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
April 6, 2009 MD HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 3, 2009 ND SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Failed - House (34 - 54)
April 3, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (94 - 52)
April 3, 2009 NE LB 260 Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
April 3, 2009 GA SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
April 3, 2009 GA SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (140 - 67)
April 2, 2009 MT HB 531 Red Light Camera Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11)
April 2, 2009 MD SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
April 2, 2009 MD SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
April 2, 2009 NC HB 2 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (72 - 45)
April 2, 2009 National HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - House (298 - 112)
April 1, 2009 NC Amdt 2 to HB 2 Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46)
April 1, 2009 OK SB 4 Voter Identification Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
April 1, 2009 IL HB Text Messaging while Driving Ban Bill Passed - House (89 - 27)
April 1, 2009 ND SB 2070 Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers Bill Failed - House (31 - 58)
April 1, 2009 IL HB 71 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - House (89 - 27)
March 31, 2009 TX SB 298 Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
March 31, 2009 TX SB 298 Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
March 30, 2009 GA HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
March 30, 2009 GA HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
March 27, 2009 WV HB 2621 Prohibiting the Use of Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (80 - 18)
March 26, 2009 MD SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - House (87 - 52)
March 26, 2009 NH HB 436 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (186 - 179)
March 25, 2009 KS HB 2275 Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients Bill Passed - House (99 - 26)
March 25, 2009 NH HB 556 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (193 - 174)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/06 HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/03 SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Failed - House (34 - 54)
4/03 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (94 - 52)
4/03 LB 260 Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
4/03 SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
4/03 SB 86 Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (140 - 67)
4/02 HB 531 Red Light Camera Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11)
4/02 SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
4/02 SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
4/02 HB 2 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (72 - 45)
4/02 HR 1256 FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products Bill Passed - House (298 - 112)
4/01 Amdt 2 to HB 2 Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46)
4/01 SB 4 Voter Identification Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
4/01 HB Text Messaging while Driving Ban Bill Passed - House (89 - 27)
4/01 SB 2070 Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers Bill Failed - House (31 - 58)
4/01 HB 71 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - House (89 - 27)
3/31 SB 298 Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
3/31 SB 298 Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
3/30 HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
3/30 HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
3/27 HB 2621 Prohibiting the Use of Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (80 - 18)
3/26 SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - House (87 - 52)
3/26 HB 436 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (186 - 179)
3/25 HB 2275 Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients Bill Passed - House (99 - 26)
3/25 HB 556 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (193 - 174)

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