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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 12, 2018 | MI | SB 741 | Prohibits Breed-Specific Ordinances | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| April 12, 2018 | NJ | A 2014 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration at More Locations | Bill Passed - House (50 - 23) |
| April 12, 2018 | NJ | S 1229 | Increases Salary For Certain State Cabinet Members, Judges, Prosecutors, and Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| April 11, 2018 | MO | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| April 11, 2018 | MO | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| April 11, 2018 | MO | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| April 10, 2018 | CO | SB 18-043 | Specifies Rules of Nominee Rejections | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| April 7, 2018 | MD | HB 993 | Requires Risk Management in the Investment of System Assets | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 44) |
| April 5, 2018 | CO | HB 18-1322 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| April 5, 2018 | CA | SB 1171 | Authorizes Same Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| March 29, 2018 | CO | HB 18-1322 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 | Bill Passed - House (42 - 22) |
| March 28, 2018 | AL | HB 317 | Exempts Certain Individuals from Registering as Lobbyists | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| March 28, 2018 | MD | HB 829 | Establishes No-Excuse Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| March 28, 2018 | MD | SB 1048 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| March 26, 2018 | SD | SB 76 | Amends Voter Registration | Veto Override Passed - House (56 - 7) |
| March 23, 2018 | National | HR 1625 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32) |
| March 22, 2018 | MD | HB 532 | Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 22, 2018 | National | HR 1625 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 167) |
| March 21, 2018 | MD | SB 646 | Establishes a Maryland Estate Tax | Bill Passed - House (90 - 49) |
| March 16, 2018 | MD | SB 1048 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| March 15, 2018 | MI | HB 5669 | Authorizes Additional Forms of Voter Identification | Bill Passed - House (62 - 44) |
| March 13, 2018 | PA | HB 153 | Decreases Size of State Legislature | Bill Passed - House (101 - 84) |
| March 13, 2018 | PA | HB 153 | Decreases Size of State Legislature | Bill Passed - House (101 - 84) |
| March 9, 2018 | WV | HB 4006 | Repeals Department of Education and Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| March 8, 2018 | WA | HB 3003 | Amends Various Police 'Use of Force' Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | SB 741 | Prohibits Breed-Specific Ordinances | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 4/12 | A 2014 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration at More Locations | Bill Passed - House (50 - 23) |
| 4/12 | S 1229 | Increases Salary For Certain State Cabinet Members, Judges, Prosecutors, and Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 4/11 | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 4/11 | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 4/11 | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 4/10 | SB 18-043 | Specifies Rules of Nominee Rejections | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 4/07 | HB 993 | Requires Risk Management in the Investment of System Assets | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 44) |
| 4/05 | HB 18-1322 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 4/05 | SB 1171 | Authorizes Same Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 3/29 | HB 18-1322 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 | Bill Passed - House (42 - 22) |
| 3/28 | HB 317 | Exempts Certain Individuals from Registering as Lobbyists | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| 3/28 | HB 829 | Establishes No-Excuse Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| 3/28 | SB 1048 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| 3/26 | SB 76 | Amends Voter Registration | Veto Override Passed - House (56 - 7) |
| 3/23 | HR 1625 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32) |
| 3/22 | HB 532 | Establishes Election Day Voter Registration and Same-Day Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 3/22 | HR 1625 | Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 167) |
| 3/21 | SB 646 | Establishes a Maryland Estate Tax | Bill Passed - House (90 - 49) |
| 3/16 | SB 1048 | Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 3/15 | HB 5669 | Authorizes Additional Forms of Voter Identification | Bill Passed - House (62 - 44) |
| 3/13 | HB 153 | Decreases Size of State Legislature | Bill Passed - House (101 - 84) |
| 3/13 | HB 153 | Decreases Size of State Legislature | Bill Passed - House (101 - 84) |
| 3/09 | HB 4006 | Repeals Department of Education and Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 3/08 | HB 3003 | Amends Various Police 'Use of Force' Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |