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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 24, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (101 - 48) |
| March 22, 2011 | AL | HB 19 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 31) |
| March 21, 2011 | AR | HB 1797 | Requires Proof of Identity to Vote | Bill Passed - House (53 - 36) |
| March 4, 2011 | PA | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | |
| March 1, 2011 | WY | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2011 | KS | HB 2067 | Voter Photographic Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 36) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MO | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | CO | HB 1003 | Changes to Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | GA | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - House (148 - 20) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | MO | SB 3 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | AR | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - House (52 - 41) |
| Feb. 14, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - House (275 - 144) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Passed - House (52 - 5) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Failed - House (277 - 148) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | AR | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | VA | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Dec. 1, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 35) |
| Oct. 14, 2010 | PA | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/24 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (101 - 48) |
| 3/22 | HB 19 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 31) |
| 3/21 | HB 1797 | Requires Proof of Identity to Vote | Bill Passed - House (53 - 36) |
| 3/04 | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | |
| 3/01 | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| 2/25 | HB 2067 | Voter Photographic Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 36) |
| 2/24 | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/22 | HB 1003 | Changes to Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| 2/22 | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - House (148 - 20) |
| 2/17 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (279 - 143) |
| 2/17 | SB 3 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/15 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12) |
| 2/15 | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - House (52 - 41) |
| 2/14 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - House (275 - 144) |
| 2/10 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| 2/08 | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Passed - House (52 - 5) |
| 2/08 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Failed - House (277 - 148) |
| 2/02 | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 1/26 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 1/26 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| 1/24 | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 12/01 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 11/30 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 11/15 | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (161 - 35) |
| 10/14 | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 4) |