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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (61 - 20) |
| April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (61 - 20) |
| April 11, 2011 | VA | HB 5001 | Legislative Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| April 11, 2011 | VA | HB 5001 | Legislative Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| April 11, 2011 | AZ | HB 2191 | Punitive Damage Awards | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (41 - 17) |
| April 11, 2011 | LA | SB 1 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
| April 11, 2011 | LA | SB 1 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
| April 11, 2011 | GA | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| April 11, 2011 | LA | HB 1 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| April 11, 2011 | LA | HB 1 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| April 8, 2011 | ND | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 18) |
| April 8, 2011 | ND | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 18) |
| April 8, 2011 | MD | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65) |
| April 7, 2011 | ND | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| April 7, 2011 | ND | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| April 7, 2011 | NC | HB 61 | Term Limits for Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Amendment Adopted - House (72 - 46) |
| April 7, 2011 | NC | HB 61 | Term Limits for Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Amendment Adopted - House (72 - 46) |
| April 6, 2011 | MS | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| April 6, 2011 | MS | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| April 6, 2011 | MN | SF 1047 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (72 - 61) |
| April 6, 2011 | AZ | HB 2191 | Punitive Damage Awards | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| April 6, 2011 | AR | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| April 6, 2011 | AR | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 4/12 | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 4/12 | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (61 - 20) |
| 4/12 | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (61 - 20) |
| 4/11 | HB 5001 | Legislative Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 4/11 | HB 5001 | Legislative Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 4/11 | HB 2191 | Punitive Damage Awards | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (41 - 17) |
| 4/11 | SB 1 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
| 4/11 | SB 1 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
| 4/11 | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| 4/11 | HB 1 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 4/11 | HB 1 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 4/08 | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 18) |
| 4/08 | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 18) |
| 4/08 | HB 302 | Parole Approval | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 65) |
| 4/07 | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 4/07 | HB 1267 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 4/07 | HB 61 | Term Limits for Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Amendment Adopted - House (72 - 46) |
| 4/07 | HB 61 | Term Limits for Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Amendment Adopted - House (72 - 46) |
| 4/06 | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| 4/06 | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| 4/06 | SF 1047 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (72 - 61) |
| 4/06 | HB 2191 | Punitive Damage Awards | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 4/06 | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 4/06 | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |