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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2, 2010 | NH | HB 1459 | Campaign Finance Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| May 18, 2010 | LA | Amdt 3107 | Advancing Effective Date of Open Primaries for US Congress Elections | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | SB 203 | Independent expenditures in Colorado elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 10, 2010 | TN | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| March 24, 2010 | ID | H 496 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| March 18, 2010 | KY | HB 97 | Moving Back Primary Dates and Filing Deadlines | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| March 17, 2010 | GA | SB 406 | Online Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
| March 1, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1007 | Repealing Legislative Term Limits | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| March 1, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1009 | Repealing Public Funding of Statewide Political Campaigns | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | NY | A 9544 | Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments | Veto Override Failed - Senate (35 - 26) |
| Feb. 2, 2010 | KY | SB 53 | Allowing Independents to Vote in Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Jan. 25, 2010 | VA | SB 83 | Authorizing No-Excuse, In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | TN | HB 614 | Delaying Paper Ballot Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| Dec. 9, 2009 | OH | SB 8 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| Oct. 15, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| Sept. 23, 2009 | OH | SJR 5 | Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Sept. 22, 2009 | MA | H 4246 | Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Sept. 14, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2355 | Prohibiting Funding for ACORN | Amendment Adopted - Senate (83 - 7) |
| June 30, 2009 | RI | H 5005 | Voter Pre-Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| June 18, 2009 | TN | HB 614 | Delaying Paper Ballot Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| June 16, 2009 | TN | SB 162 | Creation of the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| June 15, 2009 | LA | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| June 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2005 | Petition Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/02 | HB 1459 | Campaign Finance Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
| 5/18 | Amdt 3107 | Advancing Effective Date of Open Primaries for US Congress Elections | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 5/11 | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 5/11 | SB 203 | Independent expenditures in Colorado elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 5/10 | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 4/14 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| 3/24 | H 496 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| 3/18 | HB 97 | Moving Back Primary Dates and Filing Deadlines | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 3/17 | SB 406 | Online Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
| 3/01 | SCR 1007 | Repealing Legislative Term Limits | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 3/01 | SCR 1009 | Repealing Public Funding of Statewide Political Campaigns | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| 2/08 | A 9544 | Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments | Veto Override Failed - Senate (35 - 26) |
| 2/02 | SB 53 | Allowing Independents to Vote in Primaries | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 1/25 | SB 83 | Authorizing No-Excuse, In-Person Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 1/12 | HB 614 | Delaying Paper Ballot Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 12/09 | SB 8 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 10/15 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| 9/23 | SJR 5 | Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 9/22 | H 4246 | Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 2355 | Prohibiting Funding for ACORN | Amendment Adopted - Senate (83 - 7) |
| 6/30 | H 5005 | Voter Pre-Registration | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| 6/18 | HB 614 | Delaying Paper Ballot Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 6/16 | SB 162 | Creation of the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 6/15 | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 6/15 | HB 2005 | Petition Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |