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 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 29, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| May 24, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| May 16, 2012 | NH | CACR 26 | Authorizes the Legislature to Amend Supreme Court Rules | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| May 5, 2012 | CT | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| April 30, 2012 | CT | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - House (83 - 59) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| April 24, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| April 9, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 4, 2012 | CT | HJ 2 | Authorizes Absentee Ballots for Any Reason | Resolution Passed - House (97 - 50) |
| April 4, 2012 | PA | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
| April 3, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
| April 3, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
| March 29, 2012 | MI | HB 5061 | Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - House (65 - 45) |
| March 28, 2012 | SC | SB 1227 | Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds | Bill Passed - House (85 - 22) |
| March 27, 2012 | MD | SB 892 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| March 22, 2012 | CA | AJR 22 | Requests a Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United | Joint Resolution Passed - House (48 - 22) |
| March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| March 21, 2012 | NH | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 5/29 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| 5/24 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| 5/16 | CACR 26 | Authorizes the Legislature to Amend Supreme Court Rules | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 5/05 | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 4/30 | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - House (83 - 59) |
| 4/26 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| 4/24 | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 4/19 | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| 4/10 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 4/09 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/04 | HJ 2 | Authorizes Absentee Ballots for Any Reason | Resolution Passed - House (97 - 50) |
| 4/04 | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
| 4/03 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
| 4/03 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
| 3/29 | HB 5061 | Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Ballots | Bill Passed - House (65 - 45) |
| 3/28 | SB 1227 | Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds | Bill Passed - House (85 - 22) |
| 3/27 | SB 892 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| 3/22 | AJR 22 | Requests a Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United | Joint Resolution Passed - House (48 - 22) |
| 3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 3/21 | SB 318 | Requires In-State Residency to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |