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 5, 2008 | SC | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
| March 4, 2008 | WA | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (51 - 43) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WY | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1233 | Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - House (48 - 17) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2910 | Changes to Election Law | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | AL | HB 73 | Prohibiting Money Transfers Between Political Action Committees | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| Feb. 22, 2008 | LA | SB 3 | Restrictions on Gifts to Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (95 - 5) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MO | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | WY | HB 3 | Campaign Finance Reporting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | CA | GN Borucki | Confirmation of Joan Borucki as State Lottery Director | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | KY | SFA 1 | Presidential Primaries | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | GA | SB 379 | Automatic Calling Device Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 171 | Financing of Judicial Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | KY | SB 148 | Regulations for Campaign Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | WY | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 2) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | WA | SB 5628 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | LA | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | NM | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | SJR 1 | Eliminating Term Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | WA | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | NH | SB 436 | Reducing the Voting Age for Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NM | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | NE | LB 39 | Restricting Petition Circulation | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | KY | SB 3 | Primary Elections Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Jan. 25, 2008 | WA | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| Jan. 9, 2008 | IL | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Jan. 3, 2008 | NJ | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/05 | H 4620 | Expanding Governor's Appointment Power | Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24) |
| 3/04 | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (51 - 43) |
| 2/28 | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 2/27 | HB 1233 | Limited Liability Company Campaign Donation Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 26) |
| 2/27 | HB 1329 | Voter Registration Confirmation Card | Bill Passed - House (48 - 17) |
| 2/26 | SB 2910 | Changes to Election Law | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/26 | HB 73 | Prohibiting Money Transfers Between Political Action Committees | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 2/22 | SB 3 | Restrictions on Gifts to Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (95 - 5) |
| 2/21 | SB 1038 | Repealing Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 2/21 | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| 2/20 | HB 3 | Campaign Finance Reporting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 16) |
| 2/19 | GN Borucki | Confirmation of Joan Borucki as State Lottery Director | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 2/19 | SFA 1 | Presidential Primaries | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 2/19 | SB 379 | Automatic Calling Device Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 2/19 | SB 171 | Financing of Judicial Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 2/19 | SB 148 | Regulations for Campaign Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 2/18 | HB 9 | Limitations on Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (58 - 2) |
| 2/18 | SB 5628 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/14 | HB 64 | Campaign Disclosures | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 2/13 | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| 2/13 | SJR 1 | Eliminating Term Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 2/13 | SB 5278 | Public Financing of Local Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 2/07 | SB 436 | Reducing the Voting Age for Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
| 2/06 | HB 191 | Automatic Absentee Ballots | Bill Failed - House (25 - 40) |
| 2/06 | HB 237 | Mandatory Election Recounts | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| 2/06 | LB 39 | Restricting Petition Circulation | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| 1/30 | SB 3 | Primary Elections Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 1/25 | HB 1551 | Allowing Public Funding for Local Office Campaigns | Bill Passed - House (56 - 38) |
| 1/09 | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 1/03 | A 4225 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |