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
June 5, 2019 NH SB 235 Establishes a Human Resources Office to Investigate Sexual Harassment Complaints in Legislature "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (207 - 139)
May 27, 2019 AZ SB 1558 Increases Stipends for State Legislators Bill Passed - House (37 - 23)
May 27, 2019 AZ SB 1558 Increases Stipends for State Legislators Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
April 22, 2019 IA HF 764 Requires the Legislature to Publish Proposed Constitutional Amendments Bill Passed - House (54 - 44)
Jan. 9, 2019 National HR 264 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - House (240 - 188)
Jan. 3, 2019 National HR 21 Making appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (241 - 190)
Dec. 21, 2018 MI HB 6553 Authorizes Legislative Intervention in Individual Constitutionality Claims and Lawsuits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 47)
Dec. 5, 2018 WI SB 884 Reduces Period for Early Voting and Limits Powers of the State Attorney General Bill Passed - House (56 - 27)
Dec. 5, 2018 WI SB 884 Reduces Period for Early Voting and Limits Powers of the State Attorney General Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
Sept. 27, 2018 NJ A 3312 Requires State Legislature to Maintain Sexual Harassment Policy Bill Passed - House (79 - 0)
July 19, 2018 National S Res 584 A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate against the making available of current and former diplomats, officials, and members of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin. Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
June 27, 2018 NC HB 913 Establishes a Bipartisan Board of Ethics and Election Enforcement Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 14)
June 26, 2018 NC HB 913 Establishes a Bipartisan Board of Ethics and Election Enforcement Amendment Adopted - House (74 - 44)
June 13, 2018 NC HB 659 Specifies Method of Vacancy Filling for US Senators Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 39)
May 11, 2018 MO HJR 100 Prohibits Counting Non-Citizens for Redistricting Purposes Bill Passed - House (90 - 34)
April 11, 2018 MO SJR 27 Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
March 28, 2018 AL HB 317 Exempts Certain Individuals from Registering as Lobbyists Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
March 13, 2018 PA HB 153 Decreases Size of State Legislature Bill Passed - House (101 - 84)
Feb. 23, 2018 WA SB 6617 Exempts Legislators from Public Records Law Bill Passed - House (83 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2018 WA SB 6617 Exempts Legislators from Public Records Law Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
May 2, 2017 WI SB 15 Expands Legislature's Regulatory Review Powers Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
April 25, 2017 NY S 1229 Establishes Term Limits for Legislative Leadership Positions Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 9)
April 5, 2017 DE SB 27 Establishes Bipartisan Commission for Drawing Legislative Districts Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7)
March 1, 2017 National HR 998 Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act Bill Passed - House (240 - 185)
Jan. 5, 2017 National HR 26 Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017 Bill Passed - House (237 - 187)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/05 SB 235 Establishes a Human Resources Office to Investigate Sexual Harassment Complaints in Legislature "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - House (207 - 139)
5/27 SB 1558 Increases Stipends for State Legislators Bill Passed - House (37 - 23)
5/27 SB 1558 Increases Stipends for State Legislators Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
4/22 HF 764 Requires the Legislature to Publish Proposed Constitutional Amendments Bill Passed - House (54 - 44)
1/09 HR 264 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - House (240 - 188)
1/03 HR 21 Making appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (241 - 190)
12/21 HB 6553 Authorizes Legislative Intervention in Individual Constitutionality Claims and Lawsuits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 47)
12/05 SB 884 Reduces Period for Early Voting and Limits Powers of the State Attorney General Bill Passed - House (56 - 27)
12/05 SB 884 Reduces Period for Early Voting and Limits Powers of the State Attorney General Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
9/27 A 3312 Requires State Legislature to Maintain Sexual Harassment Policy Bill Passed - House (79 - 0)
7/19 S Res 584 A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate against the making available of current and former diplomats, officials, and members of the Armed Forces of the United States for questioning by the government of Vladimir Putin. Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 0)
6/27 HB 913 Establishes a Bipartisan Board of Ethics and Election Enforcement Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 14)
6/26 HB 913 Establishes a Bipartisan Board of Ethics and Election Enforcement Amendment Adopted - House (74 - 44)
6/13 HB 659 Specifies Method of Vacancy Filling for US Senators Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 39)
5/11 HJR 100 Prohibits Counting Non-Citizens for Redistricting Purposes Bill Passed - House (90 - 34)
4/11 SJR 27 Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
3/28 HB 317 Exempts Certain Individuals from Registering as Lobbyists Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
3/13 HB 153 Decreases Size of State Legislature Bill Passed - House (101 - 84)
2/23 SB 6617 Exempts Legislators from Public Records Law Bill Passed - House (83 - 14)
2/23 SB 6617 Exempts Legislators from Public Records Law Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
5/02 SB 15 Expands Legislature's Regulatory Review Powers Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
4/25 S 1229 Establishes Term Limits for Legislative Leadership Positions Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 9)
4/05 SB 27 Establishes Bipartisan Commission for Drawing Legislative Districts Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7)
3/01 HR 998 Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome Act Bill Passed - House (240 - 185)
1/05 HR 26 Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2017 Bill Passed - House (237 - 187)

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