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
June 20, 2020 NM SB 4 Establishes 2020 General Election Procedures Bill Passed - House (44 - 26)
June 18, 2020 CA AB 860 Authorizes Vote By Mail Absentee Ballots Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 5)
June 18, 2020 DE HB 346 Authorizes Voting by Mail for 2020 Elections Bill Passed - House (25 - 13)
June 14, 2020 IA HF 2643 Establishes a General Fund Budget and Limits Actions of County Auditors Regarding Absentee Ballot Requests Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 41)
June 12, 2020 VT S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
June 11, 2020 IA HF 2486 Requires the Secretary of State to Receive Legislative Consent Prior to Sending Absentee Ballot Requests Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 2)
June 4, 2020 OH HB 680 Establishes Absentee Voting Requirements Bill Passed - House (61 - 35)
June 3, 2020 IA SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (51 - 45)
May 21, 2020 IL SB 1863 Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election Bill Passed - House (72 - 43)
May 15, 2020 MO SB 631 Authorizes Mail-In Voting During COVID-19 Pandemic Conference Report Adopted - House (121 - 24)
May 12, 2020 SC S 635 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Conference Report Adopted - House (108 - 0)
May 9, 2020 MN HF 3429 Appropriates Funds and Establishes Procedures for Safe State Primaries and General Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (122 - 10)
April 22, 2020 VA HB 207 Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 43)
April 15, 2020 KY HB 351 Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting Veto Override Passed - House (57 - 32)
April 14, 2020 KY SB 2 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Veto Override Passed - House (60 - 29)
April 14, 2020 KY HB 336 Amends the Time Frame That Gubernatorial Candidates Can Announce Running Mates Veto Override Passed - House (55 - 34)
April 1, 2020 KY HB 351 Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 22)
March 25, 2020 OH HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 0)
March 12, 2020 UT HB 70 Repeals Single Mark Straight-Ticket Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 27)
March 11, 2020 FL SB 1794 Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions Bill Passed - House (73 - 45)
March 9, 2020 TN HB 2363 Amends Voter Registration Penalties Bill Passed - House (74 - 20)
March 5, 2020 VA HB 19 Repeals Photo Identification Requirement for Voting Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45)
March 5, 2020 VA HB 235 Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 46)
March 5, 2020 VA HB 201 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 44)
March 5, 2020 VA HB 1255 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 45)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/20 SB 4 Establishes 2020 General Election Procedures Bill Passed - House (44 - 26)
6/18 AB 860 Authorizes Vote By Mail Absentee Ballots Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 5)
6/18 HB 346 Authorizes Voting by Mail for 2020 Elections Bill Passed - House (25 - 13)
6/14 HF 2643 Establishes a General Fund Budget and Limits Actions of County Auditors Regarding Absentee Ballot Requests Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 41)
6/12 S 348 Authorizes Mail-In Absentee Voting for the 2020 General Election Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
6/11 HF 2486 Requires the Secretary of State to Receive Legislative Consent Prior to Sending Absentee Ballot Requests Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 2)
6/04 HB 680 Establishes Absentee Voting Requirements Bill Passed - House (61 - 35)
6/03 SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (51 - 45)
5/21 SB 1863 Expands Absentee Voting for the Upcoming General Election Bill Passed - House (72 - 43)
5/15 SB 631 Authorizes Mail-In Voting During COVID-19 Pandemic Conference Report Adopted - House (121 - 24)
5/12 S 635 Expands Access to Absentee Voting Conference Report Adopted - House (108 - 0)
5/09 HF 3429 Appropriates Funds and Establishes Procedures for Safe State Primaries and General Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (122 - 10)
4/22 HB 207 Establishes Permanent Absentee Voter List Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 43)
4/15 HB 351 Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting Veto Override Passed - House (57 - 32)
4/14 SB 2 Amends Voter Identification Requirements Veto Override Passed - House (60 - 29)
4/14 HB 336 Amends the Time Frame That Gubernatorial Candidates Can Announce Running Mates Veto Override Passed - House (55 - 34)
4/01 HB 351 Increases Taxes on Tobacco Products and Authorizes the Expansion of Absentee Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 22)
3/25 HB 197 Establishes Relief Provisions in Response to the COVID-19 Emergency Concurrence Vote Passed - House (92 - 0)
3/12 HB 70 Repeals Single Mark Straight-Ticket Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 27)
3/11 SB 1794 Increases Signature Threshold for Initiative Petitions Bill Passed - House (73 - 45)
3/09 HB 2363 Amends Voter Registration Penalties Bill Passed - House (74 - 20)
3/05 HB 19 Repeals Photo Identification Requirement for Voting Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45)
3/05 HB 235 Establishes and Authorizes a Process for Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 46)
3/05 HB 201 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 44)
3/05 HB 1255 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 45)

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