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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 14, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| Nov. 30, 2011 | NH | CACR 14 | Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264) |
| Nov. 18, 2011 | National | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| Sept. 12, 2011 | NC | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 42) |
| Aug. 1, 2011 | National | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| July 29, 2011 | National | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| July 19, 2011 | National | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| June 30, 2011 | RI | S 400 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| June 23, 2011 | PA | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - House (108 - 88) |
| June 22, 2011 | OH | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| June 9, 2011 | ME | LD 1376 | Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (72 - 65) |
| May 27, 2011 | NV | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| May 25, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| May 21, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62) |
| May 16, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46) |
| May 13, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| May 4, 2011 | FL | HJR 1179 | Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 34) |
| May 4, 2011 | FL | SJR 2 | Authorizes Exemptions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 37) |
| April 27, 2011 | FL | HJR 1179 | Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions | Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 35) |
| April 26, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 36) |
| April 20, 2011 | AZ | HB 2230 | Relating to the 9/11 Memorial | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 20) |
| April 15, 2011 | FL | HJR 7111 | Amends the Division of the Florida Supreme Court | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 38) |
| April 14, 2011 | TN | SB 16 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (57 - 35) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/14 | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - House (283 - 136) |
| 11/30 | CACR 14 | Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education | Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264) |
| 11/18 | H J Res 2 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Joint Resolution Failed - House (261 - 165) |
| 9/12 | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 42) |
| 8/01 | S 365 | Budget Control Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (269 - 161) |
| 7/29 | S 627 | Increasing the Debt Ceiling (Boehner Bill) | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
| 7/19 | HR 2560 | Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (234 - 190) |
| 6/30 | S 400 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| 6/23 | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - House (108 - 88) |
| 6/22 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| 6/09 | LD 1376 | Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (72 - 65) |
| 5/27 | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| 5/25 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| 5/21 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62) |
| 5/16 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46) |
| 5/13 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| 5/04 | HJR 1179 | Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 34) |
| 5/04 | SJR 2 | Authorizes Exemptions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 37) |
| 4/27 | HJR 1179 | Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions | Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 35) |
| 4/26 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 36) |
| 4/20 | HB 2230 | Relating to the 9/11 Memorial | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 20) |
| 4/15 | HJR 7111 | Amends the Division of the Florida Supreme Court | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 38) |
| 4/14 | SB 16 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (57 - 35) |
| 4/07 | HB 61 | Term Limits for Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate | Amendment Adopted - House (72 - 46) |