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
Sept. 7, 2011 NH SB 129 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17)
June 30, 2011 RI S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (51 - 22)
June 23, 2011 PA HB 934 Amends Voter Identification Laws Bill Passed - House (108 - 88)
June 10, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
June 9, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
June 8, 2011 WI SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
May 27, 2011 NV AB 552 DNA Samples for Felony Charges Bill Passed - House (31 - 11)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
May 25, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64)
May 23, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2)
May 23, 2011 National S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
May 20, 2011 TN SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
May 16, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
May 13, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (84 - 55)
May 12, 2011 RI S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
May 11, 2011 SC H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
May 11, 2011 KS SB 129 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23)
May 9, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
April 26, 2011 SC H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 36)
April 20, 2011 AZ HB 2230 Relating to the 9/11 Memorial Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 20)
April 19, 2011 AZ HB 2230 Relating to the 9/11 Memorial Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
April 14, 2011 TN SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (57 - 35)
April 11, 2011 GA HB 92 Limits Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20)
March 30, 2011 NH SB 129 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/07 SB 129 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17)
6/30 S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (51 - 22)
6/23 HB 934 Amends Voter Identification Laws Bill Passed - House (108 - 88)
6/10 LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
6/09 LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
6/08 SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
5/27 AB 552 DNA Samples for Felony Charges Bill Passed - House (31 - 11)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
5/25 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64)
5/23 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2)
5/23 S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
5/20 SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
5/16 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
5/13 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - House (84 - 55)
5/12 S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
5/11 H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
5/11 SB 129 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23)
5/09 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
4/26 H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 36)
4/20 HB 2230 Relating to the 9/11 Memorial Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 20)
4/19 HB 2230 Relating to the 9/11 Memorial Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
4/14 SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (57 - 35)
4/11 HB 92 Limits Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20)
3/30 SB 129 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6)

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