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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 22, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 21, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| May 17, 2012 | DE | SB 185 | Requires Lobbyists to Report Their Activities in the Legislature | Bill Passed - House (26 - 12) |
| May 16, 2012 | NH | CACR 26 | Authorizes the Legislature to Amend Supreme Court Rules | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| May 10, 2012 | KS | SB 102 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| May 3, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| April 11, 2012 | NH | SB 202 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (239 - 95) |
| April 4, 2012 | PA | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - House (246 - 112) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 27, 2012 | FL | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| March 26, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| March 22, 2012 | ID | HJR 1 | Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases | Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33) |
| March 22, 2012 | FL | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| March 15, 2012 | KY | SB 18 | Amends Redistricting Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| March 14, 2012 | NY | A 9525 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
| March 14, 2012 | NY | A 9525 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (98 - 44) |
| March 6, 2012 | VA | HB 1228 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 31) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | CO | HB 1301 | Authorizes Legislative Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/24 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 5/24 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/22 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 5/21 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| 5/17 | SB 185 | Requires Lobbyists to Report Their Activities in the Legislature | Bill Passed - House (26 - 12) |
| 5/16 | CACR 26 | Authorizes the Legislature to Amend Supreme Court Rules | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 5/10 | SB 102 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| 5/03 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 5/02 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 5/02 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 4/11 | SB 202 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (239 - 95) |
| 4/04 | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
| 3/28 | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 3/28 | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - House (246 - 112) |
| 3/28 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/27 | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| 3/26 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| 3/22 | HJR 1 | Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases | Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33) |
| 3/22 | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 3/15 | SB 18 | Amends Redistricting Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 3/14 | A 9525 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
| 3/14 | A 9525 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (98 - 44) |
| 3/06 | HB 1228 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 31) |
| 2/29 | HB 1301 | Authorizes Legislative Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |