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
June 7, 2012 National HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
June 5, 2012 MA S 2270 Reduces Health Care Spending Bill Passed - House (148 - 7)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 25, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
May 22, 2012 IL SB 1808 Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (71 - 45)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
May 16, 2012 National HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
May 15, 2012 MO SB 576 Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (99 - 54)
May 10, 2012 National HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
May 9, 2012 IA SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
May 9, 2012 IL SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Bill Passed - House (74 - 43)
May 9, 2012 IL SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Bill Passed - House (74 - 43)
May 8, 2012 MN HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33)
May 7, 2012 MN HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Bill Passed - House (99 - 32)
May 7, 2012 IA HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
May 3, 2012 CA AB 1527 Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms Bill Passed - House (44 - 29)
May 2, 2012 AZ HCR 2004 Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/07 HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
6/06 SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
6/05 S 2270 Reduces Health Care Spending Bill Passed - House (148 - 7)
5/31 HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/25 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
5/22 SB 1808 Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers Bill Passed - House (71 - 45)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
5/16 HR 4970 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (222 - 205)
5/15 SB 576 Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (99 - 54)
5/10 HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
5/09 SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
5/09 SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Bill Passed - House (74 - 43)
5/09 SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Bill Passed - House (74 - 43)
5/08 HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33)
5/07 HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Bill Passed - House (99 - 32)
5/07 HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
5/03 AB 1527 Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms Bill Passed - House (44 - 29)
5/02 HCR 2004 Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20)

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