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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 13, 2017 | MO | HB 441 | Establishes Protections for Student Journalists | Bill Passed - House (148 - 6) |
| March 10, 2017 | SC | H 3643 | Requires Public Universities to Adopt Antisemitism Policy | Bill Passed - House (103 - 3) |
| March 10, 2017 | SC | H 3643 | Requires Public Universities to Adopt Antisemitism Policy | Bill Passed - House (103 - 3) |
| March 9, 2017 | IA | HF 516 | Requires Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| Feb. 23, 2017 | MN | HF 3 | Requires REAL ID Compliance | Bill Passed - House (72 - 58) |
| Feb. 22, 2017 | NV | IP 1 | Requires Automatic Voter Registration when Applying for Driver's License | Bill Passed - House (27 - 15) |
| Feb. 2, 2017 | National | H J Res 40 | Providing for congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (235 - 180) |
| Feb. 22, 2016 | KS | HCR 5010 | Establishes State Commitment to a Proposed Constitutional Convention | Bill Failed - House (77 - 47) |
| Feb. 11, 2016 | AL | HB 37 | Prohibits Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Failed - House (60 - 24) |
| Feb. 4, 2016 | TN | SJR 67 | Requests that the U.S. Congress call a Constitutional Convention | Bill Passed - House (59 - 31) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MO | HJR 53 | Requires Individuals to Show Identification in Order to Vote | Joint Resolution Passed - House (116 - 40) |
| April 2, 2015 | IN | SB 50 | Specifies that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act Does Not Authorize Discrimination | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 30) |
| April 2, 2015 | GA | SB 94 | Amends Certain Law Enforcement Procedures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 65) |
| April 2, 2015 | AR | SJR 16 | Authorizes Issuance of Bonds for Economic Development Projects | Bill Passed - House (70 - 22) |
| March 12, 2015 | NH | HB 403 | Repeals Buffer Zone Around Abortion Clinics | Bill Passed - House (170 - 159) |
| March 6, 2015 | AR | HJR 1003 | Requests a Constitutional Convention | Bill Passed - House (52 - 33) |
| Feb. 23, 2015 | ND | HB 1328 | Prohibits the Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Without a Warrant | Bill Passed - House (74 - 19) |
| Feb. 19, 2015 | MO | HB 30 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (118 - 37) |
| Feb. 19, 2015 | MO | HJR 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (118 - 39) |
| Feb. 19, 2015 | MO | HJR 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (118 - 39) |
| Feb. 13, 2015 | AR | SB 202 | Prohibits New Classes of Protected Individuals | Bill Passed - House (58 - 21) |
| Dec. 4, 2014 | MI | HB 5958 | Prohibits Government from Burdening an Individual's Exercise of Religion | Bill Passed - House (59 - 50) |
| June 26, 2014 | DE | SB 36 | Authorizes Judges to Hold Suspects of Violent Felonies without Bail | Amendment Adopted - House (29 - 12) |
| June 25, 2014 | DE | SB 36 | Authorizes Judges to Hold Suspects of Violent Felonies without Bail | Amendment Rejected - House (24 - 15) |
| May 30, 2014 | National | H Amdt 763 | Prohibits Funds from Being Used to Require Journalists to Disclose Sources | Amendment Adopted - House (225 - 183) |
| May 22, 2014 | OK | HJR 1092 | Authorizes School Districts to Issue Bonds for Improvements in Building Safety | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 39) |
| May 22, 2014 | OK | HJR 1033 | Authorizes Bonds for Capitol Repairs | Conference Report Adopted - House (55 - 34) |
| May 22, 2014 | OK | HJR 1092 | Authorizes School Districts to Issue Bonds for Improvements in Building Safety | Conference Report Rejected - House (34 - 61) |
| May 15, 2014 | MN | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 62) |
| April 30, 2014 | FL | SJR 1188 | Authorizes Governor to Fill Prospective Judicial Vacancies | Joint Resolution Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| March 18, 2014 | GA | SR 415 | Prohibits Increase in State Income Tax | Resolution Passed - House (119 - 54) |
| March 13, 2014 | OK | HJR 1092 | Authorizes School Districts to Issue Bonds for Improvements in Building Safety | Amendment Adopted - House (65 - 28) |
| March 13, 2014 | OK | HJR 1033 | Authorizes Bonds for Capitol Repairs | Joint Resolution Passed - House (59 - 31) |
| March 10, 2014 | UT | HJR 8 | Requests a National Constitutional Convention | Joint Resolution Failed - House (32 - 41) |
| Feb. 27, 2014 | MO | HJR 47 | Amends Election Laws | Bill Passed - House (103 - 50) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | AZ | SB 1062 | Authorizes Individuals to use Potential Infringements of Religious Freedom as a Claim or Defense | Bill Passed - House (33 - 27) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | AL | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | MO | HJR 72 | Authorizes the Legislature to Override Certain Gubernatorial Spending Reductions | Amendment Adopted - House (109 - 42) |
| Feb. 19, 2014 | NM | SJR 13 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (33 - 29) |
| Feb. 6, 2014 | VA | HJ 9 | Encourages Congress to Convene a Constitutional Convention | Joint Resolution Failed - House (29 - 67) |
| Feb. 5, 2014 | SD | HJR 1002 | Increases Legislative Term Limit Length | Joint Resolution Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | SD | HJR 1001 | Authorizes Additional Types of Games in Deadwood City Casinos | Amendment Adopted - House (37 - 30) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | CA | AJR 1 | Requests Constitutional Convention to Overturn Citizens United | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| Jan. 28, 2014 | IN | HJR 3 | Defines Marriage as Between 1 Man and 1 Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| Jan. 28, 2014 | IN | HJR 3 | Defines Marriage as Between 1 Man and 1 Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| Jan. 27, 2014 | NY | A 8070 | Requires Equal Pay | Bill Passed - House (88 - 43) |
| Dec. 17, 2013 | PA | HB 1234 | Reduces Size of General Assembly | Joint Resolution Passed - House (148 - 50) |
| Nov. 20, 2013 | National | H Amdt 498 | Specifies That Certain Fees Do Not Limit the Right to Petition | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 222) |
| Nov. 20, 2013 | National | HR 1965 | Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 192) |
| June 2, 2013 | NV | SJR 8 | Establishes Annual Legislative Sessions | Bill Passed - House (23 - 18) |