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 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
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 22, 2012 LA HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
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 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 26, 2012 National S 1925 Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
April 26, 2012 CO SB 2 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
April 26, 2012 National S 1925 Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
April 25, 2012 TN SB 2580 Requires Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
April 24, 2012 AZ SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
April 20, 2012 KY HB 1 Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
April 19, 2012 CT SB 245 Authorizes People to Record Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
April 19, 2012 CT SB 245 Authorizes People to Record Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
April 12, 2012 AZ HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
April 12, 2012 AZ HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
April 10, 2012 MS HB 921 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
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)
5/22 HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
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)
5/02 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)
4/26 S 1925 Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
4/26 SB 2 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
4/26 S 1925 Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31)
4/25 SB 2580 Requires Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
4/24 SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
4/20 HB 1 Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
4/19 SB 245 Authorizes People to Record Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
4/19 SB 245 Authorizes People to Record Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
4/12 HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
4/12 HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
4/10 HB 921 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
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)

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