, 2020 | VA | HB 19 | Repeals Photo Identification Requirement for Voting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| March 7, 2020 | WA | SB 6313 | Authorizes 16 and 17 Year Olds to Opt Out of the Automatic Voter Pre-Registration Process | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| March 3, 2020 | IA | SF 2348 | Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Feb. 28, 2020 | VA | HB 1210 | Requires Voting and Election Materials in Languages Other Than English | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Feb. 27, 2020 | KY | SB 62 | Authorizes the Restoration of Voting Rights 5 Years After Completion of Sentence for Certain Felonies | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
| Feb. 24, 2020 | VA | HB 1 | Authorizes Absentee Voting Without Needing Excuse | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 13, 2020 | AZ | SB 1434 | Establishes Regulations for Recall Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| Feb. 4, 2020 | VA | SB 65 | Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
| Jan. 23, 2020 | KY | SB 2 | Amends Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Jan. 21, 2020 | VA | SB 601 | Establishes Election Day to Replace Lee-Jackson Day | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Jan. 16, 2020 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| Jan. 13, 2020 | NJ | S 589 | Amends Online Voter Registration Rules | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Oct. 29, 2019 | PA | SB 421 | Establishes Mail-In Voting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 681 | Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Aug. 26, 2019 | NJ | S 4069 | Amends Absentee Ballot Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 1, 2019 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| June 30, 2019 | OR | HB 2983 | Requires Disclosure of Organizations Giving Certain Monetary Donations to Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| June 29, 2019 | OR | SJR 18 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment Referral for Allowing Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5) |
| June 29, 2019 | OR | SB 861 | Requires State to Pay for Ballot Return Envelopes | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 315 | Repeals Participation in Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| June 27, 2019 | PA | SB 48 | Amends State Election Laws Regarding Straight Party Voting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 19, 2019 | NY | S 6532 | Extends Voter Registration Cutoff | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| June 18, 2019 | ME | LD 1083 | Increases the Use of Ranked Choice Voting | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 14) |
| June 13, 2019 | NY | S 3822 | Authorizes Certain Individuals to Vote in Primary at 17 | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 1463 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| June 3, 2019 | ME | LD 1626 | Establishes a Presidential Primary System in Maine | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 13) |
| May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 651 | Authorizes the Use of Campaign Funds for Child Care Expenses | "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (15 - 9) |
| May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 611 | Increases Access to Absentee Voting | "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (13 - 11) |
| May 30, 2019 | NH | HB 105 | Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| May 24, 2019 | AZ | SB 1451 | Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 10) |
| May 23, 2019 | IL | HB 2625 | Requires Subcircuit Judicial Boundary Lines be Redrawn | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| May 21, 2019 | NV | AB 186 | Authorizes Nevada to Join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 8) |
| May 21, 2019 | NY | S 4347 | Limits Corporate Influence and Participation in Political Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |