Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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 27, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
June 27, 2012 DE HB 333 Authorizes Online Gambling Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 2001 Expands Syringe Exchange Program Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
June 19, 2012 NY A 1157B Requires Firearms to Have Microstamping Technology Bill Passed - House (85 - 60)
June 14, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
June 13, 2012 MI SB 754 Requires Photo Identification for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
June 13, 2012 MI SB 803 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
June 13, 2012 OH HB 495 Amends Definition of Loaded Gun Bill Passed - House (59 - 28)
June 13, 2012 DE SB 204 Extends the Gun Buy-back Program Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 13)
June 13, 2012 PA HB 2400 Expands Wiretapping Authority Bill Passed - House (145 - 52)
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 12, 2012 DE HB 333 Authorizes Online Gambling Bill Passed - House (29 - 8)
June 7, 2012 MI HB 5223 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 5)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
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 5, 2012 NC SB 582 Expands Casino Gambling Bill Passed - House (68 - 49)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/27 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (231 - 112)
6/27 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (232 - 110)
6/27 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
6/27 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 5)
6/27 HB 333 Authorizes Online Gambling Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6)
6/21 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
6/21 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
6/21 S 2001 Expands Syringe Exchange Program Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
6/19 A 1157B Requires Firearms to Have Microstamping Technology Bill Passed - House (85 - 60)
6/14 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
6/13 SB 754 Requires Photo Identification for Voter Registration Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
6/13 SB 803 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
6/13 HB 495 Amends Definition of Loaded Gun Bill Passed - House (59 - 28)
6/13 SB 204 Extends the Gun Buy-back Program Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 13)
6/13 HB 2400 Expands Wiretapping Authority Bill Passed - House (145 - 52)
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)
6/12 HB 333 Authorizes Online Gambling Bill Passed - House (29 - 8)
6/07 HB 5223 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
6/06 SB 318 Requires In-State Residency to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 5)
6/06 SB 289 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
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)
6/05 SB 582 Expands Casino Gambling Bill Passed - House (68 - 49)
5/31 HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)

arrow_upward