Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
Jan. 14, 2009 RI H 5097 Requiring Voters to Present ID at Polls
Jan. 14, 2009 CT HB 5095 2008-2009 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (111 - 35)
Jan. 13, 2009 ND HB 1036 Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation Bill Passed - House (62 - 32)
Jan. 9, 2009 IL HR 1671 Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich Resolution Passed - House (114 - 1)
Jan. 7, 2009 MS HB 290 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget Bill Passed - House (87 - 34)
Dec. 19, 2008 MI SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 12 Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 12 Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 8 Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 5 Modifying Transportation Project Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 4 Reducing Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 2 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Dec. 18, 2008 OH HB 649 Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
Dec. 16, 2008 OH SB 380 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
Dec. 16, 2008 OH HB 649 Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ S 1599 Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ S 1599 Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs Bill Passed - House (49 - 28)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
Dec. 11, 2008 MI HB 4141 Expanding the Use of School Sinking Funds Bill Passed - House (71 - 28)
Dec. 11, 2008 MI HB 6610 Presidential Election by Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
Dec. 10, 2008 OH HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
Dec. 10, 2008 OH HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
Dec. 10, 2008 MI SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
Dec. 10, 2008 OH HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/14 H 5097 Requiring Voters to Present ID at Polls
1/14 HB 5095 2008-2009 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (111 - 35)
1/13 HB 1036 Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation Bill Passed - House (62 - 32)
1/09 HR 1671 Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich Resolution Passed - House (114 - 1)
1/07 HB 290 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget Bill Passed - House (87 - 34)
12/19 SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
12/18 ABx1 12 Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28)
12/18 ABx1 12 Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28)
12/18 ABx1 8 Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
12/18 ABx1 5 Modifying Transportation Project Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
12/18 ABx1 4 Reducing Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
12/18 ABx1 2 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
12/18 HB 649 Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
12/16 SB 380 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
12/16 HB 649 Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
12/15 S 1599 Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
12/15 S 1599 Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs Bill Passed - House (49 - 28)
12/15 A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
12/15 A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
12/11 HB 4141 Expanding the Use of School Sinking Funds Bill Passed - House (71 - 28)
12/11 HB 6610 Presidential Election by Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
12/10 HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
12/10 HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
12/10 SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
12/10 HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)

arrow_upward