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 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 | NM | SB 344 | Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | MS | SB 2309 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 6, 2006 | VA | Sub SB 313 | DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 6, 2006 | MS | SB 2119 | School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 344 | Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4) |
| 2/09 | SB 2309 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/06 | Sub SB 313 | DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/06 | SB 2119 | School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 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) |