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. 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)
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. 10, 2019 CA SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - House (46 - 21)
Sept. 9, 2019 CA SB 310 Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
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)
June 20, 2019 NY S 5248 Prohibits Class-Based Wage Differentials Bill Passed - House (138 - 9)
June 19, 2019 NY A 8421 Amends Requirements for Workplace Harassment Claims Bill Passed - House (128 - 20)
June 11, 2019 DE HB 5 Authorizes Judges to Impose Prison Sentences Concurrently Bill Passed - House (30 - 10)
June 5, 2019 NH SB 263 Prohibits Discrimination in Public Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 141)
June 5, 2019 OH HB 136 Prohibits Individuals With Serious Mental Illnesses from Being Sentenced to Death Bill Passed - House (76 - 18)
June 4, 2019 OR SB 731 Authorizes College and University Student Governments to Take Positions on Initiatives and Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (42 - 13)
June 4, 2019 ME LD 795 Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food Bill Passed - House (93 - 47)
June 3, 2019 ME LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (87 - 51)
May 29, 2019 IL HB 834 Requires Equal Pay Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 19)
May 29, 2019 CA AB 1550 Establishes the "Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies (CAREN) Act" Bill Passed - House (78 - 0)
May 28, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
May 28, 2019 CA AB 767 Establishes Restitution for Victims of Police Violence Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
May 17, 2019 National HR 5 Equality Act Bill Passed - House (236 - 173)
May 8, 2019 ME LD 1025 Prohibits the Practice of Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - House (91 - 45)
May 6, 2019 OR HB 3063 Prohibits All Religious and Philosophical Vaccination Exemptions Bill Passed - House (35 - 25)
Date No. Title Outcome
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)
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)
9/10 SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - House (46 - 21)
9/09 SB 310 Authorizes Felons to Serve on Juries Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
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)
6/20 S 5248 Prohibits Class-Based Wage Differentials Bill Passed - House (138 - 9)
6/19 A 8421 Amends Requirements for Workplace Harassment Claims Bill Passed - House (128 - 20)
6/11 HB 5 Authorizes Judges to Impose Prison Sentences Concurrently Bill Passed - House (30 - 10)
6/05 SB 263 Prohibits Discrimination in Public Schools "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (211 - 141)
6/05 HB 136 Prohibits Individuals With Serious Mental Illnesses from Being Sentenced to Death Bill Passed - House (76 - 18)
6/04 SB 731 Authorizes College and University Student Governments to Take Positions on Initiatives and Ballot Measures Bill Passed - House (42 - 13)
6/04 LD 795 Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food Bill Passed - House (93 - 47)
6/03 LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (87 - 51)
5/29 HB 834 Requires Equal Pay Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 19)
5/29 AB 1550 Establishes the "Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies (CAREN) Act" Bill Passed - House (78 - 0)
5/28 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
5/28 AB 767 Establishes Restitution for Victims of Police Violence Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
5/17 HR 5 Equality Act Bill Passed - House (236 - 173)
5/08 LD 1025 Prohibits the Practice of Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - House (91 - 45)
5/06 HB 3063 Prohibits All Religious and Philosophical Vaccination Exemptions Bill Passed - House (35 - 25)

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