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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2, 2016 | CO | SB 74 | Authorizes Voters to Opt Out of Mail Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 1, 2016 | MS | HB 738 | Amends Attorney General Hiring and Filing Oversight Processes | Bill Passed - House (61 - 60) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | VA | HB 587 | Prohibits Removal of War Monuments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | GA | SR 675 | Establishes English as the Official Language of the State of Georgia | Resolution Passed - Senate (39 - 14) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | AZ | HB 2403 | Limits Property Deed Recording Fee to $500 | Bill Passed - House (31 - 28) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | MS | HB 782 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Law Relating to Firearms | Bill Passed - House (75 - 46) |
| Feb. 26, 2016 | VA | HB 1371 | Prohibits Cities from Increasing Minimum Wage or Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 25, 2016 | AL | HB 174 | Prohibits Local Governments from Establishing Wage or Employee Benefits Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | UT | SJR 2 | Urges Congress to Repeal the 17th Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | UT | SJR 2 | Urges Congress to Repeal the 17th Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | UT | SJR 2 | Urges Congress to Repeal the 17th Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | CO | SB 112 | Requires Certain Number of Polling Centers | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2016 | MS | HB 868 | Amends State Supreme Court District Boundaries | Bill Passed - House (71 - 50) |
| Feb. 22, 2016 | TN | SJR 467 | Urges Attorney General to File Lawsuit in Relation to Refugee Resettlement Program | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| Feb. 22, 2016 | KS | HCR 5010 | Establishes State Commitment to a Proposed Constitutional Convention | Bill Failed - House (77 - 47) |
| Feb. 19, 2016 | NC | SB 2 | Amends Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - House (65 - 43) |
| Feb. 19, 2016 | ID | H 463 | Prohibits Local Governments from Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| Feb. 19, 2016 | WV | HB 4013 | Requires Certain Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| Feb. 18, 2016 | WI | SB 707 | Prohibits a Legislator from Holding Office as County Executive | Bill Passed - House (53 - 40) |
| Feb. 18, 2016 | NC | SB 2 | Amends Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| Feb. 17, 2016 | NM | HB 138 | Authorizes Certain Minors to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | AL | HB 174 | Prohibits Local Governments from Establishing Wage or Employee Benefits Requirements | Bill Passed - House (71 - 31) |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | WI | SB 707 | Prohibits a Legislator from Holding Office as County Executive | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| Feb. 15, 2016 | WA | HB 2682 | Establishes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (55 - 42) |
| Feb. 11, 2016 | AL | HB 37 | Prohibits Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Failed - House (60 - 24) |