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 18, 2010 LA Amdt 3107 Advancing Effective Date of Open Primaries for US Congress Elections Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 14)
May 11, 2010 CO HB 1408 Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
May 11, 2010 CO SB 203 Independent expenditures in Colorado elections Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
May 11, 2010 CO SB 203 Independent expenditures in Colorado elections Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
May 10, 2010 TN HB 270 Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
April 30, 2010 CO HB 1408 Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts Bill Passed - House (35 - 28)
April 29, 2010 IL SJR 121 Redistricting Process Modifications Bill Failed - House (69 - 47)
April 19, 2010 AZ Burges Amdt Verification of Presidential Candidate's Birth Certificate Motion Rejected - House (22 - 31)
April 14, 2010 LA HB 292 Open Primaries for Congressional Elections Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
April 14, 2010 IL SJR 121 Redistricting Process Modifications Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22)
March 24, 2010 ID H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
March 18, 2010 KY HB 97 Moving Back Primary Dates and Filing Deadlines Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
March 18, 2010 FL HB 1207 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (73 - 42)
March 17, 2010 GA SB 406 Online Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20)
March 3, 2010 WV HB 4130 Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (67 - 30)
March 1, 2010 ID H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (64 - 6)
March 1, 2010 WV HB 4647 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
March 1, 2010 WV HB 4646 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
March 1, 2010 AZ SCR 1007 Repealing Legislative Term Limits Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
March 1, 2010 AZ SCR 1009 Repealing Public Funding of Statewide Political Campaigns Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
Feb. 16, 2010 NM HB 118 Prohibiting Lobbyist and Contractor Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
Feb. 10, 2010 KY HB 70 Voting Rights For Certain Felons Bill Passed - House (83 - 16)
Feb. 10, 2010 WY HB 68 Repealing Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Failed - House (36 - 22)
Feb. 8, 2010 NY A 9544 Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments Veto Override Failed - Senate (35 - 26)
Feb. 2, 2010 ME LD 56 National Popular Vote Act Bill Failed - House (50 - 95)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/18 Amdt 3107 Advancing Effective Date of Open Primaries for US Congress Elections Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 14)
5/11 HB 1408 Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
5/11 SB 203 Independent expenditures in Colorado elections Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
5/11 SB 203 Independent expenditures in Colorado elections Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
5/10 HB 270 Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
4/30 HB 1408 Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts Bill Passed - House (35 - 28)
4/29 SJR 121 Redistricting Process Modifications Bill Failed - House (69 - 47)
4/19 Burges Amdt Verification of Presidential Candidate's Birth Certificate Motion Rejected - House (22 - 31)
4/14 HB 292 Open Primaries for Congressional Elections Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
4/14 SJR 121 Redistricting Process Modifications Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22)
3/24 H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
3/18 HB 97 Moving Back Primary Dates and Filing Deadlines Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
3/18 HB 1207 Election Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (73 - 42)
3/17 SB 406 Online Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20)
3/03 HB 4130 Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (67 - 30)
3/01 H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (64 - 6)
3/01 HB 4647 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
3/01 HB 4646 Campaign Finance Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
3/01 SCR 1007 Repealing Legislative Term Limits Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
3/01 SCR 1009 Repealing Public Funding of Statewide Political Campaigns Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
2/16 HB 118 Prohibiting Lobbyist and Contractor Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
2/10 HB 70 Voting Rights For Certain Felons Bill Passed - House (83 - 16)
2/10 HB 68 Repealing Campaign Finance Restrictions Bill Failed - House (36 - 22)
2/08 A 9544 Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments Veto Override Failed - Senate (35 - 26)
2/02 LD 56 National Popular Vote Act Bill Failed - House (50 - 95)

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