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 3, 2006 | NE | LB 188 | Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| March 31, 2006 | MD | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17) |
| March 28, 2006 | ME | LD 1912 | Maine House of Representatives Age Requirement | Resolution Failed - House (77 - 65) |
| March 25, 2006 | MD | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| March 22, 2006 | IA | HF 2597 | Voter Identification Act | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| March 21, 2006 | OH | HCR 36 | Apportioning U.S. House Seats | Resolution Passed - House (71 - 23) |
| March 17, 2006 | VT | S 164 | Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (63 - 45) |
| March 14, 2006 | OK | HCS HB 3119 | Voter ID, Repealing Tuition Assistance, and Reporting of Illegal Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (63 - 24) |
| March 8, 2006 | IN | HB 1011 | Miscellaneous Election Law Matters | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 28, 2006 | IN | HB 1011 | Miscellaneous Election Law Matters | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | SD | S Amdt 1215re | Abortion Ban on Ballot | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | LA | HB 12 | Elections; Voting; State of Emergency | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | LA | SB 22 | State of Emergency Voting Reform | Bill Passed - House (72 - 29) |
| Feb. 14, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91) |
| Feb. 14, 2006 | LA | HB 12 | Elections; Voting; State of Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | MS | SB 2309 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 9, 2006 | NM | SB 344 | Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4) |
| Feb. 6, 2006 | MS | SB 2119 | School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| Feb. 6, 2006 | VA | Sub SB 313 | DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | NH | HB 621 | Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (168 - 169) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | NH | HB 621 | Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists | Bill Passed - House (198 - 144) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | NH | HB 345 | Photo ID for Voting | Bill Passed - House (211 - 149) |
| Feb. 1, 2006 | PA | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (106 - 85) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | OH | HB 3 | Election Law Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | OH | HB 3 | Election Law Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 40) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | GA | SB 386 | State Senatorial District Composition | Bill Passed - House (100 - 69) |
| Jan. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 583 | California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| Jan. 25, 2006 | GA | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 60) |
| Jan. 24, 2006 | GA | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| Jan. 17, 2006 | MS | HB 519 | Campaign Finance Reform | Bill Passed - House (99 - 22) |
| Jan. 12, 2006 | GA | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - House (110 - 64) |
| Jan. 12, 2006 | GA | SB 386 | State Senatorial District Composition | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/03 | LB 188 | Campaign Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10) |
| 3/31 | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17) |
| 3/28 | LD 1912 | Maine House of Representatives Age Requirement | Resolution Failed - House (77 - 65) |
| 3/25 | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
| 3/22 | HF 2597 | Voter Identification Act | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 3/21 | HCR 36 | Apportioning U.S. House Seats | Resolution Passed - House (71 - 23) |
| 3/17 | S 164 | Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (63 - 45) |
| 3/14 | HCS HB 3119 | Voter ID, Repealing Tuition Assistance, and Reporting of Illegal Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (63 - 24) |
| 3/08 | HB 1011 | Miscellaneous Election Law Matters | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 2/28 | HB 1011 | Miscellaneous Election Law Matters | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 2/22 | S Amdt 1215re | Abortion Ban on Ballot | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20) |
| 2/15 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/15 | HB 12 | Elections; Voting; State of Emergency | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| 2/15 | SB 22 | State of Emergency Voting Reform | Bill Passed - House (72 - 29) |
| 2/14 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (106 - 91) |
| 2/14 | HB 12 | Elections; Voting; State of Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 2/09 | SB 2309 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/09 | SB 344 | Campaign Contributions by Procurement Contractors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 4) |
| 2/06 | SB 2119 | School Board Elections, Superintendent Appointments, and Consolidation Issues | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 2/06 | Sub SB 313 | DMV Reporting Requirements for Non-citizens | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/01 | HB 621 | Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (168 - 169) |
| 2/01 | HB 621 | Disclosure of Campaign Contributions by Lobbyists | Bill Passed - House (198 - 144) |
| 2/01 | HB 345 | Photo ID for Voting | Bill Passed - House (211 - 149) |
| 2/01 | HB 1318 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (106 - 85) |
| 1/31 | HB 3 | Election Law Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/31 | HB 3 | Election Law Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 40) |
| 1/31 | SB 386 | State Senatorial District Composition | Bill Passed - House (100 - 69) |
| 1/30 | AB 583 | California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| 1/25 | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 60) |
| 1/24 | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| 1/17 | HB 519 | Campaign Finance Reform | Bill Passed - House (99 - 22) |
| 1/12 | SB 84 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - House (110 - 64) |
| 1/12 | SB 386 | State Senatorial District Composition | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |