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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2011 | KS | SB 129 | Amends Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| May 9, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 4, 2011 | FL | HJR 381 | Homestead and Property Assessment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| April 28, 2011 | FL | HJR 1179 | Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| April 21, 2011 | AL | SJR 82 | Establishing A Constitutional Revision Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| April 19, 2011 | AZ | HB 2230 | Relating to the 9/11 Memorial | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| April 13, 2011 | MT | HB 574 | Clarifying Montana Constitution with Regards to Abortion | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 20) |
| April 11, 2011 | GA | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| March 30, 2011 | NH | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| March 14, 2011 | NY | S 3331 | Non-Partisan Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 24) |
| March 9, 2011 | FL | SJR 2 | Authorizes Exemptions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 10) |
| March 9, 2011 | TN | SJR 18 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting an Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| March 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
| March 1, 2011 | WY | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MO | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MO | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | TX | SJR 1 | Urging Congress to Propose a Balanced Budget Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | MO | SB 3 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | National | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | AR | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | WY | SJ 2 | Health Care Decisions for Citizens | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/11 | SB 129 | Amends Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (15 - 23) |
| 5/11 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| 5/09 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/04 | HJR 381 | Homestead and Property Assessment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 4/28 | HJR 1179 | Prohibits Public Funding of Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 4/21 | SJR 82 | Establishing A Constitutional Revision Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| 4/19 | HB 2230 | Relating to the 9/11 Memorial | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 4/13 | HB 574 | Clarifying Montana Constitution with Regards to Abortion | Amendment Rejected - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 4/11 | HB 92 | Limits Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| 3/30 | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| 3/14 | S 3331 | Non-Partisan Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 24) |
| 3/09 | SJR 2 | Authorizes Exemptions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 3/09 | SJR 18 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting an Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| 3/02 | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 3/01 | HB 204 | Patriotism in the Classroom | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16) |
| 2/24 | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/24 | SJR 2 | Constitutional Amendment Requiring Voter Photo Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/23 | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 2/23 | SJR 1 | Urging Congress to Propose a Balanced Budget Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 2/17 | SB 3 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/15 | HR 514 | Extension of Various USA PATRIOT Act Provisions | Bill Passed - Senate (86 - 12) |
| 2/10 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 17) |
| 2/02 | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 2/01 | SJ 2 | Health Care Decisions for Citizens | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 1/26 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |