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
April 9, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15)
April 9, 2012 AZ HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17)
April 9, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
April 5, 2012 MN HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29)
April 5, 2012 CO HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
April 4, 2012 AZ HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
April 4, 2012 CT HJ 2 Authorizes Absentee Ballots for Any Reason Resolution Passed - House (97 - 50)
April 4, 2012 CT SB 280 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
April 3, 2012 MN HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
April 3, 2012 AL SB 63 Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates Bill Passed - House (73 - 22)
April 3, 2012 AL SB 396 Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
April 3, 2012 AL SB 396 Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
April 3, 2012 IA HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
March 30, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
March 29, 2012 IL HB 4083 Internet Dating Site Requirements Bill Passed - House (83 - 26)
March 29, 2012 MI HB 5061 Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (65 - 45)
March 28, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Bill Passed - House (60 - 36)
March 28, 2012 SC SB 1227 Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds Bill Passed - House (85 - 22)
March 28, 2012 ID H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
March 27, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15)
March 26, 2012 ID H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - House (53 - 16)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/09 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15)
4/09 HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17)
4/09 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
4/05 HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29)
4/05 HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
4/04 HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
4/04 HJ 2 Authorizes Absentee Ballots for Any Reason Resolution Passed - House (97 - 50)
4/04 SB 280 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
4/03 HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57)
4/03 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
4/03 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
4/03 SB 63 Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates Bill Passed - House (73 - 22)
4/03 SB 396 Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
4/03 SB 396 Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
4/03 HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
3/30 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
3/29 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
3/29 HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
3/29 HB 4083 Internet Dating Site Requirements Bill Passed - House (83 - 26)
3/29 HB 5061 Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (65 - 45)
3/28 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Bill Passed - House (60 - 36)
3/28 SB 1227 Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds Bill Passed - House (85 - 22)
3/28 H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
3/27 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15)
3/26 H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - House (53 - 16)

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