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
April 9, 2019 OR SB 870 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
April 3, 2019 ID H 296 Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
March 28, 2019 NH SB 67 Amends Definition of Resident and Residency "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
March 28, 2019 NH SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
March 28, 2019 NH SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
March 26, 2019 ID H 270 Authorizes Public Schools as Election Polling Sites Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
March 22, 2019 ID S 1159 Increases Threshold for Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
March 12, 2019 NM HB 55 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16)
March 12, 2019 NC SB 214 Exempts Upcoming 2019 Election from Photo ID Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
March 12, 2019 WA SB 5078 Requires Presidential and VP Candidates Release 5 Years of Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
March 9, 2019 WV SB 622 Increases Election and Campaign Contribution Limits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 15)
March 7, 2019 DE SB 22 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7)
March 5, 2019 HI SB 216 Requires Ballot Recount Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
March 4, 2019 SD HB 1094 Increases Transparency in the Petition Circulation Process Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
Feb. 21, 2019 NJ S 119 Requires Certain Candidates To Disclose Income Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Feb. 14, 2019 AZ SB 1072 Requires Identification for Early Voting Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
Jan. 30, 2019 WA SB 5273 Amends Presidential Primary Dates Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
Jan. 29, 2019 CO SB 19-042 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
Jan. 15, 2019 NY A 774 Authorizes Voter Pre-Registration Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 14)
Jan. 14, 2019 NY A 775 Requires the Transference of Registration and Enrollment of Voters after Moving Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 12)
Jan. 14, 2019 NY A 776 Limits Campaign Contributions by Closing LLC Loophole Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 6)
Jan. 14, 2019 NY S 1102 Establishes Early Voting Period Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 13)
Dec. 21, 2018 MI HB 6595 Increases Requirements for State Ballot Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Dec. 20, 2018 MI SB 1238 Authorizes State Absentee Ballot Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Dec. 20, 2018 MI SB 1239 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/09 SB 870 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
4/03 H 296 Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
3/28 SB 67 Amends Definition of Resident and Residency "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
3/28 SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
3/28 SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
3/26 H 270 Authorizes Public Schools as Election Polling Sites Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
3/22 S 1159 Increases Threshold for Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
3/12 HB 55 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16)
3/12 SB 214 Exempts Upcoming 2019 Election from Photo ID Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
3/12 SB 5078 Requires Presidential and VP Candidates Release 5 Years of Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
3/09 SB 622 Increases Election and Campaign Contribution Limits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 15)
3/07 SB 22 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7)
3/05 SB 216 Requires Ballot Recount Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
3/04 HB 1094 Increases Transparency in the Petition Circulation Process Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
2/21 S 119 Requires Certain Candidates To Disclose Income Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
2/14 SB 1072 Requires Identification for Early Voting Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
1/30 SB 5273 Amends Presidential Primary Dates Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
1/29 SB 19-042 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
1/15 A 774 Authorizes Voter Pre-Registration Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 14)
1/14 A 775 Requires the Transference of Registration and Enrollment of Voters after Moving Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 12)
1/14 A 776 Limits Campaign Contributions by Closing LLC Loophole Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 6)
1/14 S 1102 Establishes Early Voting Period Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 13)
12/21 HB 6595 Increases Requirements for State Ballot Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
12/20 SB 1238 Authorizes State Absentee Ballot Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
12/20 SB 1239 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)

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