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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |