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
Sept. 26, 2011 National HR 2608 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12)
Sept. 23, 2011 National S Amdt 655 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36)
Sept. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 602 Emergency Disaster Relief Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37)
Sept. 8, 2011 National HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9)
Sept. 7, 2011 NH SB 129 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17)
Sept. 7, 2011 NH SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
Sept. 7, 2011 NH SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
June 30, 2011 PA HB 960 Public Assistance Program Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
June 21, 2011 LA HB 7 Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12)
June 21, 2011 PA SB 1131 Tort Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
June 15, 2011 OH SB 17 Authorizes Concealed Handguns at Alcohol Vendors Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
June 14, 2011 WI SB 93 Weapons Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
June 10, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
June 8, 2011 WI SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
June 6, 2011 ME LD 1463 Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Fetuses "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Not Adopted - Senate (15 - 18)
June 4, 2011 CT SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 18)
June 4, 2011 CT SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 18)
May 30, 2011 NV AB 301 Voting Privileges for Felons Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
May 30, 2011 NV AB 136 Governing Credits for Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10)
May 28, 2011 TX HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
May 23, 2011 TX HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2)
May 23, 2011 National S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
May 23, 2011 National S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/26 HR 2608 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 12)
9/23 S Amdt 655 Continuing Appropriations Act of 2012 Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 36)
9/15 S Amdt 602 Emergency Disaster Relief Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37)
9/08 HR 1249 Patent Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (89 - 9)
9/07 SB 129 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17)
9/07 SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
9/07 SB 88 Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
6/30 HB 960 Public Assistance Program Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
6/21 HB 7 Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12)
6/21 SB 1131 Tort Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
6/15 SB 17 Authorizes Concealed Handguns at Alcohol Vendors Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
6/14 SB 93 Weapons Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
6/10 LD 1376 Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14)
6/08 SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
6/06 LD 1463 Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Fetuses "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Not Adopted - Senate (15 - 18)
6/04 SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 18)
6/04 SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 18)
5/30 AB 301 Voting Privileges for Felons Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
5/30 AB 136 Governing Credits for Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10)
5/28 HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
5/23 HB 359 Corporal Punishment in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2)
5/23 S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
5/23 S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)

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