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
Oct. 1, 2020 National S 4653 A bill to protect the healthcare of hundreds of millions of people of the United States and prevent efforts of the Department of Justice to advocate courts to strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
Sept. 30, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 29, 2020 National H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
Sept. 25, 2020 VA SB 5033 Amends Court Authority in Criminal Cases Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Bill Passed - House (88 - 17)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (77 - 26)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
Sept. 24, 2020 MI HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - House (74 - 29)
Sept. 23, 2020 MI HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
Sept. 22, 2020 VT H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
Sept. 22, 2020 VT S 54 Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6)
Sept. 22, 2020 PA SB 1164 Amends County Coroner Notification Requirements for Contagious Disease Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10)
Sept. 17, 2020 VT H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Veto Override Passed - House (103 - 47)
Sept. 17, 2020 VT S 54 Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis Conference Report Adopted - House (92 - 56)
Sept. 15, 2020 SC H 5305 Authorizes Absentee Voting Due to the Declared State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 1)
Sept. 15, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
Sept. 15, 2020 PA HB 2530 Prohibits Governor from Disallowing Gatherings at Places of Worship Bill Passed - House (149 - 53)
Sept. 15, 2020 MI SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
Sept. 9, 2020 VT H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (102 - 45)
Sept. 4, 2020 VA SB 5120 Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/01 S 4653 A bill to protect the healthcare of hundreds of millions of people of the United States and prevent efforts of the Department of Justice to advocate courts to strike down the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
9/30 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/29 H Res 1155 Reaffirming the House of Representatives' commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution of the United States, and for other purposes Bill Passed - House (397 - 5)
9/25 HB 5093 Expands the Violation of a Pandemic-Related Executive Order to Include a Fine Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17)
9/25 SB 5033 Amends Court Authority in Criminal Cases Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
9/24 SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
9/24 SB 117 Authorizes Active-Duty Overseas Military Voters to Vote Electronically Bill Passed - House (88 - 17)
9/24 SB 977 Increases the Punishment for Fraudulent Absentee Voting Bill Passed - House (77 - 26)
9/24 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
9/24 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - House (94 - 11)
9/24 HB 5881 Amends Sentencing Guidelines for Absentee Voting Law Violations Bill Passed - House (74 - 29)
9/23 HB 5396 Appropriates Funds for the 2021 Fiscal Year Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 4)
9/22 H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Veto Override Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
9/22 S 54 Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6)
9/22 SB 1164 Amends County Coroner Notification Requirements for Contagious Disease Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10)
9/17 H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Veto Override Passed - House (103 - 47)
9/17 S 54 Authorizes the Sale and Regulation of Cannabis Conference Report Adopted - House (92 - 56)
9/15 H 5305 Authorizes Absentee Voting Due to the Declared State of Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 1)
9/15 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
9/15 HB 2530 Prohibits Governor from Disallowing Gatherings at Places of Worship Bill Passed - House (149 - 53)
9/15 SB 757 Authorizes Cities With Over 25,000 Residents to Begin Processing Absentee Ballots the Day Before an Election Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
9/09 H 688 Establishes the Global Warming Solutions Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (102 - 45)
9/04 SB 5120 Appropriates Funds to Provide Prepaid Postage on Absentee Ballots for the General Election Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)

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