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 11, 2011 | GA | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| April 7, 2011 | ND | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| April 6, 2011 | AR | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| March 30, 2011 | ID | S 1198 | Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 30, 2011 | NH | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| March 24, 2011 | FL | HB 1207 | Campaign Financing Act | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| March 21, 2011 | NJ | S 2756 | Authorizes Registered Voters to Receive Mail-In Ballots Automatically | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| March 16, 2011 | GA | SB 10 | Alcoholic Beverage Sales on Sundays | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| March 14, 2011 | OK | SB 91 | Proof of Presidential Candidates' Citizenship | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 10) |
| March 14, 2011 | NY | S 3331 | Non-Partisan Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 24) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MO | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | VT | S 31 | Electing the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | MT | SB 268 | Election of Supreme Court Justices by District | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | MO | SB 3 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | MA | S 9 | Establishing a Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | VA | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | National | S 3628 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (59 - 39) |
| Aug. 25, 2010 | CA | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| July 27, 2010 | MA | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Motion Agreed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| July 27, 2010 | National | S 3628 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| July 15, 2010 | MA | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| July 9, 2010 | NC | HB 748 | Campaign Financing Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/11 | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| 4/07 | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 4/06 | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 3/30 | S 1198 | Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/30 | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| 3/24 | HB 1207 | Campaign Financing Act | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 3/21 | S 2756 | Authorizes Registered Voters to Receive Mail-In Ballots Automatically | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 3/16 | SB 10 | Alcoholic Beverage Sales on Sundays | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| 3/14 | SB 91 | Proof of Presidential Candidates' Citizenship | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 10) |
| 3/14 | S 3331 | Non-Partisan Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 24) |
| 2/24 | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/23 | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 2/22 | S 31 | Electing the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 2/18 | SB 268 | Election of Supreme Court Justices by District | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 2/17 | SB 3 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/10 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| 2/10 | S 9 | Establishing a Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| 1/26 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 1/24 | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/23 | S 3628 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 8/25 | SB 970 | College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 7/27 | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Motion Agreed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 7/27 | S 3628 | Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 7/15 | H 4156 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 7/09 | HB 748 | Campaign Financing Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |