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
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
May 29, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
May 29, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 24, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
May 22, 2012 IL SB 1808 Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (71 - 45)
May 22, 2012 LA HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 18, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
May 16, 2012 National HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
May 16, 2012 National HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
May 15, 2012 CO HB 1005 Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (38 - 24)
May 15, 2012 LA HB 380 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (65 - 26)
May 10, 2012 OK SB 1733 Authorizes Open Carry of Firearms Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 10)
May 9, 2012 RI S 2555 A Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3)
May 5, 2012 CT HB 5024 Authorizes Election Day Registration Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
May 3, 2012 CA AB 1527 Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms Bill Passed - House (44 - 29)
May 3, 2012 CA AB 1527 Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms Bill Passed - House (44 - 29)
May 2, 2012 NH HB 536 Repeals License Requirement to Carry a Firearm Bill Tabled - Senate (17 - 7)
May 2, 2012 CO SB 117 Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
April 30, 2012 CT HB 5024 Authorizes Election Day Registration Bill Passed - House (83 - 59)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/30 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
5/29 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
5/29 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/24 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
5/22 SB 1808 Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (71 - 45)
5/22 HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/18 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
5/18 H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
5/18 H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
5/16 HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
5/16 HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
5/15 HB 1005 Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (38 - 24)
5/15 HB 380 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (65 - 26)
5/10 SB 1733 Authorizes Open Carry of Firearms Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 10)
5/09 S 2555 A Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3)
5/05 HB 5024 Authorizes Election Day Registration Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
5/03 AB 1527 Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms Bill Passed - House (44 - 29)
5/03 AB 1527 Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms Bill Passed - House (44 - 29)
5/02 HB 536 Repeals License Requirement to Carry a Firearm Bill Tabled - Senate (17 - 7)
5/02 SB 117 Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
4/30 HB 5024 Authorizes Election Day Registration Bill Passed - House (83 - 59)

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