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 20, 2011 TN SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
May 19, 2011 CA AB 1236 Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
May 18, 2011 TN SJR 221 Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4)
May 18, 2011 TN HB 600 Equal Access to Interstate Commerce Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 26)
May 18, 2011 CT HB 6342 Attorney General Candidate Qualifications Bill Passed - House (91 - 51)
May 18, 2011 NV AB 566 Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (26 - 16)
May 18, 2011 NV AB 566 Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (26 - 16)
May 18, 2011 NC HB 658 Amending Early Voting Period Bill Passed - House (60 - 58)
May 17, 2011 MN HF 1425 Legislative Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 29)
May 17, 2011 MN HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28)
May 17, 2011 MN HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28)
May 16, 2011 OK HB 2145 State House Redistricting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4)
May 16, 2011 OK HB 2145 State House Redistricting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4)
May 16, 2011 TX SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
May 13, 2011 MN HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - House (71 - 61)
May 13, 2011 MN HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - House (71 - 61)
May 12, 2011 MI HB 4479 Interstate Compact and Business Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 52)
May 12, 2011 MI HB 4479 Interstate Compact and Business Tax Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
May 12, 2011 TN HB 600 Equal Access to Interstate Commerce Act Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
May 12, 2011 MI HB 4484 State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19)
May 12, 2011 RI S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
May 11, 2011 SC H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
May 11, 2011 KS SB 129 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23)
May 11, 2011 WI AB 7 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (60 - 35)
May 11, 2011 MN SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/20 SB 16 Voter Identification Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
5/19 AB 1236 Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
5/18 SJR 221 Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4)
5/18 HB 600 Equal Access to Interstate Commerce Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 26)
5/18 HB 6342 Attorney General Candidate Qualifications Bill Passed - House (91 - 51)
5/18 AB 566 Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (26 - 16)
5/18 AB 566 Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (26 - 16)
5/18 HB 658 Amending Early Voting Period Bill Passed - House (60 - 58)
5/17 HF 1425 Legislative Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 29)
5/17 HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28)
5/17 HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28)
5/16 HB 2145 State House Redistricting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4)
5/16 HB 2145 State House Redistricting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4)
5/16 SB 14 Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46)
5/13 HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - House (71 - 61)
5/13 HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - House (71 - 61)
5/12 HB 4479 Interstate Compact and Business Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 52)
5/12 HB 4479 Interstate Compact and Business Tax Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
5/12 HB 600 Equal Access to Interstate Commerce Act Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
5/12 HB 4484 State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19)
5/12 S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
5/11 H 3003 Voter ID Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 16)
5/11 SB 129 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23)
5/11 AB 7 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (60 - 35)
5/11 SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27)

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