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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 16, 2019 NJ A 5823 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
Dec. 6, 2019 National HR 4 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (228 - 187)
Nov. 25, 2019 NJ A 5823 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
Nov. 19, 2019 National HR 5084 Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (281 - 135)
Nov. 5, 2019 WI SB 49 Prohibits Prostitution Charges Against Minors Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
Oct. 30, 2019 NC SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 51)
Sept. 13, 2019 CA AB 681 Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 13)
Sept. 12, 2019 CA AB 1215 Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 21)
Sept. 11, 2019 CA SB 310 Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
Sept. 11, 2019 CA AB 1215 Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
Sept. 10, 2019 CA AB 681 Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
Sept. 10, 2019 CA SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - House (46 - 21)
Sept. 10, 2019 CA AB 963 Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
Sept. 9, 2019 CA SB 310 Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
Aug. 19, 2019 CA AB 467 Requires Competitions Held on Public Lands to Offer Equal Prize Compensation Regardless of Gender Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
July 23, 2019 National H Res 246 Opposing Efforts to Delegitimize the State of Israel and The Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement Targeting Israel Bill Passed - House (398 - 17)
July 16, 2019 National H Res 489 Condemning President Trump's Racist Comments Directed at Members of Congress Bill Passed - House (240 - 187)
July 8, 2019 CA AB 392 Increases Public Oversight and Police Accountability when Deadly Use of Force is Used Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
June 20, 2019 NY S 5248 Prohibits Class-Based Wage Differentials Bill Passed - House (138 - 9)
June 19, 2019 NY S 3909 Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
June 19, 2019 NY A 8421 Amends Requirements for Workplace Harassment Claims Bill Passed - House (128 - 20)
June 17, 2019 NY S 6209 Expands the Definition of Race and Prohibits Racial Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16)
June 14, 2019 NY S 5864 Establishes the Television Diversity Tax Credit Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18)
June 11, 2019 DE HB 5 Authorizes Judges to Impose Prison Sentences Concurrently Bill Passed - House (30 - 10)
June 10, 2019 ME LD 777 Establishes a Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/16 A 5823 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
12/06 HR 4 Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (228 - 187)
11/25 A 5823 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration for Individuals Released from Prison Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
11/19 HR 5084 Improving Corporate Governance Through Diversity Act of 2019 Bill Passed - House (281 - 135)
11/05 SB 49 Prohibits Prostitution Charges Against Minors Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
10/30 SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Conference Report Adopted - House (59 - 51)
9/13 AB 681 Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 13)
9/12 AB 1215 Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 21)
9/11 SB 310 Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
9/11 AB 1215 Prohibits Facial Recognition in Police Body-Cams Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
9/10 AB 681 Requires Voter Party Affiliation Notification Prior To Primary Elections Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
9/10 SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - House (46 - 21)
9/10 AB 963 Establishes a Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Program at Public Post-Secondary Schools Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9)
9/09 SB 310 Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
8/19 AB 467 Requires Competitions Held on Public Lands to Offer Equal Prize Compensation Regardless of Gender Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
7/23 H Res 246 Opposing Efforts to Delegitimize the State of Israel and The Global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement Targeting Israel Bill Passed - House (398 - 17)
7/16 H Res 489 Condemning President Trump's Racist Comments Directed at Members of Congress Bill Passed - House (240 - 187)
7/08 AB 392 Increases Public Oversight and Police Accountability when Deadly Use of Force is Used Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 3)
6/20 S 5248 Prohibits Class-Based Wage Differentials Bill Passed - House (138 - 9)
6/19 S 3909 Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
6/19 A 8421 Amends Requirements for Workplace Harassment Claims Bill Passed - House (128 - 20)
6/17 S 6209 Expands the Definition of Race and Prohibits Racial Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16)
6/14 S 5864 Establishes the Television Diversity Tax Credit Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18)
6/11 HB 5 Authorizes Judges to Impose Prison Sentences Concurrently Bill Passed - House (30 - 10)
6/10 LD 777 Establishes a Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)

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