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:
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.
| 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) |