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
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)
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)

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