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
March 26, 2007 MD SB 488 Felon Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (78 - 60)
March 24, 2007 MD HB 359 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (98 - 40)
March 21, 2007 VT H 44 Life Ending Prescriptions for Terminally Ill Patients Bill Failed - House (63 - 82)
March 20, 2007 GA HCS HB 185 Death Penalty Rules Bill Passed - House (106 - 65)
March 14, 2007 CO HB 1330 Second Parent Adoption Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
March 7, 2007 OK HCS HB 1734 Photo Identification Voting Requirement Bill Passed - House (58 - 38)
Feb. 28, 2007 IL HB 408 Mandating New Driver Signs For Minors Bill Passed - House (74 - 39)
Feb. 28, 2007 CO HB 1269 Casino Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (36 - 29)
Feb. 23, 2007 ID H 121 Smoking Ban in Bowling Alleys Bill Passed - House (48 - 17)
Feb. 21, 2007 WY SF 101 Sex Offender Tracking Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
Feb. 20, 2007 IN HB 1237 Seat Belt Requirement Bill Passed - House (55 - 41)
Feb. 12, 2007 UT 2SHB 235 Abortion Law Revisions Bill Passed - House (62 - 12)
Feb. 5, 2007 WY HJ 8 Real ID Act Repeal Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 11)
Sept. 29, 2006 National S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
Sept. 20, 2006 National HR 4844 Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (228 - 196)
July 19, 2006 National HR 2389 Pledge Protection Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (260 - 167)
July 13, 2006 MA H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - House (132 - 24)
July 13, 2006 National HR 9 Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (390 - 33)
June 6, 2006 PA HB 2381 Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (136 - 61)
May 30, 2006 MI HB 6085 Disclosure of Citizenship on Driver's License Bill Passed - House (76 - 27)
May 26, 2006 OK SB 1807 Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant Conference Report Adopted - House (91 - 5)
May 25, 2006 SC Amdt 3 to S 1084 Inclusion of Unborn Child/Fetus in Definition for Civil Suits Amendment Amendment Tabled - House (65 - 31)
May 25, 2006 OH Sub HB 184 U.S. and Ohio Mottos in Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (82 - 13)
May 24, 2006 NH HB 656 "Do Not Resuscitate" Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (168 - 165)
May 17, 2006 LA HB 853 Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment in State Government Bill Failed - House (38 - 58)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/26 SB 488 Felon Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (78 - 60)
3/24 HB 359 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (98 - 40)
3/21 H 44 Life Ending Prescriptions for Terminally Ill Patients Bill Failed - House (63 - 82)
3/20 HCS HB 185 Death Penalty Rules Bill Passed - House (106 - 65)
3/14 HB 1330 Second Parent Adoption Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
3/07 HCS HB 1734 Photo Identification Voting Requirement Bill Passed - House (58 - 38)
2/28 HB 408 Mandating New Driver Signs For Minors Bill Passed - House (74 - 39)
2/28 HB 1269 Casino Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (36 - 29)
2/23 H 121 Smoking Ban in Bowling Alleys Bill Passed - House (48 - 17)
2/21 SF 101 Sex Offender Tracking Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
2/20 HB 1237 Seat Belt Requirement Bill Passed - House (55 - 41)
2/12 2SHB 235 Abortion Law Revisions Bill Passed - House (62 - 12)
2/05 HJ 8 Real ID Act Repeal Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 11)
9/29 S 3930 Military Commissions Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (250 - 170)
9/20 HR 4844 Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (228 - 196)
7/19 HR 2389 Pledge Protection Act of 2006 Bill Passed - House (260 - 167)
7/13 H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - House (132 - 24)
7/13 HR 9 Voting Rights Act Reauthorization Bill Passed - House (390 - 33)
6/06 HB 2381 Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (136 - 61)
5/30 HB 6085 Disclosure of Citizenship on Driver's License Bill Passed - House (76 - 27)
5/26 SB 1807 Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant Conference Report Adopted - House (91 - 5)
5/25 Amdt 3 to S 1084 Inclusion of Unborn Child/Fetus in Definition for Civil Suits Amendment Amendment Tabled - House (65 - 31)
5/25 Sub HB 184 U.S. and Ohio Mottos in Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (82 - 13)
5/24 HB 656 "Do Not Resuscitate" Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (168 - 165)
5/17 HB 853 Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment in State Government Bill Failed - House (38 - 58)

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