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
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 2327 Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 472 Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Aug. 21, 2012 CA HB 2676 Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
Aug. 20, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
Aug. 20, 2012 NJ A 578 Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
Aug. 20, 2012 NJ A 578 Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
Aug. 16, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
Aug. 2, 2012 National S 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
July 31, 2012 MA S 2400 Establishes Accountable Care Organizations Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20)
July 19, 2012 MA H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
July 18, 2012 MA H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14)
July 5, 2012 CA AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
July 2, 2012 NC SB 416 Death Penalty Discrimination Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48)
July 2, 2012 NC SB 416 Death Penalty Discrimination Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 2001 Expands Syringe Exchange Program Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
June 20, 2012 NC SB 416 Death Penalty Discrimination Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
June 19, 2012 NY A 1157B Requires Firearms to Have Microstamping Technology Bill Passed - House (85 - 60)
June 19, 2012 National HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
June 14, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/22 AB 2327 Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
8/22 AB 472 Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
8/21 HB 2676 Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
8/20 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
8/20 A 578 Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
8/20 A 578 Authorizes Temporary Immunity for Witnesses and Victims of a Drug Overdose Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
8/16 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
8/02 S 3414 Cybersecurity Act of 2012 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 46)
7/31 S 2400 Establishes Accountable Care Organizations Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20)
7/19 H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
7/18 H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14)
7/05 AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
7/02 SB 416 Death Penalty Discrimination Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48)
7/02 SB 416 Death Penalty Discrimination Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11)
6/27 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110)
6/27 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112)
6/27 SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111)
6/27 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
6/27 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
6/21 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
6/21 S 2001 Expands Syringe Exchange Program Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
6/20 SB 416 Death Penalty Discrimination Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
6/19 A 1157B Requires Firearms to Have Microstamping Technology Bill Passed - House (85 - 60)
6/19 HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
6/14 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)

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