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
May 3, 2019 FL HB 5 Increases Ballot Initiative Signature Collection Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
May 2, 2019 FL SB 7066 Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
May 2, 2019 CO HB 19-1318 Amends Campaign Finance Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 2, 2019 CA SB 27 Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
April 29, 2019 CO HB 19-1278 Authorizes Primary Voting for 17 Year Olds and Increases Rural Voter Services Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
April 26, 2019 ND SB 2148 Establishes the Creation of an Ethics Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 5)
April 26, 2019 CO HB 19-1266 Authorizes Voting Rights to Paroled Felons Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
April 25, 2019 TN HB 1079 Increases Penalties for Voter Registration Errors Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6)
April 24, 2019 CO SB 19-235 Expands Automatic Voter Registration System Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
April 23, 2019 NV SB 450 Amends Provisions Relating to Recall Elections Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5)
April 17, 2019 IA HF 692 Requires Bar Codes on Absentee Ballots to Determine Time of Mailing Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
April 17, 2019 ND HB 1521 Amends State Ethic Laws for Campaign Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8)
April 17, 2019 ND HB 1521 Amends State Ethic Laws for Campaign Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8)
April 11, 2019 DE HB 38 Amends Early Voting Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5)
April 11, 2019 IL SB 145 Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 19)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
April 10, 2019 NC SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
April 9, 2019 OR SB 870 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
April 3, 2019 ID H 296 Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
March 28, 2019 NH SB 67 Amends Definition of Resident and Residency "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
March 28, 2019 NH SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
March 28, 2019 NH SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
March 26, 2019 ID H 270 Authorizes Public Schools as Election Polling Sites Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
March 22, 2019 ID S 1159 Increases Threshold for Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/03 HB 5 Increases Ballot Initiative Signature Collection Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
5/02 SB 7066 Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
5/02 HB 19-1318 Amends Campaign Finance Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/02 SB 27 Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
4/29 HB 19-1278 Authorizes Primary Voting for 17 Year Olds and Increases Rural Voter Services Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
4/26 SB 2148 Establishes the Creation of an Ethics Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 5)
4/26 HB 19-1266 Authorizes Voting Rights to Paroled Felons Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
4/25 HB 1079 Increases Penalties for Voter Registration Errors Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6)
4/24 SB 19-235 Expands Automatic Voter Registration System Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
4/23 SB 450 Amends Provisions Relating to Recall Elections Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5)
4/17 HF 692 Requires Bar Codes on Absentee Ballots to Determine Time of Mailing Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
4/17 HB 1521 Amends State Ethic Laws for Campaign Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8)
4/17 HB 1521 Amends State Ethic Laws for Campaign Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 8)
4/11 HB 38 Amends Early Voting Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5)
4/11 SB 145 Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 19)
4/10 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
4/10 SB 1970 Authorizes Student Absences for Voting Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
4/10 SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
4/09 SB 870 Authorizes Interstate Agreement to Elect the President by Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
4/03 H 296 Amends Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
3/28 SB 67 Amends Definition of Resident and Residency "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
3/28 SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
3/28 SB 156 Establishes Limits to Election Contributions by Limited Liability Corporations (13 - 11)
3/26 H 270 Authorizes Public Schools as Election Polling Sites Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
3/22 S 1159 Increases Threshold for Ballot Initiative Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)

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