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, 2018 MA S 2372 Establishes the Garden of Peace Trust Fund Conference Report Adopted - House (152 - 0)
April 4, 2018 MA S 2371 Amends Criminal Justice Law Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 0)
April 3, 2018 MD SB 101 Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7)
April 3, 2018 MD HB 1302 Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Order Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 46)
April 3, 2018 MD SB 101 Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7)
April 3, 2018 MD HB 447 Establishes Pretrial Services Program Grant Fund Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
April 2, 2018 TN SB 1796 Establishes Process to Remove Domestic Abusers from Cell Phone Plans Bill Passed - House (94 - 0)
March 30, 2018 NY S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - House (94 - 34)
March 30, 2018 VT S 55 Amends Various State Gun Laws Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
March 30, 2018 NY S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - House (94 - 34)
March 30, 2018 NY S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19)
March 30, 2018 NY S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19)
March 29, 2018 DE HB 399 Amends State Constitution to Provide Equal Rights Bill Passed - House (34 - 5)
March 27, 2018 VT S 55 Amends Various State Gun Laws Bill Passed - House (89 - 54)
March 26, 2018 NJ A 2758 Requires Justifiable Need to Carry a Handgun Bill Passed - House (48 - 26)
March 26, 2018 NJ A 1217 Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Orders Bill Passed - House (59 - 12)
March 26, 2018 NJ A 1181 Amends Various Firearm Confiscation Measures Bill Passed - House (62 - 7)
March 26, 2018 NJ S 1036 Requires Attorney General to Appoint an Independent Prosecutor Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
March 26, 2018 NJ S 1036 Requires Attorney General to Appoint an Independent Prosecutor Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
March 26, 2018 NJ A 2761 Prohibits Firearm Magazines with More than 10 Rounds Bill Passed - House (48 - 25)
March 26, 2018 NJ A 1827 Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - House (50 - 24)
March 26, 2018 NJ A 2757 Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales Bill Passed - House (62 - 10)
March 22, 2018 KY HB 198 Limits Fees for Attorneys Contracting with State Agencies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 36)
March 22, 2018 MD HB 532 Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
March 21, 2018 ID H 658 Amends Trespassing Laws Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/04 S 2372 Establishes the Garden of Peace Trust Fund Conference Report Adopted - House (152 - 0)
4/04 S 2371 Amends Criminal Justice Law Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 0)
4/03 SB 101 Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7)
4/03 HB 1302 Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Order Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 46)
4/03 SB 101 Amends Certain Definitions and Regulations for Crimes of Violence Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 7)
4/03 HB 447 Establishes Pretrial Services Program Grant Fund Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
4/02 SB 1796 Establishes Process to Remove Domestic Abusers from Cell Phone Plans Bill Passed - House (94 - 0)
3/30 S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - House (94 - 34)
3/30 S 55 Amends Various State Gun Laws Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
3/30 S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - House (94 - 34)
3/30 S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19)
3/30 S 8121 Prohibits Individuals Convicted of Domestic Abuse from Purchasing Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19)
3/29 HB 399 Amends State Constitution to Provide Equal Rights Bill Passed - House (34 - 5)
3/27 S 55 Amends Various State Gun Laws Bill Passed - House (89 - 54)
3/26 A 2758 Requires Justifiable Need to Carry a Handgun Bill Passed - House (48 - 26)
3/26 A 1217 Authorizes Extreme Risk Protective Orders Bill Passed - House (59 - 12)
3/26 A 1181 Amends Various Firearm Confiscation Measures Bill Passed - House (62 - 7)
3/26 S 1036 Requires Attorney General to Appoint an Independent Prosecutor Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
3/26 S 1036 Requires Attorney General to Appoint an Independent Prosecutor Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
3/26 A 2761 Prohibits Firearm Magazines with More than 10 Rounds Bill Passed - House (48 - 25)
3/26 A 1827 Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - House (50 - 24)
3/26 A 2757 Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales Bill Passed - House (62 - 10)
3/22 HB 198 Limits Fees for Attorneys Contracting with State Agencies Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 36)
3/22 HB 532 Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
3/21 H 658 Amends Trespassing Laws Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)

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