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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 7, 2011 | NH | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17) |
| Aug. 2, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
| Aug. 1, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| July 31, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| July 29, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41) |
| July 29, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| July 22, 2011 | National | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46) |
| July 19, 2011 | National | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| June 30, 2011 | RI | S 400 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| June 23, 2011 | PA | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - House (108 - 88) |
| June 22, 2011 | OH | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| June 15, 2011 | OH | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 10, 2011 | ME | LD 1376 | Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14) |
| June 9, 2011 | AL | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 9, 2011 | ME | LD 1376 | Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (72 - 65) |
| June 8, 2011 | WI | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| May 27, 2011 | NV | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
| May 25, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| May 23, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| May 23, 2011 | National | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |
| May 21, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62) |
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 16 | Voter Identification Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| May 18, 2011 | TN | SJR 221 | Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/07 | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17) |
| 8/02 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (74 - 26) |
| 8/01 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| 7/31 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 7/29 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Tabled - Senate (59 - 41) |
| 7/29 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| 7/22 | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Tabled - Senate (51 - 46) |
| 7/19 | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| 6/30 | S 400 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| 6/23 | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - House (108 - 88) |
| 6/22 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| 6/15 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/10 | LD 1376 | Repeal Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14) |
| 6/09 | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/09 | LD 1376 | Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (72 - 65) |
| 6/08 | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 5/27 | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
| 5/25 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| 5/23 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| 5/23 | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |
| 5/21 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62) |
| 5/20 | SB 16 | Voter Identification Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 5/18 | SJR 221 | Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4) |