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 19, 2012 National HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
June 14, 2012 NC HB 7 Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 46)
June 12, 2012 MI SB 754 Requires Photo Identification for Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (66 - 43)
June 12, 2012 MI SB 803 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Vote Bill Passed - House (67 - 43)
June 6, 2012 NH HB 1490 Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132)
June 6, 2012 NH HB 1666 Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (255 - 103)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (260 - 101)
June 6, 2012 PA SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67)
May 31, 2012 MA H Amdt 11 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 30, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
May 24, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
May 24, 2012 AL SB 25 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
May 24, 2012 AL SB 25 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
May 21, 2012 AL HB 19 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - House (66 - 35)
May 21, 2012 AL HB 19 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - House (66 - 35)
May 17, 2012 DE SB 185 Requires Lobbyists to Report Their Activities in the Legislature Bill Passed - House (26 - 12)
May 10, 2012 KS SB 102 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (67 - 50)
May 10, 2012 KS SB 102 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (67 - 50)
May 10, 2012 National HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/19 HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
6/14 HB 7 Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 46)
6/12 SB 754 Requires Photo Identification for Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (66 - 43)
6/12 SB 803 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Vote Bill Passed - House (67 - 43)
6/06 HB 1490 Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74)
6/06 CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132)
6/06 HB 1666 Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
6/06 CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132)
6/06 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (255 - 103)
6/06 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Conference Report Adopted - House (260 - 101)
6/06 SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67)
5/31 H Amdt 11 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/30 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
5/24 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
5/24 SB 25 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
5/24 SB 25 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
5/21 HB 19 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - House (66 - 35)
5/21 HB 19 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - House (66 - 35)
5/17 SB 185 Requires Lobbyists to Report Their Activities in the Legislature Bill Passed - House (26 - 12)
5/10 SB 102 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (67 - 50)
5/10 SB 102 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (67 - 50)
5/10 HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)

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