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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 17, 2012 | WY | HB 32 | State House and Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (49 - 9) |
| Feb. 16, 2012 | KY | HB 70 | Authorizes People Convicted of Certain Felonies to Vote | Bill Passed - House (78 - 18) |
| Feb. 16, 2012 | UT | HB 90 | Prohibiting Government Meetings on Caucus Nights | Bill Passed - House (38 - 34) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | AK | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - House (26 - 5) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | AK | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 2) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | MI | HB 5085 | Prohibits public employers from deducting political contributions from employee paychecks | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| Feb. 14, 2012 | MI | HB 5085 | Prohibits public employers from deducting political contributions from employee paychecks | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 14, 2012 | MI | SB 751 | Photo Identification Requirements for Absentee Voters | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 14, 2012 | MI | SB 754 | Requires Photo Identification for Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | KS | HB 2606 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (109 - 14) |
| Feb. 9, 2012 | MO | HB 1104 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (101 - 54) |
| Feb. 8, 2012 | ID | HB 391 | Repeals the Presidential Primary Election | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| Feb. 6, 2012 | VA | SB 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 3, 2012 | FL | SB 1174 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (80 - 37) |
| Feb. 3, 2012 | UT | HB 253 | Removal of Voters from Voter Registration List | Bill Passed - House (46 - 27) |
| Feb. 3, 2012 | GA | HB 829 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (101 - 53) |
| Feb. 1, 2012 | RI | S 2178 | State Senate, State House, and Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| Feb. 1, 2012 | WA | EHCR 4409 | Congressional and State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 4) |
| Feb. 1, 2012 | RI | S 2178 | State Senate, State House, and Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2) |
| Feb. 1, 2012 | VA | HB 9 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| Jan. 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1148 | Requires Political Advertisements to Disclose Funding Sources | Bill Failed - House (52 - 26) |
| Jan. 27, 2012 | UT | HB 286 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 0) |
| Jan. 27, 2012 | UT | SB 125 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (69 - 0) |
| Jan. 26, 2012 | UT | HB 50 | Repeals the Election Campaign Fund | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| Jan. 20, 2012 | VA | HB 251 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
| Jan. 19, 2012 | KY | HB 1 | State Senate, House, and Judicial Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| Jan. 19, 2012 | TN | SB 1514 | State Senate Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| Jan. 18, 2012 | TN | SB 1514 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (75 - 19) |
| Jan. 18, 2012 | KY | HB 1 | State Senate, House, and Judicial Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Jan. 13, 2012 | TN | HB 1555 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Jan. 13, 2012 | TN | HB 1558 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Jan. 13, 2012 | VA | HB 251 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| Jan. 12, 2012 | TN | HB 1555 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 25) |
| Jan. 12, 2012 | TN | HB 1558 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (68 - 25) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/17 | HB 32 | State House and Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (49 - 9) |
| 2/16 | HB 70 | Authorizes People Convicted of Certain Felonies to Vote | Bill Passed - House (78 - 18) |
| 2/16 | HB 90 | Prohibiting Government Meetings on Caucus Nights | Bill Passed - House (38 - 34) |
| 2/15 | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - House (26 - 5) |
| 2/15 | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 2) |
| 2/15 | HB 5085 | Prohibits public employers from deducting political contributions from employee paychecks | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| 2/14 | HB 5085 | Prohibits public employers from deducting political contributions from employee paychecks | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 2/14 | SB 751 | Photo Identification Requirements for Absentee Voters | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 2/14 | SB 754 | Requires Photo Identification for Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 2/09 | HB 2606 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (109 - 14) |
| 2/09 | HB 1104 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (101 - 54) |
| 2/08 | HB 391 | Repeals the Presidential Primary Election | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| 2/06 | SB 1 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 2/03 | SB 1174 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (80 - 37) |
| 2/03 | HB 253 | Removal of Voters from Voter Registration List | Bill Passed - House (46 - 27) |
| 2/03 | HB 829 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (101 - 53) |
| 2/01 | S 2178 | State Senate, State House, and Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| 2/01 | EHCR 4409 | Congressional and State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 4) |
| 2/01 | S 2178 | State Senate, State House, and Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2) |
| 2/01 | HB 9 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| 1/31 | AB 1148 | Requires Political Advertisements to Disclose Funding Sources | Bill Failed - House (52 - 26) |
| 1/27 | HB 286 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 0) |
| 1/27 | SB 125 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (69 - 0) |
| 1/26 | HB 50 | Repeals the Election Campaign Fund | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| 1/20 | HB 251 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 1/19 | HB 1 | State Senate, House, and Judicial Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| 1/19 | SB 1514 | State Senate Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 1/18 | SB 1514 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (75 - 19) |
| 1/18 | HB 1 | State Senate, House, and Judicial Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 1/13 | HB 1555 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 1/13 | HB 1558 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 1/13 | HB 251 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| 1/12 | HB 1555 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 25) |
| 1/12 | HB 1558 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (68 - 25) |