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
March 10, 2011 GA SB 162 DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
March 10, 2011 GA SB 162 DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Not Tabled - Senate (20 - 34)
March 10, 2011 SC S 20 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 9)
March 9, 2011 NM HB 78 Driver License and ID Card Restrictions for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16)
March 9, 2011 National S Amdt 149 Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58)
March 8, 2011 AZ SB 1495 Establishment of an Arizona State Guard Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
March 4, 2011 UT HB 497 Immigration Enforcement Act Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5)
Feb. 28, 2011 AZ SB 1406 Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
Feb. 23, 2011 SD SB 156 Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Feb. 15, 2011 National HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
Feb. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 14 Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
Jan. 18, 2011 MS SB 2179 Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
Dec. 22, 2010 National Treaty Doc. 111-5 Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (71 - 26)
Dec. 21, 2010 National HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
Dec. 18, 2010 National HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
Sept. 21, 2010 National S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
Sept. 21, 2010 National S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
June 9, 2010 TN HB 670 Requiring Correctional Facilities to Determine Immigration Status of Inmates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 7)
June 9, 2010 National S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
June 4, 2010 TN HJR 1253 Resolution Recognizing Arizona Statehood and New Immigration Policy Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
May 27, 2010 National S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/10 SB 162 DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
3/10 SB 162 DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Not Tabled - Senate (20 - 34)
3/10 S 20 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 9)
3/09 HB 78 Driver License and ID Card Restrictions for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16)
3/09 S Amdt 149 Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58)
3/08 SB 1495 Establishment of an Arizona State Guard Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
3/04 HB 497 Immigration Enforcement Act Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5)
2/28 SB 1406 Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
2/23 SB 156 Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
2/15 HR 514 Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12)
2/15 S Amdt 14 Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51)
1/18 SB 2179 Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
12/22 Treaty Doc. 111-5 Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (71 - 26)
12/21 HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
12/18 HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
9/21 S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
9/21 S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
6/09 S Amdt 4326 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 41)
6/09 HB 670 Requiring Correctional Facilities to Determine Immigration Status of Inmates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 7)
6/09 S Amdt 4302 Requiring Reports on Foreign Holdings of U.S. Debt Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (38 - 61)
6/04 HJR 1253 Resolution Recognizing Arizona Statehood and New Immigration Policy Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
5/27 S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)
5/27 S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
5/27 S Amdt 4214 National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46)
5/27 S Amdt 4204 Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80)

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