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
April 4, 2013 CA AB 131 Amends Voter Registration Requirements Bill Passed - House (47 - 23)
April 4, 2013 OR HB 2870 Authorizes Counties to Tax Cigarette Sales Bill Passed - House (31 - 29)
April 3, 2013 WV HB 2805 Establishes a Public Campaign Financing Program for Supreme Court of Appeals Candidates Bill Passed - House (70 - 29)
April 3, 2013 WV HB 2805 Establishes a Public Campaign Financing Program for Supreme Court of Appeals Candidates Bill Passed - House (70 - 29)
April 2, 2013 MS HB 1009 Authorizes Department of Human Services to Hire Private Contractors Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 56)
April 2, 2013 MS HB 1009 Authorizes Department of Human Services to Hire Private Contractors Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 56)
April 2, 2013 MS SB 2199 Requires Appointed Superintendents Conference Report Rejected - House (52 - 66)
April 1, 2013 AR SB 2 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (52 - 45)
March 26, 2013 KY SB 13 Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Election Days Bill Passed - House (50 - 46)
March 26, 2013 OR HB 2988 Reduces Minimum Voter Registration Age to 16 Bill Passed - House (35 - 25)
March 25, 2013 IN SB 213 Prohibits Localities From Requiring Certain Employment Benefits Bill Passed - House (55 - 39)
March 25, 2013 MD HB 228 Amends the State Health Benefits Exchange and Medicaid Program Bill Passed - House (93 - 43)
March 22, 2013 ID S 1108 Increases Petition Signature Requirements Bill Passed - House (45 - 21)
March 22, 2013 ID S 1108 Increases Petition Signature Requirements Bill Passed - House (45 - 21)
March 21, 2013 NJ S 2364 Requires Early Voting to be Available for Certain Elections Bill Passed - House (46 - 31)
March 21, 2013 National H Con Res 25 Establishing the Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2014 and Setting Forth Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2015 Through 2023 Joint Resolution Passed - House (221 - 207)
March 21, 2013 IL HB 1165 Establishes Cost of Living Adjustments in Pensions Bill Passed - House (66 - 50)
March 20, 2013 OH SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Bill Passed - House (57 - 38)
March 20, 2013 OH SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Bill Passed - House (57 - 38)
March 20, 2013 AR HB 1855 Classifies the Office of Prosecuting Attorney as Nonpartisan Bill Passed - House (63 - 24)
March 20, 2013 AR HB 1855 Classifies the Office of Prosecuting Attorney as Nonpartisan Bill Passed - House (63 - 24)
March 19, 2013 AR HB 1819 Prohibits Governor from Regulating Firearms in an Emergency Bill Passed - House (78 - 9)
March 15, 2013 MD HB 100 2013-2014 Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 36)
March 14, 2013 MN HF 5 Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 61)
March 14, 2013 KS HB 2199 Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws Within the State of Kansas Bill Passed - House (94 - 29)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/04 AB 131 Amends Voter Registration Requirements Bill Passed - House (47 - 23)
4/04 HB 2870 Authorizes Counties to Tax Cigarette Sales Bill Passed - House (31 - 29)
4/03 HB 2805 Establishes a Public Campaign Financing Program for Supreme Court of Appeals Candidates Bill Passed - House (70 - 29)
4/03 HB 2805 Establishes a Public Campaign Financing Program for Supreme Court of Appeals Candidates Bill Passed - House (70 - 29)
4/02 HB 1009 Authorizes Department of Human Services to Hire Private Contractors Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 56)
4/02 HB 1009 Authorizes Department of Human Services to Hire Private Contractors Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 56)
4/02 SB 2199 Requires Appointed Superintendents Conference Report Rejected - House (52 - 66)
4/01 SB 2 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Veto Override Passed - House (52 - 45)
3/26 SB 13 Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Election Days Bill Passed - House (50 - 46)
3/26 HB 2988 Reduces Minimum Voter Registration Age to 16 Bill Passed - House (35 - 25)
3/25 SB 213 Prohibits Localities From Requiring Certain Employment Benefits Bill Passed - House (55 - 39)
3/25 HB 228 Amends the State Health Benefits Exchange and Medicaid Program Bill Passed - House (93 - 43)
3/22 S 1108 Increases Petition Signature Requirements Bill Passed - House (45 - 21)
3/22 S 1108 Increases Petition Signature Requirements Bill Passed - House (45 - 21)
3/21 S 2364 Requires Early Voting to be Available for Certain Elections Bill Passed - House (46 - 31)
3/21 H Con Res 25 Establishing the Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2014 and Setting Forth Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2015 Through 2023 Joint Resolution Passed - House (221 - 207)
3/21 HB 1165 Establishes Cost of Living Adjustments in Pensions Bill Passed - House (66 - 50)
3/20 SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Bill Passed - House (57 - 38)
3/20 SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Bill Passed - House (57 - 38)
3/20 HB 1855 Classifies the Office of Prosecuting Attorney as Nonpartisan Bill Passed - House (63 - 24)
3/20 HB 1855 Classifies the Office of Prosecuting Attorney as Nonpartisan Bill Passed - House (63 - 24)
3/19 HB 1819 Prohibits Governor from Regulating Firearms in an Emergency Bill Passed - House (78 - 9)
3/15 HB 100 2013-2014 Budget Bill Passed - House (101 - 36)
3/14 HF 5 Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 61)
3/14 HB 2199 Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws Within the State of Kansas Bill Passed - House (94 - 29)

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