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
May 6, 2008 CO HB 1329 Voter Registration Confirmation Card Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15)
May 6, 2008 OK SB 1150 Voter Identification Requirement Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
May 6, 2008 CO HB 1378 Allowing Ranked Voting Methods Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27)
May 5, 2008 MN Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54)
May 5, 2008 CO HB 1329 Voter Registration Confirmation Card Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16)
May 5, 2008 CO HB 1378 Allowing Ranked Voting Methods Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 1, 2008 IL SJRCA 70 Constitutional Amendment to recall certain elected officials Bill Failed - Senate (33 - 19)
April 30, 2008 IL HB 5278 Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements Bill Passed - House (63 - 48)
April 25, 2008 VT S 278 Campaign Finance Limitations Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51)
April 23, 2008 CO HB 1329 Voter Registration Confirmation Card Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
April 23, 2008 DE SB 195 Election Day Alcohol Sales Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5)
April 23, 2008 CO HB 1378 Allowing Ranked Voting Methods Bill Passed - House (36 - 29)
April 22, 2008 VT S 278 Campaign Finance Limitations Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
April 15, 2008 National HR 5036 Federal Funding for Voting System Changes Bill Passed - House (239 - 178)
April 8, 2008 IL HJRCA 28 Recall Elections Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33)
April 7, 2008 MN Emmer Amnd. Voter Identification Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70)
April 7, 2008 MN Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82)
April 1, 2008 MN Buesgens Amnd. Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69)
April 1, 2008 KY HB 70 Restoring Voting Rights to Former Felons Bill Passed - House (80 - 14)
March 31, 2008 CO HB 1233 Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
March 19, 2008 ID S 1484 Disclosing Fiscal Impacts of Citizens Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
March 12, 2008 OK HB 2196 Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Passed - House (92 - 8)
March 12, 2008 IA SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
March 11, 2008 DE SB 195 Election Day Alcohol Sales Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 11)
March 10, 2008 OK HB 2956 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/06 HB 1329 Voter Registration Confirmation Card Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 15)
5/06 SB 1150 Voter Identification Requirement Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
5/06 HB 1378 Allowing Ranked Voting Methods Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 27)
5/05 Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54)
5/05 HB 1329 Voter Registration Confirmation Card Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16)
5/05 HB 1378 Allowing Ranked Voting Methods Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/01 SJRCA 70 Constitutional Amendment to recall certain elected officials Bill Failed - Senate (33 - 19)
4/30 HB 5278 Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements Bill Passed - House (63 - 48)
4/25 S 278 Campaign Finance Limitations Veto Override Failed - House (99 - 51)
4/23 HB 1329 Voter Registration Confirmation Card Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
4/23 SB 195 Election Day Alcohol Sales Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5)
4/23 HB 1378 Allowing Ranked Voting Methods Bill Passed - House (36 - 29)
4/22 S 278 Campaign Finance Limitations Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
4/15 HR 5036 Federal Funding for Voting System Changes Bill Passed - House (239 - 178)
4/08 HJRCA 28 Recall Elections Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33)
4/07 Emmer Amnd. Voter Identification Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70)
4/07 Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82)
4/01 Buesgens Amnd. Amendment Prohibiting Grants for Groups Involved in Political Activity Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 69)
4/01 HB 70 Restoring Voting Rights to Former Felons Bill Passed - House (80 - 14)
3/31 HB 1233 Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
3/19 S 1484 Disclosing Fiscal Impacts of Citizens Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
3/12 HB 2196 Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Passed - House (92 - 8)
3/12 SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
3/11 SB 195 Election Day Alcohol Sales Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 11)
3/10 HB 2956 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (55 - 42)

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