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
April 22, 2009 CT SB 899 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
April 22, 2009 CT SB 899 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (100 - 44)
April 21, 2009 NV SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
April 17, 2009 MN SF 971 School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22)
April 16, 2009 MN Limmer Amdt Homosexuality in Education Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37)
April 15, 2009 WA SB 5688 Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights Bill Passed - House (62 - 35)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (94 - 38)
April 8, 2009 NH HB 415 Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination Bill Passed - House (188 - 187)
April 7, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49)
April 7, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
April 3, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (94 - 52)
April 3, 2009 ND SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Failed - House (34 - 54)
March 26, 2009 NH HB 436 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (186 - 179)
March 23, 2009 VT Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19)
March 23, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
March 23, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 13, 2009 WV SB 238 Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 10, 2009 WA SB 5688 Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
March 2, 2009 CA HR 5 Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27)
March 2, 2009 CA SR 7 Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
Feb. 26, 2009 NM SB 12 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25)
Feb. 24, 2009 CO SB 88 Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
Feb. 24, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
Feb. 18, 2009 ND SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/22 SB 899 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
4/22 SB 899 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (100 - 44)
4/21 SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
4/17 SF 971 School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22)
4/16 Limmer Amdt Homosexuality in Education Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37)
4/15 SB 5688 Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights Bill Passed - House (62 - 35)
4/13 SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
4/13 SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (94 - 38)
4/08 HB 415 Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination Bill Passed - House (188 - 187)
4/07 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49)
4/07 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
4/03 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (94 - 52)
4/03 SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Failed - House (34 - 54)
3/26 HB 436 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (186 - 179)
3/23 Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19)
3/23 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
3/23 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/13 SB 238 Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/10 SB 5688 Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
3/02 HR 5 Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27)
3/02 SR 7 Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
2/26 SB 12 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25)
2/24 SB 88 Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
2/24 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
2/18 SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)

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