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 1, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
| May 1, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| April 30, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| April 30, 2012 | CT | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - House (83 - 59) |
| April 27, 2012 | CO | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| April 26, 2012 | TN | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| April 25, 2012 | AZ | SB 1332 | Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| April 25, 2012 | OK | HB 3061 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| April 24, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| April 23, 2012 | AZ | SB 1332 | Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona | Bill Passed - House (35 - 15) |
| April 23, 2012 | TN | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| April 19, 2012 | MO | HB 1534 | Prohibits Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (108 - 44) |
| April 11, 2012 | NH | SB 202 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (239 - 95) |
| April 11, 2012 | NH | SB 202 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (239 - 95) |
| April 10, 2012 | AZ | SB 1449 | Establishes a Recall Primary Election for a Recall Election | Bill Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17) |
| April 9, 2012 | MD | SB 236 | Septic System Installation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| April 9, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| April 6, 2012 | MD | SB 236 | Septic System Installation Requirements | Bill Passed - House (93 - 45) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/01 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
| 5/01 | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| 4/30 | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 4/30 | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - House (83 - 59) |
| 4/27 | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| 4/26 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| 4/26 | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 4/25 | SB 1332 | Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 4/25 | HB 3061 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 4/24 | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 4/23 | SB 1332 | Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona | Bill Passed - House (35 - 15) |
| 4/23 | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| 4/19 | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| 4/19 | HB 1534 | Prohibits Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (108 - 44) |
| 4/11 | SB 202 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (239 - 95) |
| 4/11 | SB 202 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (239 - 95) |
| 4/10 | SB 1449 | Establishes a Recall Primary Election for a Recall Election | Bill Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| 4/10 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 4/09 | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17) |
| 4/09 | SB 236 | Septic System Installation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| 4/09 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 4/06 | SB 236 | Septic System Installation Requirements | Bill Passed - House (93 - 45) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |