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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 28, 2006 | CO | HB 1175 | Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Feb. 23, 2006 | UT | 1SSB 97 | Student Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | ID | HJR 2 | Marriage Amendment Ballot Question | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | KS | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Jan. 27, 2006 | MS | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Jan. 27, 2006 | WA | Sub HB 2661 | Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 23) |
| Jan. 25, 2006 | VA | SB 526 | Defining Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| Jan. 24, 2006 | IN | SB 88 | Seat Belt Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| Dec. 16, 2005 | National | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| March 8, 2005 | National | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| July 14, 2004 | National | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| Oct. 16, 2002 | National | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| April 11, 2002 | National | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| Feb. 27, 2002 | National | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| Oct. 25, 2001 | National | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| June 20, 2000 | National | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| March 29, 2000 | National | S J Res 14 | Flag Desecration amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| July 22, 1998 | National | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| June 6, 1996 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| Dec. 12, 1995 | National | S J Res 31 | Flag Desecration | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| June 6, 1995 | National | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| March 2, 1995 | National | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35) |
| May 12, 1994 | National | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| March 1, 1994 | National | S J Res 41 | Balanced Budget amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| May 11, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
| March 17, 1993 | National | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/28 | HB 1175 | Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 2/23 | 1SSB 97 | Student Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| 2/15 | HJR 2 | Marriage Amendment Ballot Question | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 2/09 | SB 418 | Concealed Weapons Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 1/27 | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 1/27 | Sub HB 2661 | Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 23) |
| 1/25 | SB 526 | Defining Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 1/24 | SB 88 | Seat Belt Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| 12/16 | HR 3199 | PATRIOT Act Reauthorization | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 3/08 | S Amdt 47 | Violent Protestor Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 7/14 | S J Res 40 | Federal Marriage Amendment | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50) |
| 10/16 | HR 3295 | Help America Vote Act of 2002 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2) |
| 4/11 | S 565 | Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1) |
| 2/27 | S Amdt 2937 | Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51) |
| 10/25 | HR 3162 | USA Patriot Act of 2001 | Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1) |
| 6/20 | S Amdt 3473 | Hate Crimes Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 3/29 | S J Res 14 | Flag Desecration amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 7/22 | S Amdt 3263 | Phone Recording Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50) |
| 6/06 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35) |
| 4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
| 12/12 | S J Res 31 | Flag Desecration | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 1215 | Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19) |
| 3/02 | H J Res 1 | Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35) |
| 5/12 | S 636 | Abortion Clinic Access bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 3/01 | S J Res 41 | Balanced Budget amendment | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37) |
| 5/11 | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36) |
| 3/17 | HR 2 | Motor Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |