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 27, 2010 National HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
May 10, 2010 TN HB 270 Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
April 19, 2010 AZ SB 1070 Expanding Undocumented Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
March 30, 2010 GA SB 67 English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
March 24, 2010 MD SB 778 Prohibits Public Schools from Sending Vocational Test Scores to Military Recruiters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23)
March 24, 2010 OH SB 150 County Sheriff Assistance with Federal Immigration Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
March 24, 2010 OH SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
March 8, 2010 UT SB 44 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 14)
Feb. 15, 2010 AZ SB 1070 Expanding Undocumented Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
Oct. 22, 2009 National HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
Oct. 22, 2009 National HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
Oct. 20, 2009 National HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
Oct. 20, 2009 National HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
Oct. 1, 2009 National S Amdt 2575 U.S. Military Commanders to Testify Before Congress Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
July 21, 2009 National S Amdt 1469 Repealing Funding for F-22 Aircraft Procurement Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 40)
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
June 16, 2009 SC S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
June 3, 2009 ME LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 28)
June 3, 2009 ME LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
June 1, 2009 NV SB 52 New Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
April 16, 2009 CA SB 242 Prohibiting Language Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
April 6, 2009 CO SB 170 Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18)
April 3, 2009 GA HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
April 3, 2009 GA SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/27 HR 4899 Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28)
5/10 HB 270 Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
4/19 SB 1070 Expanding Undocumented Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
3/30 SB 67 English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
3/24 SB 778 Prohibits Public Schools from Sending Vocational Test Scores to Military Recruiters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23)
3/24 SB 150 County Sheriff Assistance with Federal Immigration Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
3/24 SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
3/08 SB 44 Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 14)
2/15 SB 1070 Expanding Undocumented Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
10/22 HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
10/22 HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
10/20 HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
10/20 HR 2892 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19)
10/01 S Amdt 2575 U.S. Military Commanders to Testify Before Congress Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59)
7/21 S Amdt 1469 Repealing Funding for F-22 Aircraft Procurement Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 40)
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
6/16 S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9)
6/03 LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 28)
6/03 LD 1357 Relating to Driver's License and Identification Card Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
6/01 SB 52 New Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
4/16 SB 242 Prohibiting Language Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
4/06 SB 170 Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18)
4/03 HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
4/03 SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13)

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