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
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1849 Expands Gambling Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 26)
May 31, 2012 MA H Amdt 11 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1525 Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
May 30, 2012 MA H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
May 29, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
May 29, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
May 24, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
May 23, 2012 IL SB 1849 Expands Gambling Bill Passed - House (69 - 47)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 SB 1849 Expands Gambling Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 26)
5/31 H Amdt 11 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43)
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/31 SB 1525 Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/31 SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
5/31 SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
5/31 SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
5/30 H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
5/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
5/29 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
5/29 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
5/24 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - House (77 - 22)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
5/24 S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
5/23 SB 1849 Expands Gambling Bill Passed - House (69 - 47)

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