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 16, 2023 NY S 1327 Amends Various Voter Registration Laws and Deadlines Bill Passed - House (97 - 47)
March 16, 2023 WA HB 1756 Amends Tax Rules Concerning Clean Energies and Increased Revenue to Local Governments, Schools, and Communities Bill Passed - House (81 - 12)
March 15, 2023 MS HB 1306 Amends the Mississippi Election Code and Protects Against Fraudulent Voters Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 38)
March 15, 2023 IA SF 514 Restructures Iowa State Government Cabinet Positions Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
March 15, 2023 IA SF 514 Restructures Iowa State Government Cabinet Positions Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
March 14, 2023 NM SB 180 Amends Various State Election Laws Bill Passed - House (44 - 25)
March 14, 2023 ID H 286 Amends Laws Requiring Certain Information when Communicating with Voters Regarding a Bond or Levy Bill Passed - House (52 - 15)
March 11, 2023 WV HB 3354 Authorizes Municipalities to Combine Operations with Other Municipalities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 54)
March 11, 2023 WV HB 3354 Authorizes Municipalities to Combine Operations with Other Municipalities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 54)
March 10, 2023 WV SB 740 Increases Lawmakers Compensation to Equal 75% of the Per Capita Income in West Virginia Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
March 10, 2023 WV SB 508 Specifies Reporting and Disclosure Requirements forGrassroots Lobbying Expenditures, Bill Passed - House (49 - 41)
March 9, 2023 NH HB 281 Amends State Energy and Utility Policies "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (184 - 168)
March 9, 2023 National H J Res 27 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Revised Definition of 'Waters of the United States' " Joint Resolution Passed - House (227 - 198)
March 9, 2023 National HR 140 Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act Bill Passed - House (219 - 206)
March 8, 2023 OK HB 1415 Establishes a Committee to Oversee Election Operations Bill Passed - House (77 - 20)
March 8, 2023 OK HB 1415 Establishes a Committee to Oversee Election Operations Bill Passed - House (77 - 20)
March 8, 2023 CO HB 23-1185 Establishes Limitations on Candidates Who Can Replace Recalled Elected Officials (48 - 14)
March 8, 2023 NC HB 151 Authorizes a Joint Resolution Establishing Term Limits for Congress Joint Resolution Passed - House (69 - 48)
March 8, 2023 SC H 3014 Authorizes Additional Penalties for Perpetrators of Hate Crimes Bill Passed - House (84 - 31)
March 8, 2023 WA HB 1241 Establishes Harassing Election Workers as a Felony Crime Bill Passed - House (90 - 7)
March 7, 2023 MS SB 2358 Prohibits a Third-Party From Collecting and Delivering Somebody Else's Absentee Ballot Bill Passed - House (73 - 44)
March 7, 2023 RI H 5305 Specifies that Public Elementary and Secondary Schools will be Closed on Election Day Bill Passed - House (71 - 0)
March 7, 2023 AZ HB 2613 Requires 100% of a Voting Machine be Manufactured in the United States Bill Passed - House (31 - 29)
March 6, 2023 SD SB 70 Amends Courtroom Provisions and Requirements for Minor Witnesses Bill Passed - House (54 - 14)
March 6, 2023 SD SB 207 Establishes Penalties for Appropriating Public Funds to Influence an Election Result Bill Passed - House (62 - 6)
March 6, 2023 TN HB 48 Reduces the Number of Nashville Metro City Council Members by Half Bill Passed - House (72 - 25)
March 6, 2023 GA HB 514 Limits Local Government Ability to Stop New Residential Building Bill Passed - House (127 - 43)
March 6, 2023 GA HB 30 Defines "Antisemitism" into State Law Bill Passed - House (136 - 22)
March 2, 2023 WV HB 3307 Establishing the West Virginia-Ireland Trade Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 10)
March 2, 2023 AZ HB 2078 Authorizes a State Audit Process of Election Results Bill Passed - House (31 - 28)
March 2, 2023 MT HB 693 Prohibits State Agencies from Denying Individual Records Request Due To Ongoing Litigation Bill Passed - House (94 - 4)
March 2, 2023 VT H 429 Authorizes Several Changes to Vermont Election Laws Bill Failed - House (59 - 78)
March 2, 2023 VT H 429 Authorizes Several Changes to Vermont Election Laws Bill Failed - House (59 - 78)
March 2, 2023 KY HB 236 Requires Public Pension Investments be based on Financial Risks and Returns not ESG Factors Bill Passed - House (77 - 14)
March 1, 2023 SD HB 1165 Prohibits Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 11)
March 1, 2023 MI HB 4016 Appropriates $1.4 Billion from the General Budget to Address the State Healthcare Worker Shortage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 49)
March 1, 2023 SD SB 55 Prohibits Ranked-Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (63 - 5)
March 1, 2023 WY SF 127 Authorizes a State Digital Currency Bill Passed - House (36 - 25)
March 1, 2023 AZ HB 2691 Requires a Video Livestream of Ballots During the Signature Matching Process Bill Passed - House (31 - 28)
March 1, 2023 National HR 347 Reduce Exacerbated Inflation Negatively Impacting the Nation Act Bill Passed - House (272 - 148)
March 1, 2023 AZ HB 2552 Prohibits Ranked Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (31 - 28)
Feb. 28, 2023 AZ HB 2319 Amends How Judges Interpret Election Laws Bill Passed - House (31 - 26)
Feb. 28, 2023 SC H 3591 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Repeal the State "Blaine Amendment" Resolution Passed - House (83 - 27)
Feb. 28, 2023 AZ HB 2319 Amends How Judges Interpret Election Laws Bill Passed - House (31 - 26)
Feb. 28, 2023 WY SF 131 Prohibits the Distribution of Unsolicited Absentee Ballot Forms Bill Passed - House (54 - 5)
Feb. 24, 2023 ID H 138 Amends Date of the State Presidential Primary from March to May Bill Passed - House (61 - 6)
Feb. 24, 2023 PA HB 2 Amends State Law to Temporarily Open the 2-Year Window for Survivors to File Civil Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (134 - 67)
Feb. 24, 2023 PA HB 1 Amends the State Constitution to Increase the Reporting Window for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Bill Passed - House (161 - 40)
Feb. 23, 2023 SD SB 102 Requires Continuous Updating of Candidate Lists Prior to an Election Bill Passed - House (66 - 2)
Feb. 23, 2023 KS HB 2056 Requires All Advance Voting Ballots be Returned by 7:00 P.M. on Election Day Bill Passed - House (77 - 45)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/16 S 1327 Amends Various Voter Registration Laws and Deadlines Bill Passed - House (97 - 47)
3/16 HB 1756 Amends Tax Rules Concerning Clean Energies and Increased Revenue to Local Governments, Schools, and Communities Bill Passed - House (81 - 12)
3/15 HB 1306 Amends the Mississippi Election Code and Protects Against Fraudulent Voters Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 38)
3/15 SF 514 Restructures Iowa State Government Cabinet Positions Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
3/15 SF 514 Restructures Iowa State Government Cabinet Positions Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
3/14 SB 180 Amends Various State Election Laws Bill Passed - House (44 - 25)
3/14 H 286 Amends Laws Requiring Certain Information when Communicating with Voters Regarding a Bond or Levy Bill Passed - House (52 - 15)
3/11 HB 3354 Authorizes Municipalities to Combine Operations with Other Municipalities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 54)
3/11 HB 3354 Authorizes Municipalities to Combine Operations with Other Municipalities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 54)
3/10 SB 740 Increases Lawmakers Compensation to Equal 75% of the Per Capita Income in West Virginia Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
3/10 SB 508 Specifies Reporting and Disclosure Requirements forGrassroots Lobbying Expenditures, Bill Passed - House (49 - 41)
3/09 HB 281 Amends State Energy and Utility Policies "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (184 - 168)
3/09 H J Res 27 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Revised Definition of 'Waters of the United States' " Joint Resolution Passed - House (227 - 198)
3/09 HR 140 Protecting Speech from Government Interference Act Bill Passed - House (219 - 206)
3/08 HB 1415 Establishes a Committee to Oversee Election Operations Bill Passed - House (77 - 20)
3/08 HB 1415 Establishes a Committee to Oversee Election Operations Bill Passed - House (77 - 20)
3/08 HB 23-1185 Establishes Limitations on Candidates Who Can Replace Recalled Elected Officials (48 - 14)
3/08 HB 151 Authorizes a Joint Resolution Establishing Term Limits for Congress Joint Resolution Passed - House (69 - 48)
3/08 H 3014 Authorizes Additional Penalties for Perpetrators of Hate Crimes Bill Passed - House (84 - 31)
3/08 HB 1241 Establishes Harassing Election Workers as a Felony Crime Bill Passed - House (90 - 7)
3/07 SB 2358 Prohibits a Third-Party From Collecting and Delivering Somebody Else's Absentee Ballot Bill Passed - House (73 - 44)
3/07 H 5305 Specifies that Public Elementary and Secondary Schools will be Closed on Election Day Bill Passed - House (71 - 0)
3/07 HB 2613 Requires 100% of a Voting Machine be Manufactured in the United States Bill Passed - House (31 - 29)
3/06 SB 70 Amends Courtroom Provisions and Requirements for Minor Witnesses Bill Passed - House (54 - 14)
3/06 SB 207 Establishes Penalties for Appropriating Public Funds to Influence an Election Result Bill Passed - House (62 - 6)
3/06 HB 48 Reduces the Number of Nashville Metro City Council Members by Half Bill Passed - House (72 - 25)
3/06 HB 514 Limits Local Government Ability to Stop New Residential Building Bill Passed - House (127 - 43)
3/06 HB 30 Defines "Antisemitism" into State Law Bill Passed - House (136 - 22)
3/02 HB 3307 Establishing the West Virginia-Ireland Trade Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 10)
3/02 HB 2078 Authorizes a State Audit Process of Election Results Bill Passed - House (31 - 28)
3/02 HB 693 Prohibits State Agencies from Denying Individual Records Request Due To Ongoing Litigation Bill Passed - House (94 - 4)
3/02 H 429 Authorizes Several Changes to Vermont Election Laws Bill Failed - House (59 - 78)
3/02 H 429 Authorizes Several Changes to Vermont Election Laws Bill Failed - House (59 - 78)
3/02 HB 236 Requires Public Pension Investments be based on Financial Risks and Returns not ESG Factors Bill Passed - House (77 - 14)
3/01 HB 1165 Prohibits Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 11)
3/01 HB 4016 Appropriates $1.4 Billion from the General Budget to Address the State Healthcare Worker Shortage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 49)
3/01 SB 55 Prohibits Ranked-Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (63 - 5)
3/01 SF 127 Authorizes a State Digital Currency Bill Passed - House (36 - 25)
3/01 HB 2691 Requires a Video Livestream of Ballots During the Signature Matching Process Bill Passed - House (31 - 28)
3/01 HR 347 Reduce Exacerbated Inflation Negatively Impacting the Nation Act Bill Passed - House (272 - 148)
3/01 HB 2552 Prohibits Ranked Choice Voting Bill Passed - House (31 - 28)
2/28 HB 2319 Amends How Judges Interpret Election Laws Bill Passed - House (31 - 26)
2/28 H 3591 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Repeal the State "Blaine Amendment" Resolution Passed - House (83 - 27)
2/28 HB 2319 Amends How Judges Interpret Election Laws Bill Passed - House (31 - 26)
2/28 SF 131 Prohibits the Distribution of Unsolicited Absentee Ballot Forms Bill Passed - House (54 - 5)
2/24 H 138 Amends Date of the State Presidential Primary from March to May Bill Passed - House (61 - 6)
2/24 HB 2 Amends State Law to Temporarily Open the 2-Year Window for Survivors to File Civil Lawsuits Bill Passed - House (134 - 67)
2/24 HB 1 Amends the State Constitution to Increase the Reporting Window for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse Bill Passed - House (161 - 40)
2/23 SB 102 Requires Continuous Updating of Candidate Lists Prior to an Election Bill Passed - House (66 - 2)
2/23 HB 2056 Requires All Advance Voting Ballots be Returned by 7:00 P.M. on Election Day Bill Passed - House (77 - 45)

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