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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 16, 2014 | TN | SB 2580 | Authorizes the Use of Certain Execution Methods | Bill Passed - House (68 - 13) |
| March 12, 2014 | NH | Amdt 916h | Exempts Individuals Convicted of Capital Murder from the Death Penalty | Amendment Rejected - House (85 - 245) |
| March 12, 2014 | NH | HB 1170 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (225 - 104) |
| March 6, 2014 | AL | HB 379 | Requires Confidentiality for Lethal-Injection Drug Suppliers | Bill Passed - House (77 - 19) |
| Feb. 13, 2014 | KS | HB 2389 | Establishes Time Limits on Death Penalty Appeals Process | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Jan. 22, 2014 | VA | HB 1052 | Authorizes the Use of Alternative Methods of Execution | Bill Passed - House (64 - 32) |
| June 12, 2013 | NC | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| June 5, 2013 | NC | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Bill Passed - House (77 - 39) |
| April 29, 2013 | FL | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| April 25, 2013 | FL | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - House (84 - 34) |
| April 3, 2013 | NC | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 26, 2013 | DE | SB 19 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| March 15, 2013 | MD | SB 276 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (82 - 56) |
| March 6, 2013 | MD | SB 276 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48) |
| July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| June 20, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| June 13, 2012 | NC | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (73 - 47) |
| April 11, 2012 | CT | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (86 - 62) |
| April 4, 2012 | CT | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Jan. 4, 2012 | NC | SB 9 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Nov. 28, 2011 | NC | SB 9 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| June 16, 2011 | NC | SB 9 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (64 - 52) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | MT | SB 185 | Abolish the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 3539 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 25) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/16 | SB 2580 | Authorizes the Use of Certain Execution Methods | Bill Passed - House (68 - 13) |
| 3/12 | Amdt 916h | Exempts Individuals Convicted of Capital Murder from the Death Penalty | Amendment Rejected - House (85 - 245) |
| 3/12 | HB 1170 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (225 - 104) |
| 3/06 | HB 379 | Requires Confidentiality for Lethal-Injection Drug Suppliers | Bill Passed - House (77 - 19) |
| 2/13 | HB 2389 | Establishes Time Limits on Death Penalty Appeals Process | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 1/22 | HB 1052 | Authorizes the Use of Alternative Methods of Execution | Bill Passed - House (64 - 32) |
| 6/12 | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 6/05 | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Bill Passed - House (77 - 39) |
| 4/29 | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 4/25 | HB 7083 | Limits Post-Conviction Death Penalty Appeals | Bill Passed - House (84 - 34) |
| 4/03 | SB 306 | Repeals the Racial Justice Act | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 3/26 | SB 19 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 3/15 | SB 276 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (82 - 56) |
| 3/06 | SB 276 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 7/02 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 48) |
| 7/02 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| 6/20 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 6/13 | SB 416 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (73 - 47) |
| 4/11 | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (86 - 62) |
| 4/04 | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 1/04 | SB 9 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 11/28 | SB 9 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 6/16 | SB 9 | Death Penalty Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (64 - 52) |
| 2/15 | SB 185 | Abolish the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 1/11 | SB 3539 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 25) |